Another winter storm brought up to two more feet of snow in the higher elevations and snow levels were down to near 4000 feet.
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.
The episode as NWS STO wrote it up.
Another winter storm brought up to two more feet of snow in the higher elevations and snow levels were down to near 4000 feet.
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 Sacramento, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 28, 9:10 AM PST, 5 hours 50 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA 910 AM PST TUE DEC 28 2010 ...STRONG BUT FAST MOVING SYSTEM TO EFFECT AREA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...THIS WILL RESULT IN A WINDY AND WET AFTERNOON AND NIGHT... FORECAST IN GOOD SHAPE AHEAD OF STRONG WEATHER SYSTEM TO EFFECT THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. MAIN IMPACTS AND CHALLENGES OF THE FORECAST WILL BE HEAVY RAIN AND STRONG WINDS. PER PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...WILL BE STRONG CYCLOGENESIS WITH THIS SYSTEM WITH BOTH GFS AND NAM FORECASTING PRESSURE FALLS OF 13 MB PER 6 HOURS OFF NORCAL COAST LATE THIS AFTERNOON. THIS WILL RESULT IN A FAIRLY DEEP LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM PUSHING ACROSS PACIFIC NORTHWEST. RESULTANT PRESSURE GRADIENT PROGGED TO BE MODERATELY STRONG...BUT NOTHING REALLY BAD. LOW LEVEL WINDS ALSO IMPRESSIVE WITH NICE BARRIER JET SETTING UP OVERNIGHT AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. AT THIS TIME...DOES LOOK LIKE WINDS SHOULD REMAIN BELOW HIGH WIND CRITERIA...BUT MAY BE A FEW WARNING CRITERIA GUSTS IN SOME FOOTHILLS LOCATIONS...BUT THEY SHOULD BE VERY LOCALIZED AND BRIEF. AT THIS TIME LEANING TO GETTING RID OF THE HIGH WIND WATCH AND LEAVING THE ADVISORY OUT. AS FAR AS MOISTURE...VERY IMPRESSIVE PLUME OF PW AIR WITH THIS SYSTEM WITH LARGE AREA OF 200 PERCENT OF NORMAL PLUME PUSHING INTO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AT THIS TIME. ACTUAL PW SHOWING A LARGE AREA OF 1.50 AND HIGHER WITH A SMALL AREA OF 2.00. EXPECT SYSTEM TO STRENGTHEN AS IT MOVES INTO THE AREA WITH SOME VERY STRONG LIFT RIGHT ALONG THIS FRONT. THIS WILL RESULT IN SOME LOCALIZED HEAVY RAIN WITH RAIN RATES POSSIBLY AS HIGH AS AN INCH AN HOUR ALONG THE FRONT. THIS WILL RESULT IN URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING ISSUE BUT HARD TO PIN POINT EXACTLY WHERE THIS FAR OUT...SO SEEMS LIKE BEST SOLUTION WOULD BE TO GET RID OF THE WATCH RIGHT NOW AND GO WITH A WIDESPREAD URBAN AND SMALL STREAM ADVISORY AND HIT WILL POSSIBLY SMALL STREAM WARNINGS LATER IN THE EVENING WHEN THINGS PICK UP. HEAVY SNOW IS A SURE THING...AGAIN...WITH HIGH SNOWFALL RATES OF 2 TO 3 INCHES PER HOUR OVERNIGHT. THIS COMBINED WITH HEAVY SNOW WILL SURELY BE TRAVEL ISSUE OVER THE MOUNTAINS TONIGHT. ALL THIS COVERED PRETTY WELL IN CURRENT PRODUCTS...SO NO MAJOR CHANGES IN AMOUNTS OR VALUES EXPECTED SO FAR. WILL BE UPDATING ABOVE MENTIONED PRODUCTS AS MORNING ROLLS ON. RASCH .PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... SIGNIFICANT WEATHER EVENT LIKELY ACROSS THE REGION THE NEXT 24 TO 36 HOURS WITH STRONG WINDS AND HEAVY PRECIPITATION EXPECTED. SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS THE NEXT SYSTEM DEVELOPING NICELY WELL OFFSHORE WITH A WELL DEFINED BAROCLINIC LEAF TAKING SHAPE. INITIAL SURFACE WAVE IS PRESENTLY MOVING INTO OREGON WITH ISENTROPIC LIFT AHEAD OF AND TO ITS SOUTH RESULTING IN SOME LIGHT PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA EARLY THIS MORNING. PRECIPITATION EXPECTED TO RAMP UP LATER TODAY AS THE SYSTEM APPROACHES AND WARM ADVECTION INCREASES ACROSS MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA. THE PERIOD OF HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE REGION TONIGHT AS STRONG LIFT ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONT AND UPPER JET INTERACT WITH THE SUB-TROPICAL MOISTURE PLUME (PW/S OF 1 TO 1.5 INCHES IMPINGING ON THE AREA). AROUND AN INCH OF RAIN IS EXPECTED IN THE VALLEY WITH FOOTHILL AREAS ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE VALLEY LIKELY SEEING HIGHER AMOUNTS AS STRONG SOUTHEAST SURFACE WINDS ENHANCE PRECIPITATION. 2 TO 3 INCHES OR MORE WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE FOOTHILLS AND MOUNTAINS. FLOOD WATCHES HAVE BEEN POSTED. IN ADDITION TO THE HEAVY PRECIPITATION...STRONG CYCLOGENESIS IS FORECAST THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS THE SYSTEM APPROACHES. MODELS ALL AGREE ON A RAPIDLY DEEPENING SURFACE CYCLONE AS THE SYSTEM MOVES ONSHORE...BUT DIFFER IN DETAILS OF HOW FAR SOUTH THE DEEPEST SURFACE LOW WILL MOVE ONSHORE. IT WILL BE WINDY ACROSS NEARLY THE ENTIRE FORECAST AREA TONIGHT...AND DEPENDING ON THE SURFACE LOW/S TRACK... THERE WILL BE A CHANCE FOR VERY STRONG WINDS IN THE SACRAMENTO VALLEY THIS EVENING INTO EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING. WIND ADVISORIES AND A HIGH WIND WATCH HAVE BEEN POSTED. HEAVY SNOW AND STRONG WINDS WILL DEVELOP OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING. A VARIETY OF WINTER STORM WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES HAVE BEEN POSTED. SYSTEM EXITS TO OUR SOUTH WEDNESDAY WITH DECREASING PRECIPITATION CHANCES AS COLD NORTHERLY FLOW TAKES HOLD. THERE WILL BE A CHANCE OF SHOWERS THURSDAY AS A SHORT-WAVE SLIDES SOUTH ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE WESTERN LONG-WAVE TROUGH. && .EXTENDED DISCUSSION (SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY)... SOME DISCREPANCY EXISTS IN THE MODELS FOR THE LONG TERM. GFS TRENDS TOWARD A GLANCING IMPACT FROM A WEAK ADVECTION VORT LOBE...WHILE THE EC/GEM SOLUTION HAS A CLOSED SFC LOW NEAR 40N 130W (OFFSHORE FROM NRN CAL). SEVERAL RUNS AGO THE GFS HAD A SOLN MORE REPRESENTATIVE OF THIS SITUATION...BUT HAS TRENDED WEAKER. SURROUNDING OFFICES AND HPC SEEM TO AGREE THAT THE MODEL OF CHOICE LEANS MORE TOWARD THE EC. AS A RESULT NRN CAL WILL SEE THE INFLUENCE OF THIS SLOW MOVING LOW INTO TUESDAY WHEN FINALLY DRIFTS INTO CENTRAL CAL ON TUESDAY. THE NATURE OF THIS LOW IS THAT IT IS PART OF A REX BLOCK...AND THERE BY SLOW TO MOVE. IN ANY CASE...WE HAVE INCREASED PRECIPITATION CHANCES IN THE EXTENDED A LITTLE BIT WITH THE UNSETTLED PATTERN AHEAD. JCLAPP && .AVIATION... MOSTLY IFR CIGS AND VISBYS WITH PERIODS OF LIFR CIGS THRU THE NEXT 24 HR AS UPPER TROF AND LOW LEVEL COLD FRONT PUSH ACROSS NORCAL FROM THE NORTH. WIDESPREAD SHOWERS ACROSS REGION TODAY AND OVERNIGHT WITH HEAVIEST PRECIP BETWEEN 00Z AND 12Z WEDNESDAY. STRONG MID TO UPPER LEVEL SOUTHERLY WINDS AHEAD OF LOW FROM FL050 AND ABOVE WILL BE IN EXCESS OF 55KTS FROM 04Z-12Z WED. SUSTAINED SFC WINDS AT TAF SITES MAY TOP 25KTS WITH GUSTS UP TO 45KT BETWEEN 04Z-12Z WED WITH GREATEST IMPACTS FROM CROSSWIND COMPONENT AT KMHR AND KSMF RUNWAYS. FRONTAL PASSAGE EARLY WEDS WITH WIND SHIFT TO NW MAY LEAD TO A POTENTIAL FOR LLWS AT TAF SITES. DRP && .STO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 10 AM PST WEDNESDAY ABOVE 4500 FEET FOR THE WESTERN PLUMAS COUNTY/LASSEN PARK. WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 4 PM PST WEDNESDAY ABOVE 5000 FEET FOR THE WEST SLOPE NORTHERN SIERRA NEVADA. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 4 AM PST WEDNESDAY ABOVE 4000 FEET FOR THE BURNEY BASIN/EASTERN SHASTA COUNTY...MOUNTAINS SOUTHWESTERN SHASTA COUNTY TO NORTHERN LAKE COUNTY...SHASTA LAKE AREA/NORTHERN SHASTA COUNTY. WIND ADVISORY FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 4 AM PST WEDNESDAY FOR THE SACRAMENTO VALLEY...CARQUINEZ STRAIT AND DELTA...AND NORTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY. WIND ADVISORY FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 4 AM PST WEDNESDAY BELOW 4000 FEET FOR THE CLEAR LAKE/SOUTHERN LAKE COUNTY...MOUNTAINS SOUTHWESTERN SHASTA COUNTY TO NORTHERN LAKE COUNTY. WIND ADVISORY FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 4 AM PST WEDNESDAY BELOW 3000 FEET FOR THE MOTHERLODE...NORTHEAST FOOTHILLS/SACRAMENTO VALLEY. HIGH WIND WATCH THIS EVENING THROUGH LATE TONIGHT FOR THE SACRAMENTO VALLEY...CARQUINEZ STRAIT AND DELTA...AND NORTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY. HIGH WIND WATCH THIS EVENING THROUGH LATE TONIGHT BELOW 4000 FEET FOR THE CLEAR LAKE/SOUTHERN LAKE COUNTY...MOUNTAINS SOUTHWESTERN SHASTA COUNTY TO NORTHERN LAKE COUNTY. HIGH WIND WATCH THIS EVENING THROUGH LATE TONIGHT BELOW 3000 FEET FOR THE MOTHERLODE...NORTHEAST FOOTHILLS/SACRAMENTO VALLEY. FLOOD WATCH FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH LATE TONIGHT FOR THE SACRAMENTO VALLEY...CARQUINEZ STRAIT AND DELTA...CLEAR LAKE/ SOUTHERN LAKE COUNTY...MOUNTAINS SOUTHWESTERN SHASTA COUNTY TO NORTHERN LAKE COUNTY...NORTHEAST FOOTHILLS/SACRAMENTO VALLEY... SHASTA LAKE AREA/NORTHERN SHASTA COUNTY... FLOOD WATCH FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING FOR THE MOTHERLODE AND NORTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA 545 AM PST TUE DEC 28 2010 CAZ013>019-063-064-066>069-291500- SHASTA LAKE AREA/NORTHERN SHASTA COUNTY- BURNEY BASIN/EASTERN SHASTA COUNTY-NORTHERN SACRAMENTO VALLEY- CENTRAL SACRAMENTO VALLEY-SOUTHERN SACRAMENTO VALLEY- CARQUINEZ STRAIT AND DELTA-NORTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY- MOUNTAINS SOUTHWESTERN SHASTA TO NORTHERN LAKE COUNTIES- CLEAR LAKE/SOUTHERN LAKE COUNTY-MOTHERLODE- EAST FOOTHILLS/NORTH SACRAMENTO VALLEY- WESTERN PLUMAS COUNTY/LASSEN PARK-WEST SLOPE NORTHERN SIERRA NEVADA- 545 AM PST TUE DEC 28 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR INTERIOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY A STRONG WINTER STORM WILL BEGIN TO AFFECT THE REGION TODAY. THE BULK OF HEAVY PRECIPITATION AND STRONG WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH THE INTERIOR OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA TONIGHT. * WINTER STORM WARNING.......SEE WWUS46 KSTO - WSWSTO FOR DETAILS * * HIGH WIND WATCH............SEE WWUS76 KSTO - NPWSTO FOR DETAILS * * FLOOD WATCH................SEE WGUS66 KSTO - FFASTO FOR DETAILS * * WIND ADVISORY..............SEE WWUS76 KSTO - NPWSTO FOR DETAILS * * WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY....SEE WWUS46 KSTO - WSWSTO FOR DETAILS * .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY PRECIPITATION WILL TAPER OFF FROM THE NORTH WEDNESDAY MORNING... HOWEVER RUNOFF FROM THE RAIN WILL LIKELY CONTINUE THE FLOOD THREAT FOR SMALL RIVERS AND STREAMS ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL VALLEY AND FOOTHILLS INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING. COLDER AND GENERALLY DRIER WEATHER IS EXPECTED THROUGH THE NEW YEAR/S WEEKEND. * WINTER STORM WARNING.......SEE WWUS46 KSTO - WSWSTO FOR DETAILS * * FLOOD WATCH................SEE WGUS66 KSTO - FFASTO FOR DETAILS * .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS TO THEIR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE. THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET AT (LOWER CASE): HTTP://WWW.WRH.NOAA.GOV/STO
2 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Up to two feet of snow fell in the higher elevations and more than a foot of snow fell at Lassen Volcanic National Park. Some snow fell as low as 3000 feet. Winds gusted to 50 mph.
Up to two feet of snow fell in the higher elevations above 7000 feet and up to a foot of snow fell near 5000 feet. Some snow fell as low as 3000 feet. The Trans-Sierra passes received six to eight inches of snow. Winds gusted to 50 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in California, December 2010
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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 275818, 275819.