A winter storm brought snow to the mountains, and when combined with gusty winds brought poor visibility at times. There were snowfall amounts up to 15 inches above 7000 ft, causing travel delays on mountain roads.
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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 snow to the mountains, and when combined with gusty winds brought poor visibility at times. There were snowfall amounts up to 15 inches above 7000 ft, causing travel delays on mountain roads. There was minor tree limb damage from winds and some locally heavy rain.
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 Dec 3, 4:25 AM PST, 3 hours 35 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Sacramento CA 425 AM PST THU DEC 3 2015 .SYNOPSIS... A QUICK HITTING WINTER STORM WILL BRING A SHOT OF HEAVY SNOW IMPACTING SIERRA TRAVEL THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. TRAVEL WILL ALSO BE IMPACTED IN THE VALLEY AS THE BAND OF RAIN WILL MOVE ACROSS THE VALLEY DURING THE PM COMMUTE. GUSTY SOUTHERLY WINDS AHEAD OF THE FRONT MAY RESULT IN LOCAL POWER OUTAGES FROM DOWNED BRANCHES. && .DISCUSSION... Satellite imagery and buoy data show the approaching front is now inside of 120W with a approx 990 mb surface low off the coast of NW California. Tight surface gradients lie just to our north and west, and presently the strongest winds are occurring along the north coast and over the far northern mountains. The relative lull in wind will end this morning as the front approaches and southerly pressure gradients rapidly tighten across the Sacramento Valley. Gusts of 30 mph or higher will be possible beginning around mid-morning and continuing through the afternoon as the front approaches and then shifts east. After some light precipitation across the northern Sacramento Valley Wednesday evening, conditions have been dry across the interior of NorCal during the late night hours. That too will change today as a solid band of moderate to occasionally heavy rain associated with the front moves inland. Precipitation is expected to begin in the Redding area by late morning, the Sacramento region around noon, and into the northern Sierra during the afternoon. The main precipitation band is expected to shift east into the foothills by late afternoon, but showers and a few thunderstorms will be possible into the evening in the unstable post-frontal environment. In the northern Sierra, temperatures are rather mild early this morning. This will change quickly with the onset of precipitation during the afternoon as evaporative cooling rapidly lowers temperatures to the wet bulb. Moderate snow will develop with the front and will likely increase as lapse rates steepen behind the front and precip becomes more showery. Travel conditions over the Sierra will likely deteriorate rapidly by early afternoon. Some lingering precipitation expected over mainly the mountains Friday, then dry weather through Saturday. Another system is forecast to spread more precipitation across areas mainly north of I-80 on Sunday. && .EXTENDED DISCUSSION (Monday THROUGH Thursday) Extended models show the Pacific storm track aimed at the Pacific Northwest and northern California through the extended period with a series of shortwaves skimming the northern portion of the CWA. Timing and strength of these shortwaves not well coordinated between models however leading to lack in confidence as to just how far south precipitation will fall. Timing fairly consistent for a system passage on Monday with precip reaching south anywhere from the far northern counties to about interstate 80 depending on model. A slight ridging on Tuesday should keep precipitation limited to the far north state. Timing fairly consistent for another system hitting the northwest corner of the state by Wednesday with warm sector precipitation falling over the northern CWA by afternoon. Models show fair confidence in some sort of frontal passage through Norcal on Thursday which would impact the entire CWA. This system would bring in much colder air and therefore lower snow levels with post frontal snow showers possibly down into the foothills by the end of next week. Through mid week, daytime highs should come in around normal but colder air from the Gulf of Alaska will drop daytime highs well below normal by the end of the week if current modeling prevails. && .AVIATION... Generally VFR conditions through 18z except local MVFR in mist central valley through about 16z. Visibility and ceilings degrading after 18z as Pacific frontal system moves inland with widespread MVFR occasional IFR in the central valley and IFR local LIFR over mountains. Deteriation conditions after 18z coast range and central valley and over Sierra Nevada after 21z. Some improvement over valley after 06z Friday. Increasing southerly winds today with gusts to 30 knots 18z-03z central valley. Southwest gusts up to 50 kts over Higher terrain. Snow levels 5000 to 6000 feet today lowering to 4000 to 5000 feet by Friday morning. && .STO Watches/Warnings/Advisories... Winter Storm Warning from noon today to 6 AM PST Friday for West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada-Western Plumas County/Lassen Park. &&
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 heavy rain, 1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
There were 1.5 inches of heavy rain in Quincy. Gusty winds damaged small limbs.
There were snowfall amounts of 12 to 15 inches above 6000 ft, with 6-12 inches above 5000 feet. Snow caused disruption to travel over trans-Sierra highways, including spin-outs, car accidents, jackknifed big rigs, and travel delays, reported by Caltrans.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in California, December 2015
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: 612627, 604334.