A Pacific storm brought moderate to heavy snow over the higher mountain elevations. Snow levels were generally from 4000 to 5000 feet and above for much of the event.
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.
A Pacific storm brought moderate to heavy snow over the higher mountain elevations. Snow levels were generally from 4000 to 5000 feet and above for much of the event. Gusty winds along with the resulting blowing snow caused reduced visibilities for mountain highways, especially at the passes.
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 Feb 23, 4:30 PM PST, 1 hour 30 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA 430 PM PST TUE FEB 23 2010 .DISCUSSION... WIDESPREAD RAIN AND SNOW MOVING INTO INTERIOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AS COLD FRONT APPROACHES. FOR THE VALLEY...RAIN ESTIMATES DID NOT CHANGE MUCH WITH THE AFTERNOON CNRFC PACKAGE. TOTALS RANGE FROM AROUND A THIRD OF AN INCH TO JUST OVER AN INCH WITH THE HIGHER AMOUNTS NEAR SAC METRO REGION NORTHWARD. SURFACE FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS OUR AREA LATER TONIGHT SO EXPECT MODERATE TO HEAVIER SHOWERS THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT COUPLED WITH GUSTY SOUTHERLY FLOW IN THE VALLEY. WE DID DECIDE TO ISSUE A WIND ADVISORY WITH THE AFTERNOON FORECAST PACKAGE FOR THE SOUTHERN SACRAMENTO AND NORTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEYS ALONG WITH THE LOWER ELEVATIONS OF THE SIERRA FOOTHILLS. MODEL GUIDANCE CONTINUED TO SHOW ENHANCED VALLEY WINDS...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE VALLEY. WE COULD SEE SUSTAINED SURFACE WINDS AT 25 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS AROUND 40 MPH. WINDS WILL START TO STRENGTHEN AROUND 7PM WITH PEAK WINDS AROUND MIDNIGHT. RESIDENTS COULD BE AFFECTED BY LOCAL POWER OUTAGES WITH ANY DOWNED LIMBS/TREES DUE TO WINDS. UP IN THE MOUNTAINS...SPOTTERS FROM QUINCY AND THE BURNEY AREA HAVE REPORTED SNOW BETWEEN 3000-3500 FEET. SNOW LEVELS COULD LOCALLY DROP FURTHER DOWN AROUND 2500 FEET NORTH OF REDDING. EXPECT SNOW TO BE HEAVY AT TIMES LATER TONIGHT WHEN THE COLD FRONT TREKS EASTWARD ACROSS OUR REGION. WINDS AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS WILL BE ENHANCED AHEAD OF THE FRONT PROVIDING GUSTY CONDITIONS...UP TO AROUND 50 MPH. HAVE KEPT WINTER STORM WARNING FOR THE SIERRA MOUNTAINS, THEN WENT AHEAD AND UPGRADED WINTER STORM ADVISORY TO A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR THE COASTAL AND NORTHERN MOUNTAINS INCLUDING BURNEY BASIN. UPVALLEY WINDS WILL MAKE FOR GOOD OROGRAPHICS AND THE CNRFC INCREASED QPF AMOUNTS IN THIS REGION. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS SHOULD BE AROUND 3 TO 5 INCHES FOR THE BURNEY BASIN FLOOR WITH 5-10 INCHES ABOVE 5000 FEET AND A FOOT OR MORE NEAR RIDGETOPS. LINGERING SHOWERS ON WEDNESDAY AS FRONT MOVES EASTWARD. EXPECT ANOTHER TENTH TO A THIRD OF AN INCH OF RAIN IN THE VALLEY. UPPER LEVEL RIDGING WILL DEVELOP BY THURSDAY GIVING US A BRIEF BREAK IN SHOWERS...ALTHOUGH MODELS INDICATE SOME LINGERING MOISTURE COULD RIDE UP OVER THE RIDGE BRINGING A SLIGHT CHANCE TO CHANCE OF SHOWERS FOR THE NORTHERN HALF OF OUR CWA. ANOTHER DECENT STORM WILL MOVE INLAND FRIDAY BRINGING ADDITIONAL RAIN/SNOW TO OUR REGION COUPLED WITH GUSTY WINDS AGAIN. PRELIMINARY ESTIMATES APPEAR TO SHOW SIMILAR RAIN/SNOW TOTALS TO OUR CURRENT STORM WITH MODERATE TO HEAVY ACCUMULATIONS...BUT WILL HAVE A BETTER IDEA TOMORROW WITH CNRFC GUIDANCE. THIS FRIDAY SYSTEM LOOKS TO HAVE BETTER DYNAMICS FOR CONVECTION AS THE JET STREAM DIVES SOUTHWARD TOWARDS CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN CA...PUTTING OUR CWA IN THE FAVORABLE LEFT EXIT REGION. JBB && .EXTENDED DISCUSSION (SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY)... THE UPPER TROUGH WILL SHIFT EASTWARD SATURDAY...THOUGH CONVECTIVE SHOWERS MAY LINGER INTO SATURDAY AFTERNOON. AN UPPER TROUGH BUILDING ALONG THE WEST COAST WILL ENHANCE SUBSIDENCE BY SATURDAY NIGHT...ENDING THE THREAT OF PRECIPITATION THROUGH THE REST OF THE WEEKEND. SUNDAY AND POSSIBLY INTO MONDAY LOOK TO BE FAIR WEATHER DAYS WITH TEMPERATURES REACHING NEAR NORMAL LEVELS. ANOTHER NORTHERN PACIFIC TROUGH LOOKS TO DROP TOWARDS NORTHERN CALIFORNIA EARLY NEXT WEEK...THOUGH CONFIDENCE IS LOW ON TIMING. DANG && .AVIATION... UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OVER THE EASTERN PACIFIC WITH A SYSTEM MOVING INTO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA BRINGING WIDESPREAD IFR/LIFR CONDITIONS ALONG WITH PRECIPITATION. SNOW LEVELS ARE EXPECTED TO BE AROUND 3000 FEET IN THE SHASTA COUNTY MOUNTAINS AND AROUND 4500 FEET OVER THE SIERRA NEVADA. SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL INCREASE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WITH THE APPROACHING FRONT AND AS THE MFR-SAC SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT INCREASES TO ABOUT 8 MB AT 06Z WITH THE SURFACE LOW OFF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST COAST AND 850 MB WINDS AROUND 40 KTS. PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO BECOME MORE SHOWERY ON WEDNESDAY BEHIND THE COLD FRONT. .STO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL NOON PST WEDNESDAY FOR WESTERN PLUMAS COUNTY AND THE LASSEN PARK AREA. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 4 PM PST WEDNESDAY FOR WEST SLOPES NORTHERN SIERRA NEVADA. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 10 AM PST WEDNESDAY FOR BURNEY BASIN /EASTERN SHASTA COUNTY-MOUNTAINS SOUTHWESTERN SHASTA COUNTY TO NORTHERN LAKE COUNTY-SHASTA LAKE AREA/NORTHERN SHASTA COUNTY. WIND ADVISORY FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 4 AM PST WEDNESDAY FOR MOTHERLODE-NORTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-SOUTHERN SACRAMENTO VALLEY. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA 400 PM PST TUE FEB 23 2010 CAZ013>019-063-064-066>069-241500- 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- 400 PM PST TUE FEB 23 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR INTERIOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY APPROACHING COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INLAND THIS EVENING. MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN AND SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED COUPLED WITH GUSTY WINDS IN HIGHER TERRAIN. STRONG WINDS ALSO EXPECTED ALONG THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE SOUTHERN SACRAMENTO VALLEY LATER TONIGHT WITH PEAK WINDS AROUND MIDNIGHT. * WINTER STORM WARNING.......SEE WWUS46 KSTO - WSWSTO FOR DETAILS * * WIND ADVISORY..............SEE WWUS76 KSTO - NPWSTO FOR DETAILS * .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY SNOW SHOWERS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONTAL PASSAGE WILL CONTINUE ALONG THE SIERRA THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON WITH ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATIONS UP TO 6 INCHES. * WINTER STORM WARNING.......SEE WWUS46 KSTO - WSWSTO 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
5 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Snowfall amounts of 6 to 10 inches fell above 4000 feet.
Snow amounts of 6 to 10 inches fell above 4000 feet, with amounts up to a foot above 5000 feet.
Snow amounts of 6 to 10 inches fell above 5000 feet, with amounts around a foot above 7000 feet.
Snow amounts up to 8 inches fell above 4000 feet.
Snow amounts of 6 to 10 inches fell over higher peaks.
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, February 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: 214958, 214960, 214961, 214959, 214957.