California, 2010

Heavy Snow in California, December 28 to 29, 2010

December 28 to 29, 2010 · NWS MFR · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

Yet another in a series of winter storms moved through on this date.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
3

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.

Yet another in a series of winter storms moved through on this date.

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 Medford, OR wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 27, 8:59 PM PST, 7 hours 1 minute earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 27, 8:59 PM PST, 7 hours 1 minute before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 27, 5:13 PM PST, 10 hours 47 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

3 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Western Siskiyou County

When
December 28, 4:00 AM PST to December 29, 4:00 AM PST
Where
Western Siskiyou County forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
41.593, -122.540 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

No heavy snow reports from this storm as most of the snow apparently fell above populated areas. However, heavy rain was reported at lower elevations and sufficiently low temperatures were recorded at higher elevations. Therefore, it is assumed that heavy snow fell in this zone. Reported 24 hour rainfall amounts included 2.65 inches at the Somes Bar RAWS, 1.96 inches at the Sawyer's Bar RAWS, 1.90 inches at the Dutch-Indy RAWS, and 1.32 inches at the Scott Mtn near Callahan RAWS.

Heavy Snow, North Central & Southeast Siskiyou County

When
December 28, 4:00 AM PST to December 29, 4:00 AM PST
Where
North Central & Southeast Siskiyou County forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
41.593, -122.540 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

No heavy snow reports from this storm as this area is sparsely populated. However, based on heavy precipitation recorded in adjacent zone CAZ082, including 3.55 inches at the CALTRANS site at Snowman's Summit, it is assumed that heavy snow fell in this zone.

Heavy Snow, Modoc County

When
December 28, 4:00 AM PST to December 29, 4:00 AM PST
Where
Modoc County forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
41.590, -120.725 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

No heavy snow reports from this storm from observers. However, a SNOTEL at Crowder Flat recorded 6 inches of snow in 8 hours ending at 28/2000 PST. Also, heavy liquid equivalent precipitation was reported at several stations Therefore, it is assumed that heavy snow fell in this zone. Reported 24 hour liquid equivalent amounts included 1.20 inches at the Crowder Flats SNOTEL, 1.10 inches at the Cedar Pass SNOTEL, and 1.20 inches at the Adin Mtn. SNOTEL.

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

More

Every storm in California in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings 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: 266463, 266464, 266465.