An especially cold winter storm moved through Northern California, bringing light snow briefly into the Central Valley.
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.
An especially cold winter storm moved through Northern California, bringing light snow briefly into the Central Valley.
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 24, 4:00 PM PST, 0 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA 400 PM PST THU FEB 24 2011 .SHORT TERM DISCUSSION (TODAY THROUGH MONDAY)... COLD FRONTAL BAND NOW DRAPING ACROSS NORTHERN CALIFORNIA BRINGING PRECIPITATION AS FAR SOUTH AS THE SACRAMENTO VALLEY AT THIS HOUR. SOME WINDS DIRECTLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONT NOW TOPPING 20 MPH IN THE NORTHERN SACRAMENTO VALLEY. UPPER LOW ASSOCIATED WITH FRONT NOW CENTERED OFF THE NORTHERN WASHINGTON COAST BEING FED BY ARTIC OR POLAR AIR. EVEN PRE FRONTAL PRECIP COMING WITH LOW TO MODERATE SNOW LEVELS WITH SPOTTERS IN THE GRASS VALLEY AREA AT AROUND 3500 FEET REPORTING SNOWFALL. FRONTAL SYSTEM AND 120 PLUS KNOT JET HAS SLOWLY SAGGED SOUTHWARD DURING THE DAY TODAY. PRECIP AMOUNTS IN THIS PRE FRONTAL REGION HAVE REMAINED FAIRLY LIGHT TODAY. SOME LIGHTER PRE FRONTAL PRECIP WILL BE LIKELY AS FAR SOUTH AS THE NORTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY BY THIS EVENING. SNOW LEVELS WILL DROP AS THE FRONT MOVES OVER A REGION. IN THE REDDING AREA SNOW LEVELS COULD DROP TO AS LOW AS THE VALLEY FLOOR BY AROUND 06Z. WINTER WEATHER PRODUCTS ARE IN PLACE. MADE ONE SMALL CHANGE THIS AFTERNOON HOLDING OFF ON WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR THE MOTHERLODE UNTIL FRIDAY MORNING SINCE IT WILL LIKELY TAKE THAT LONG BEFORE SNOW LEVELS DROP BELOW 2000 FEET THERE. ALTHOUGH UPPER LEVEL WIND PROGS INDICATING MODERATELY STRONG WINDS FOR THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS AS THE MAIN FRONTAL SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH...SURFACE PROGS INDICATING RATHER LIGHT GRADIENTS. THEREFORE...NOT EXPECTING PARTICULARLY STRONG WINDS WITH THIS SYSTEM EXCEPT POSSIBLY ACROSS THE RIDGES AND AS THE FRONT PASSES OVER A REGION. BY 12Z FRIDAY...THICKNESS PROGS INDICATING FRONTAL LOCATION ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL CALIFORNIA AND SHOULD SEE SIGNIFICANT DROP OFF IN PRECIP ACROSS THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS. BY THIS TIME...MAIN UPPER MOTION DYNAMICS WILL BE ACROSS THE CENTRAL PART OF THE STATE AND OVER MUCH OF THE SIERRA CASCADES THANKS TO EXCELLENT OROGRAPHICS IN SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. THIS OROGRAPHICS COMBINED WITH A MOISTURE TAP FROM HAWAII WILL MAKE THIS SYSTEM A GOOD PRECIP PRODUCER FOR THE SIERRA. ALTHOUGH MOISTURE FEED WITH THIS SYSTEM IS GOOD (TPW VALUES AROUND .8 INCHES) THE MOISTER 1 INCH TPW PLUS AIR REMAINS OFFSHORE SO NOT EXPECTING SPECTACULAR SNOWFALL AMOUNTS WITH THIS SYSTEM. WITH LACK OF LOW LEVEL WINDS AND ONLY MODERATE PRECIP...BELIEVE MAIN STORY WITH THIS SYSTEM WILL BE ASSOCIATED VERY COLD AIR. MAIN COLD AIR MOVES INTO CWA BEHIND THE FRONT AS MAIN UPPER LOW DROPS OVER NORCAL. IT IS AT THIS TIME THAT ENOUGH COLD AIR MOVES INTO AREA FOR POSSIBLE SNOW DOWN TO THE VALLEY FLOOR SOUTH OF SHASTA COUNTY. GFS AND NAM BOTH PUT LIGHT SNOWFALL AS FAR SOUTH AS THE STOCKTON AREA BY FRIDAY NIGHT OR SATURDAY MORNING. LUCKILY...SNOWFALL WITH HAVE MAINLY ENDED BY THEN AND MAIN THREAT OF SNOWFALL AT THE VERY LOW SNOW LEVELS WILL BE FROM ISOLATED LIGHT CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY IN THE UNSTABLE AIR BEHIND THE FRONT. BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON...MAIN UPPER LOW SHIFTS SOUTH OF THE REGION BRINGING END OF PRECIP THREAT AS NORTHERLY FLOW DEVELOPS OVER THE AREA. AIRMASS BEGINS TO MODERATE A BIT SO DO NOT EXPECT EXTREME COLD FOR SATURDAY NIGHT AND EARLY SUNDAY DESPITE CLEAR SKIES AND RELATIVELY LIGHT WINDS BUT LOTS OF BELOW FREEZING MINIMUMS ARE A GOOD BET. OVERALL...SUNDAY LOOKS DRY UNDER BRIEF UPPER LEVEL RIDGING WITH DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURES SEVERAL DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. WEAK SYSTEM PASSING TO THE NORTH WILL BRING THREAT OF PRECIP ACROSS THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS MONDAY. ELSEWHERE...FLAT RIDGING SHOULD KEEP CWA DRY. .EXTENDED DISCUSSION (TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY)... BLOCKING RIDGES WILL BE ALONG 170W AND 0W NEXT WEEK. COLD POLAR AIR IS PULLED WEST INTO AN UPPER LOW FROM NEAR VANCOUVER ISLAND TO ABOUND 140W...AND A NEARLY ZONAL FLOW ALONG 40N WILL USHER MOISTURE INTO CALIFORNIA NEXT WEEK. THE GFS HAS A BIT OF A BREAK TUESDAY...THEN SHIFTS A POTENT SHORT WAVE WITH A SUB TROPICAL MOISTURE TAP INTO CALIFORNIA WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. RECENT 1000-500MB THICKNESS TRENDS HAVE SNOW LEVELS NEAR 5000 FEET AS OPPOSED TO THE MUCH HIGHER VALUES PREDICTED LAST WEEK. THE ECMWF IS WETTER TUESDAY SO WE WILL RETAIN A CHANCE OF VALLEY RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW IN THE FORECAST. THE GFS HAS 50 KT 700 MB WINDS...SO IT WILL BE QUITE WINDY IN THE MOUNTAINS. THE SURFACE LOW NEAR 986 MB IS FORECAST...FOR NOW...TO REMAIN WELL TO THE NORTH IN OREGON. THE PROGRESSION OF SHORT WAVES COULD CONTINUE INTO THE WEEKEND...ESRL EXPERIMENTAL RE-ANALYSIS PRODUCTS HAVE PRECIPITATION CHANCES ABOVE CLIMATOLOGICAL NORMALS IN THE 8-14 DAY PERIOD. SG && .AVIATION... A STORM SYSTEM HAS BEEN MOVING PROGRESSIVELY NORTH TO SOUTH THROUGH NORTHERN CALIFORNIA TODAY AND WILL CONTINUE THROUGH LATE FRIDAY. CONDITIONS ACROSS THE REGION ARE MVFR/IFR AS RAIN AND SNOW MOVE OVER THE AREA AND WINDS BECOME ELEVATED AND GUSTY AHEAD OF THE FRONT. CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE TO DETERIORATE TONIGHT AS PRECIPITATION RATES BECOME HEAVIER AND FREEZING LEVELS LOWER CONSIDERABLY FROM THEIR ALREADY LOW LEVELS. WINDS WILL WEAKEN AFTER THE FRONTAL PASSAGE BUT PRECIPITATION RATES WILL BE MODERATE TO HEAVY LATE INTO FRIDAY AND FREEZING LEVELS DROP CLOSE TO CENTRAL VALLEY LEVEL. && .STO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING FROM THROUGH 4 AM PST SATURDAY ABOVE 2000 FEET FOR THE NORTHEAST FOOTHILLS/SACRAMENTO VALLEY...MOTHERLODE...WEST SLOPE NORTHERN SIERRA NEVADA...WESTERN PLUMAS COUNTY/LASSEN PARK. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM THROUGH 4 AM PST SATURDAY FROM 1000 FEET TO 2000 FEET NORTHEAST FOOTHILLS/SACRAMENTO VALLEY.\ WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM FROM 4 AM FRIDAY TO 4 AM PST SATURDAY FROM 1000 FEET TO 2000 FEET FOR THE MOTHERLODE. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM THROUGH 4 AM PST FRIDAY BURNEY BASIN / EASTERN SHASTA COUNTY...CLEAR LAKE/SOUTHERN LAKE COUNTY...MOUNTAINS SOUTHWESTERN SHASTA COUNTY TO NORTHERN LAKE COUNTY...SHASTA LAKE AREA / NORTHERN SHASTA COUNTY. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH 10 AM PST FRIDAY ABOVE 500 FEET FOR THE NORTHERN SACRAMENTO VALLEY. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA 700 AM PST THU FEB 24 2011 CAZ013>019-063-064-066>069-251500- 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- 700 AM PST THU FEB 24 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR INTERIOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY A COLD WINTER STORM DESCENDS INTO THE REGION TODAY BRINGING HEAVY SNOW OVER THE FOOTHILLS AND MOUNTAINS OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA MAINLY FROM LATER TODAY INTO FRIDAY NIGHT...THOUGH SNOW WILL LIKELY LINGER OVER THE NORTHERN SIERRA NEVADA INTO SATURDAY. ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL MAY ALSO OCCUR AT THE NORTH END OF THE SACRAMENTO VALLEY IN THE REDDING AREA LATER TONIGHT INTO EARLY FRIDAY. * WINTER STORM WARNING.......SEE WWUS46 KSTO - WSWSTO FOR DETAILS * * WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY....SEE WWUS46 KSTO - WSWSTO FOR DETAILS * .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY A COLD WINTER STORM CONTINUES OVER THE REGION INTO THE WEEKEND BRINGING HEAVY SNOW OVER THE FOOTHILLS AND MOUNTAINS OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA MAINLY INTO FRIDAY NIGHT...THOUGH SNOW WILL LIKELY LINGER OVER THE NORTHERN SIERRA NEVADA INTO SATURDAY. ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL MAY ALSO OCCUR AT THE NORTH END OF THE SACRAMENTO VALLEY IN THE REDDING AREA INTO EARLY FRIDAY AND EVEN SOME FLURRIES TOWARD THE SACRAMENTO REGION OVERNIGHT FRIDAY. POST-FRONTAL COLD AIR MAY BRING NEAR RECORD LOW TEMPERATURES SATURDAY AND SUNDAY MORNINGS. * WINTER STORM WARNING.......SEE WWUS46 KSTO - WSWSTO FOR DETAILS * * WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY....SEE WWUS46 KSTO - WSWSTO FOR DETAILS * * SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT..SEE WWUS86 KSTO - SPSSTO 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 JCLAPP
5 winter storm, 2 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Six to twelve inches of snow fell in many locations with one to three inches falling down to near 1000 feet.
Six to twelve inches of snow fell at 3000 feet and one to three inches fell down to near 1000 feet.
More than three feet of snow fell at the highest elevations, eighteen inches to two feet fell at 7000 feet, and six to twelve inches fell down to 3000 feet.
More than three feet of snow fell at the highest elevations, eighteen inches to two feet fell at 7000 feet, and eight to twelve inches fell down to 3000 feet.
Four to eight inches of snow fell at the highest elevations.
Twelve to eighteen inches of snow fell at the higher elevations with six to ten inches falling down into the Burney Basin.
Light snow and flurries intermittently fell across the northern Sacramento Valley in the early morning hours.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in California, February 2011
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: 299849, 299851, 299852, 299853, 299907, 299848, 299906.