California, 2010

Heavy Snow and High Wind in California, April 4 to 5, 2010

April 4 to 5, 2010 · NWS VEF · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Another strong Pacific storm brought high west to southwest winds to much of the Mojave Desert and portions of the southern Great Basin. Isolated heavy snow also fell at the high elevations of the Sierra.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS VEF wrote it up.

Another strong Pacific storm brought high west to southwest winds to much of the Mojave Desert and portions of the southern Great Basin. Isolated heavy snow also fell at the high elevations of the Sierra.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Las Vegas, NV wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 4, 5:55 AM PST, 2 hours 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 4, 5:55 AM PST, 2 hours 5 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 4, 5:30 AM PST, 2 hours 30 minutes before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 heavy snow, 1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Eastern Sierra Slopes of Inyo County

When
April 4, 8:00 AM PST to April 5, 8:00 AM PST
Where
Eastern Sierra Slopes of Inyo County forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
36.511, -117.411 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The observer in Aspendell (8500') measured 23 inches of new snow.

High Wind, Owens Valley

When
April 4, 4:42 PM PST
Where
Owens Valley forecast zone
Measured
54 kt (62 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Mesonet

This gust occurred 5 miles NW of Independence.

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in California in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in California, April 2010

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 215504, 214986.