Heavy Snow in California, December 25 to 26, 2010

Name: Heavy Snow in California, December 25 to 26, 2010
Start: 2010-12-25T14:30
End: 2010-12-26T08:00
Location: California

December 25 to 26, 2010 · NWS MFR · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Another in a string of winter storms moved through on this date. This one only had moderate snow amounts, but the snow level was low enough to impact areas that normally don't see much snow.

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: 1

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 MFR wrote it up.

Another in a string of winter storms moved through on this date. This one only had moderate snow amounts, but the snow level was low enough to impact areas that normally don't see much snow.

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. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Western Siskiyou County

When: December 25, 2:30 PM PST to December 26, 8:00 AM PST
Where: Western Siskiyou County forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 41.593, -122.540 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A spotter in adjacent zone CAZ080 at a higher elevation reported 9.0 inches of snow in this 19 hour interval. Technically, 10 inches is needed in 24 hours above 3000 feet in both zone CAZ080 and CAZ082, but only 7.0 is required below 3000 feet in zone CAZ080. Based on a snow level of 2500 feet, it is assumed that criteria for a heavy snow warning was met below 3000 feet in zone CAZ080.

What these are

Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in California in 2010 Every state in 2010 This day in weather history Warnings in California, December 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: 266457.