A winter storm brought up to a foot of new snow to the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
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 winter storm brought up to a foot of new snow to the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
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 Mar 1, 10:15 PM PST, 3 hours 45 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA 1015 PM PST TUE MAR 1 2011 .SHORT TERM DISCUSSION... NO UPDATES TO THE CURRENT FORECAST. HAD GOTTEN A REPORT OF TEMPERATURES DIPPING DOWN TO 33 DEGREES NEAR SIMS, BUT THEY HAVE SINCE WARMED BACK UP INTO THE MID-30S AS SOUTHERLY WINDS BEGIN PICKING UP ACROSS NORCAL. A NORTH-SOUTH ORIENTED FRONTAL SYSTEM REMAINS OFFSHORE EAST OF THE 130W LONGITUDE LINE. SHOWERS AHEAD OF THE FRONT ARE IMPACTING THE WEST COAST AND COASTAL MOUNTAINS AND WILL BE PUSHING EASTWARD ACROSS INTERIOR NORCAL THRU TOMORROW. SOUTHERLY GRADIENT FROM SAC-RDD IS BEGINNING TO INCREASE, CORRESPONDING TO THE ENHANCED SOUTHERLY WINDS WE EXPECT OVERNIGHT WITH THE WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT. MODELS WERE IN GOOD AGREEMENT THAT PRECIPITATION WOULD BEGIN IN OUR AREA AROUND 10 PM AND THAT TIMING SEEMS TO BE ACCURATE. UKIAH HAS ALREADY REPORTED SHOWERS ALONG WITH SANTA ROSA AND CONCORD. RADAR SHOWS ECHOES ENTERING THE DELTA REGION AND EASTERN SLOPES OF THE COASTAL RANGE. JBB .PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...MAIN CHALLENGE AND CONCERN WILL BE WINDS FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. WINDS COMBINED WITH A PERIOD OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN WILL LIKELY PRODUCE SOME LOCALIZED POWER ISSUES WITH SOME DOWNED BRANCHES OR LIMBS. SNOW LEVELS SHOULD BE GENERALLY ABOVE 4000 FEET...WITH IMPACTFUL ACCUMULATIONS ABOVE 6000 FEET. TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...PRECIPITABLE WATER PLUME FORECAST UP TO AROUND 1.25 INCHES IN SOUTHERN ZONES DECREASING TO THE NORTH. AT THE SAME TIME AS THE ARRIVAL OF HIGHER PW AIRMASS WILL BE A PERIOD OF STRONGEST WINDS AT LOW LEVELS AND STRONGEST PRESSURE GRADIENTS. THINK THIS SHOULD BE A SOLID WIND ADVISORY EVENT. PRESSURE GRADIENTS SEEM TO MAX OUT FROM 5-6 MB ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA WITH 925 MB WINDS PEAKING TO AROUND 50 KNOT EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING. MAIN WARM AIR ADVECTION AND UPPER FORCING DOES TAKE A BREAK BY MID DAY AND WINDS SHOULD DECREASE AND VALLEY SHOULD BEGIN TO DOWNSLOPE. SHOWERS WILL BE MORE NUMEROUS IN THE MOUNTAINS THROUGH ALL THE DAY. WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY YET ANOTHER WAVE MOVES ACROSS THE AREA IN THE WET WESTERLY FLOW. SYSTEM OVERALL DOESN'T LOOK TO HAVE AS MUCH PUNCH AND SNOW LEVELS SHOULD BE SIMILAR AS CURRENT SYSTEM. HAVE KEPT POPS IN THE MODERATELY HIGH REGION WITH ACCUMULATING SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS. THURSDAY NIGHT GOOD AGREEMENT THAT WE SHOULD SEE A BREAK IN THE WEATHER FOR THE NEXT WEATHER SYSTEM THIS WEEKEND. RASCH .EXTENDED DISCUSSION (SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY) EXTENDED MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT THROUGH THE EARLY PART OF NEXT WEEK AND THUS CONFIDENCE IN THE EXTENDED FORECAST IS FAIRLY GOOD. AFTER A BRIEF BREAK IN THE PARADE OF PACIFIC WEATHER SYSTEMS MOVING OVER NORTHERN CALIFORNIA ON FRIDAY...THE NEXT WELL ORGANIZED SYSTEM WILL ARRIVE SATURDAY WITH SHOWERS LINGERING THROUGH THE WEEKEND. EARLY NEXT WEEK A SHOWERY NORTHWESTERLY FLOW SETS UP AND MAINTAINS A COOL...UNSETTLED PATTERN THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. DK && .AVIATION... VFR CONDITIONS WITH HIGH CLOUDS WILL GIVE WAY TO THICKENING LOWER CLOUDS BY LATE THIS EVENING. A PACIFIC STORM WITH A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION LATE TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY. PRECIPITATION WILL SPREAD INTO THE MOUNTAINS AND NORTHERN SACRAMENTO VALLEY AROUND 06Z...AFTER 09Z FOR THE REST OF THE FORECAST AREA. MVFR CIGS WITH AREAS OF IFR DEVELOPING IN THE VALLEY WITH HEAVY RAIN AND LOW CIGS. WINDS IN THE VALLEY GUSTING TO 40 KT ARE POSSIBLE...PEAKING AROUND 14Z. AFTER 06Z...LIFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN THE MOUNTAINS ABOVE 4000 FEET WITH HEAVY SNOW AND SOUTHWEST WINDS GUSTING UP TO 50 KT. EK && .STO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO NOON PST WEDNESDAY BELOW 5000 FEET FOR THE WESTERN PLUMAS COUNTY/LASSEN PARK. WINTER STORM WARNING FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 4 PM PST WEDNESDAY ABOVE 5000 FEET FOR THE WESTERN PLUMAS COUNTY/LASSEN PARK. WIND ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO NOON PST WEDNESDAY BELOW 6000 FEET FOR THE WEST SLOPE NORTHERN SIERRA NEVADA. WINTER STORM WARNING FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 4 PM PST WEDNESDAY ABOVE 6000 FEET FOR THE WEST SLOPE NORTHERN SIERRA NEVADA. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO NOON 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 MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO NOON PST WEDNESDAY BELOW 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 MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO NOON PST WEDNESDAY CARQUINEZ STRAIT AND DELTA...CENTRAL SACRAMENTO VALLEY...CLEAR LAKE/SOUTHERN LAKE COUNTY...MOTHERLODE...NORTHEAST FOOTHILLS/SACRAMENTO VALLEY...NORTHERN SACRAMENTO VALLEY... NORTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY...SOUTHERN SACRAMENTO VALLEY. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA 410 AM PST TUE MAR 1 2011 CAZ013>019-063-064-066>069-021500- 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- 410 AM PST TUE MAR 1 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR INTERIOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY ANOTHER PACIFIC WEATHER SYSTEM WILL SPREAD VALLEY RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW INLAND ACROSS NORTHERN CALIFORNIA LATE TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY. STRONG GUSTY SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. UNSETTLED WEATHER WILL CONTINUE INTO THE WEEKEND. * WINTER STORM WARNING.......SEE WWUS46 KSTO - WSWSTO FOR DETAILS * * WIND ADVISORY..............SEE WWUS76 KSTO - NPWSTO FOR DETAILS * * WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY....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
2 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Up to a foot of new snow fell at the higher elevations of Mt Lassen and lesser amounts fell down to the 5000 foot elevation level.
Up to a foot of new snow fell at the higher elevations of the northern Sierra Nevada Mountains and lesser amounts fell down to the 5500 foot elevation level.
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, March 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: 295355, 295356.