California, 2011Winter Weather in California, May 15, 2011
May 15, 2011 · NWS REV · 1 event in 1 county or zone
A large, cold, and slow moving system over the West brought a modest snowfall to the Sierra on the 15th.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 1
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.
A large, cold, and slow moving system over the West brought a modest snowfall to the Sierra on the 15th.
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 May 14, 9:48 PM PST, 3 hours 12 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 14, 9:48 PM PST, 3 hours 12 minutes before
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</html>Winter Weather, Greater Lake Tahoe Area
- When
- May 15, 1:00 AM PST to 9:00 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)
Four to seven inches of snow fell from South Lake Tahoe north and west to the Sierra crest near Donner Summit. The morning snow and cold as well as wet roads later in the day forced the delay and eventual cancellation of the first leg of the Amgen Pro Cycling Tour.
- 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.
- Strong Wind in Wisconsin, May 15, 2011$90,000 · 18 events
- Flood in Wyoming, May 15 to 19, 2011$200,000 · 1 event
- Flooding in Idaho, May 15 to 17, 2011$25,000 · 2 events
- Rip Current in Florida, May 15, 20111 injured · 1 event
- High Wind in Utah, May 15, 2011$6,000 · 70 kt wind · 6 events
- Waterspouts in Gulf of Mexico, May 15, 20115 events
- High Wind in Nevada, May 15, 2011$5,000 · 66 kt wind · 3 events
- Hail in Texas, May 15, 2011$5,000 · 1.75 in hail · 3 events
- High Wind and Strong Wind in Nevada, May 15, 2011$5,000 · 57 kt wind · 3 events
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Pennsylvania, May 15, 2011$5,000 · 1 in hail · 3 events
- Marine Thunderstorm Winds in South Atlantic Coastal Waters, May 15, 20112 events
- Waterspout in South Atlantic Coastal Waters, May 15, 20112 events
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: 312658.