Snow caused travel difficulties in the Sierra above 6000 feet. Moderate rain of 1/2 to 2 inches fell in the foothills and lower 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.
Snow caused travel difficulties in the Sierra above 6000 feet. Moderate rain of 1/2 to 2 inches fell in the foothills and lower 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 Nov 28, 9:30 PM PST, 2 hours 30 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA 930 PM PST Fri Nov 28 2014 .Synopsis... Confidence increasing in both a weekend system and Tuesday through Wednesday storm system for some wet weather. The today into Sunday system may bring travel challenges above 6000 feet with 6 to 12 inches of snow expected. The next system on Tuesday/Wednesday looks wetter and warmer with higher snow levels but more valley rain. && .Discussion... The initial precip band is taking its time with the leading edge now roughly along the I-80 corridor at press time. This band will be slowly sagging SEwd for the rest of tonite and through Sun morning. The higher resolution QPF progs along with the lower resolution progs suggest the short-wave currently near 35N/130W will enhance the precip along the initial frontal band and TPW plume as it moves over the area early Sun morning. Thus...a band of moderate to locally heavy precip could develop mainly S of the 80/50 corridor early Sun morning...and the heaviest rainfall amounts from this initial wave may be over the Srn portion of our CWA where it has yet to rain when all is said-and-done. This short wave will move through the area Sun morning...to be followed by another one farther to the NW around 40N/135W. This feature will move through Norcal Sun afternoon keeping showers over our CWA. JHM .Previous Discussion... Temperatures will continue to cool this weekend with highs in the 50s in the Valley and 30s to mid 40s in the mountains. Snow levels will be around 5000 to 6000 ft in the Sierra and 4000-5000 over Shasta County this weekend. Snow amounts to around a foot are possible above 7000 ft this weekend which may bring some travel delays over the Sierra and near Mt. Lassen. Higher amounts are possible over the highest peaks. Precipitation amounts through Sunday are expected to be around a half an inch to an inch in the Valley and one to 2 inches for the foothills and lower mountains. Although locally higher amounts are possible...especially in the Feather River Basin. Weak ridging over Northern California Sunday night and Monday ahead of the a low pressure system off the California coast. This will provide a break in the precipitation...especially to areas south of I-80 corridor and the Valley. The low pressure system may be along the California coast Monday night increasing the threat of precipitation. .Extended Discussion (Tuesday through Friday) Confidence coming together again for a nice wet system to move across the area Tuesday into Wednesday. The only real change to the previous forecast is to raise precip chances throughout the extended given increasing confidence. System is pretty warm with snow levels above 7000 feet. ECMWF continues to be wetter than the GFS and parallel GFS is wetter than the lower res GFS. Total rain amounts range from around an inch with GFS in the valley to several inches with ECMWF. Higher terrain will get several inches with up to 5 inches possible when looking at ECMWF which is in line with original thoughts with the system...just a slower arrival. && .Aviation... IFR/LIFR cigs/vsbys in rain will spread SEwd across TAF sites overnight...with band of moderate-heavy rain/mtn snow around daybreak from the I-80 corridor Swd into the Nrn San Joaquin Vly. Expect snow levels to be around 6000 ft, with IFR/LIFR conditions over the mountains. South winds up to 12 kt will be possible tonight in advance of the front. && .STO Watches/Warnings/Advisories... winter weather advisory from midnight tonight to 7 pm pst sunday above 6000 feet in the west slope northern sierra nevada... western plumas county/lassen park. &&
1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Snowfall amounts near 6000 feet were around 6 inches, with up to a foot at Donner Summit at 7200 feet. The slippery roads caused travel difficulties and delays over Sierra passes, aggravated by increased traffic due to the holiday weekend.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in California, November 2014
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: 547956.