Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in California, November 19 to 23, 2010

Name: Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in California, November 19 to 23, 2010
Start: 2010-11-19T14:00
End: 2010-11-23T16:00
Location: California

November 19 to 23, 2010 · NWS REV · 7 events in 4 counties and zones

Very cold low pressure dropped south along the Pacific Northwest coast and into the northern Sierra between the 18th and the 21st followed by another low on the 23rd. This brought gusty winds and periods of heavy snow to northeast California and the Sierra.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 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: 1
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 7

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 REV wrote it up.

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 Reno, NV wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 18, 3:42 PM PST, 22 hours 18 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 18, 3:42 PM PST, 22 hours 18 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, 2 winter storm, 2 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Mono

When: November 19, 2:00 PM PST to November 21, 5:00 AM PST
Where: Mono forecast zone
Deaths: 0 direct, 1 indirect
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 37.939, -118.887 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There were 2 main periods of snow with this slow moving storm, with one period from late evening on the 19th to the morning of the 20th and the second period about 24 hours later. Much more snow fell west of highway 395 than along and east, with storm totals of 2.5 to 3.5 feet near the Sierra crest and only 6 to 12 inches along and east of highway 395. In addition to snowfall, winds were gusting 35 to 50 mph on the 19th with a few gusts over 60 mph from 1400PST to 1700PST for Walker RAWS. Finally, a man was killed near Mammoth Lakes when his vehicle went off a road in low visibility conditions due to heavy snow.

Heavy Snow, Lassen/Eastern Plumas/Eastern Sierra

When: November 19, 3:00 PM PST to November 21, 10:00 AM PST
Where: Lassen/Eastern Plumas/Eastern Sierra forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 40.086, -120.650 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall with this system fell in two increments, one from the evening of the 19th through the morning of the 20th and the other about 24 hours later. Widespread storm totals of 6 to 12 inches were reported near and west of highway 395 south and west of Susanville, with 15 inches in Portola.

Winter Storm, Greater Lake Tahoe Area

When: November 19, 7:00 PM PST to November 21, 12:00 PM PST
Where: Greater Lake Tahoe Area forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 38.935, -120.458 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow with this storm came in two waves, one from the evening of the 19th to the morning of the 20th and the second about 24 hours later. Widespread storm total snowfall of 2 to 3 feet were reported around Lake Tahoe, with local amounts to 4 feet near the crest. In addition to heavy snow, winds gusted to between 35 and 45 mph especially on the 18th and 19th.

Winter Weather, Surprise Valley

When: November 21, 10:00 AM PST to November 22, 10:00 AM PST
Where: Surprise Valley forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 41.590, -120.725 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Up to 3 inches of snowfall (based on precipitation estimates from Cedarville and Alturas) fell with on the 21st and 22nd with the heaviest amount in the afternoon and evening of the 21st. Isolated higher amounts fell, with Cedarville reporting 5 inches.

Winter Weather, Greater Lake Tahoe Area

When: November 21, 7:00 PM PST to November 22, 8:00 AM PST
Where: Greater Lake Tahoe Area forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 38.935, -120.458 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A widespread 6 to 8 inches of snow fell in the valleys with 10 to 16 inches near the Sierra crest. In addition to snow, wind gusts of 25 to 35 mph were common on the evening of the 19th.

Heavy Snow, Lassen/Eastern Plumas/Eastern Sierra

When: November 23, 12:00 AM PST to 1:00 PM PST
Where: Lassen/Eastern Plumas/Eastern Sierra forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 40.086, -120.650 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The main brunt of the snowfall with this disturbance was south and west of Susanville. Snowfall totals include: Portola with 4 inches, Grizzly Ridge HADS with an estimated 8 to 12 inches, and and estimated 10 inches at the Independence Creek SNOTEL.

Heavy Snow, Greater Lake Tahoe Area

When: November 23, 12:00 AM PST to 4:00 PM PST
Where: Greater Lake Tahoe Area forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 38.935, -120.458 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall totals with this system include: 14 to 20 inches at Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows Ski areas near the Sierra crest, 16 inches at the South Lake Tahoe Airport, and 12 inches at the Truckee Airport and also at Carnelian Bay on the north side of Lake Tahoe.

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
Winter Storm, Mono	2010-11-20	30	Male	Vehicle/Towed Trailer	Indirect

What these are

Winter Storm: A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
Winter Weather: Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

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, November 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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 269078, 269049, 269048, 269251, 269272, 269347, 269348.