California, 2014Winter Storm and Winter Weather in California, March 31, 2014
March 31, 2014 · NWS STO · 2 events in 2 counties and zones
A colder Pacific storm brought heavy snow to interior northern California mainly March 31st, but continued into April 1st. Snow levels began around 3000-4000 ft Monday but dropped to 2000-3000 ft by Monday night into Tuesday.
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 2
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 colder Pacific storm brought heavy snow to interior northern California mainly March 31st, but continued into April 1st. Snow levels began around 3000-4000 ft Monday but dropped to 2000-3000 ft by Monday night into Tuesday.
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 Sacramento, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 31, 3:25 AM PST, 5 hours 35 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Mar 31, 3:25 AM PST, 5 hours 35 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA
425 AM PDT Mon Mar 31 2014
.Synopsis...
A colder Pacific storm brings more precipitation to Interior
NorCal into Wednesday with snow levels lowering into the foothills
tonight into Tuesday. Later this week, a weak system moves through
the region and may bring some light amounts of precipitation.
&&
.Discussion...
Relative quiet early this morning with a few showers lingering
over the northern Sierra and northern mountains. Temperatures
currently range from the 30s in the mountains to the 40s in the
valley.
Satellite imagery shows the next potent system approaching just
offshore. This system will be more dynamic than previous systems
supported by a 125+ kt jet arcing into central California and
negative-tilt short-wave. It will also have embedded convection.
IR imagery is showing impressive cloud top cooling and lightning
detection is picking up strikes well offshore. It's all heading
our direction and will be into the valley by midday.
Latest timing indicates that a sharp cold frontal band will move
through the valley by mid-afternoon and be to the east over the
northern Sierra Nevada by this evening. Several hours of moderate
precipitation are likely with the front and locally heavier
amounts are possible with deeper convection. Appears their may be
a brief break in showers across the valley this evening before the
next wave associated with the cold upper low moves in later
tonight into Tuesday.
In addition to bringing showers and thunderstorms, this system is
expected to be a decent snow producer for the mountains as snow
levels lower into the upper foothill elevations. Steepening lapse
rates will likely lead to prolonged convective precip over the
northern Sierra tonight into Tuesday with some locally heavy snow
accumulations likely.
Convective threat will continue across the region Tuesday, and
appears there will be a conditional severe weather threat once
again for the Central Valley depending on any localized surface
heating as forecast soundings show increasing vertical wind shear
(speed and directional), however ongoing widespread convection
with mid-level cold pool aloft overhead (-30C to -32C at 500 mbs)
may greatly limit this potential.
Upper trough forecast to shift south of the region later Tuesday
night into Wednesday with a decreasing threat of showers across
NorCal. Short-wave ridging forecast to briefly move over NorCal
Wednesday night into Thursday ahead of a much weaker trough moving
in for later Thursday.
&&
.Extended Discussion (Friday through Monday)...
Models differ with strength of short wave trough/low progged to
move across the area on Friday. ECMWF-HiRes showing a stronger
close upper low while the GFS/GEM progging a weaker trough. Have
leaned towards the ADJMRA for this time period for now,
advertising slight chance to chance POPs, with best chances of
precip expected over the mountains. Models then similar in
building upper ridging from EPAC over Interior NorCal through the
weekend into Monday with dry weather and warming. High
temperatures climb into the mid to upper 70s in the Central
Valley towards the end of the extended period with 50s to low 70s
for the mountains and foothills.
&&
.Aviation...
Cold Pac Fntl sys will mov into Intr NorCal tda with dtrtg conds
fm W to E. Ovr Cstl and Wrn Shasta Mtns...wdsprd MVFR/IFR with lcl
LIFR conds dvlpg aft 16z contg into Tue. For Cntrl Vly, areas
MVFR/IFR conds sprdg fm W to E aft 18z. Isold TSRA/TSRAGS poss aft
22z Mon. Sly sfc wnds to 25 kts with lcl gsts to 35 kts poss btwn
18z tda and 03z Tue. Ovr Wrn Plumas/Nrn Siernev, wdpsrd MVFR/IFR
with areas LIFR dvlpg this aftn/eve and contg thru Tue. Sn lvls
030-040 amsl tda, lwrg to 020-030 Tue mrng. Ovy hyr mtn trrn til
04z Tue, areas S-SW sfc wnd gsts up to 45 kts poss.
&&
.STO Watches/Warnings/Advisories...
winter storm warning from 2 pm this afternoon to 11 am pdt
tuesday west slope northern sierra nevada...western plumas
county/lassen park.
winter storm warning from 11 am this morning to 5 am pdt tuesday
above 3500 feet in the mountains southwestern shasta county to
northern lake county...shasta lake area / northern shasta county.
winter weather advisory from 5 pm this afternoon to 5 am pdt
tuesday burney basin / eastern shasta county.
winter weather advisory from 8 pm this evening to 11 am pdt
tuesday above 2500 feet in the clear lake/southern lake county...
motherlode...northeast foothills/sacramento valley.
&&
Winter Storm, West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada
- When
- March 31, 9:00 AM PST to 11:59 PM PST
- Where
- West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada forecast zone
- Reported by
- COOP Observer
A cold Pacific storm entered interior California and brought heavy snow to the Sierra Nevada. Blue Canyon (5200 ft) received 19 inches of new snow from March 31 to April 1. Ebbett's Pass (8765 ft) received approximately 10 inches of new snow. Kingvale spotter (6200 ft) received a total of 18 inches. Pacific House (3400 ft) reported about 4 inches.
Winter Weather, Mt Shasta/Western Plumas County
- When
- March 31, 9:00 AM PST to 11:59 PM PST
- Where
- Mt Shasta/Western Plumas County forecast zone
- Reported by
- Mesonet
A few inches of snow fell over far Northern Sierra Nevada as a cold Pacific storm moved through the area March 31st through April 1st. Lassen Lodge (4200 ft) received around 6 inches of new snow, and Harkness Flat (6200 ft) received around 4 inches of new snow.
- Winter Storm
- A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
- 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.
- Tornado and Hail in Minnesota, March 31, 2014$30,000 · EF0 · 4 events
- Blizzard in North Dakota, March 31, 201426 events
- Blizzard in South Dakota, March 31, 201426 events
- Dense Smoke in Nebraska, March 31, 2014$30,000 · 1 event
- Blizzard in North Dakota, March 31, 201418 events
- Damaging Wind in Illinois, March 31, 2014$20,000 · 61 kt wind · 1 event
- Winter Storm in Minnesota, March 31, 201414 events
- High Wind in Wyoming, March 31, 201463 kt wind · 14 events
- Tornado in Minnesota, March 31, 2014$15,000 · EF0 · 1 event
- Blizzard in Minnesota, March 31, 20148 events
- High Wind in Kansas, March 31, 201457 kt wind · 7 events
- High Wind in Nebraska, March 31, 201460 kt wind · 6 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 508969, 508977.