California, 2015Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in California, February 22 to 23, 2015
February 22 to 23, 2015 · NWS SGX · 4 events in 2 counties and zones
An upper-level trough developed over northern California and deepened along the West Coast with an overland trajectory, eventually moving inland through southern California. The system contained enough moisture, aided by orographic lift, to result in moderate to locally heavy rainfall over and west of the mountains, as well as significant snowfall above 5500 feet.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
Open the live radar over this ground
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 4
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.
An upper-level trough developed over northern California and deepened along the West Coast with an overland trajectory, eventually moving inland through southern California. The system contained enough moisture, aided by orographic lift, to result in moderate to locally heavy rainfall over and west of the mountains, as well as significant snowfall above 5500 feet. Locally gusty west winds also occurred along the deserts slopes and thorough the mountain passes.
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 San Diego, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 22, 9:30 PM PST, 30 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Feb 22, 9:30 PM PST, 30 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
930 PM PST SUN FEB 22 2015
.SYNOPSIS...
A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE THROUGH SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA THROUGH MONDAY...RESULTING IN MODERATE TO LOCALLY HEAVY
PRECIPITATION OVER AND WEST OF THE MOUNTAINS...AND SNOW IN
THE MOUNTAINS. WINDY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE IN PARTS OF THE
MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS THROUGH MONDAY. SOME SHOWERS COULD LINGER INTO
EARLY MONDAY NIGHT BEFORE THE STORM SYSTEM EXITS THE REGION. FAIR
WEATHER RETURNS TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY UNDER DRY NORTH TO NORTHWEST
FLOW ALOFT. ANOTHER SYSTEM SHOULD BRING MORE PRECIPITATION AND HIGH
ELEVATION SNOW SOMETIME NEXT WEEKEND.
&&
.DISCUSSION...FOR EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA INCLUDING ORANGE...
SAN DIEGO...WESTERN RIVERSIDE AND SOUTHWESTERN SAN BERNARDINO
COUNTIES...
NKX RADAR REMAINS OUT OF SERVICE UNTIL AT LEAST MONDAY MORNING.
SHOWERS HAVE BEEN INCREASING OVER THE AREA THIS EVENING...WITH LOCAL
RAINFALL RATES OVER 0.3 INCHES PER HOUR IN PARTS OF ORANGE COUNTY
AND THE SOUTH SLOPES OF THE SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY MOUNTAINS. SHOWERS
WILL CONTINUE OVERNIGHT WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AS THE UPPER
LEVEL LOW IS NOW CENTERED OVER NORTHERN LOS ANGELES COUNTY...AND
A NEARLY SATURATED LAYER EXTENDS FROM ABOUT 2500 FEET TO 10000-15000
FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL AT THE COAST BASED ON AMDAR SOUNDINGS...HIGHEST
NORTH...WITH GOOD SOUTHWEST FLOW TO CONTRIBUTE TO OROGRAPHICS. SOME
RAINFALL TOTALS ARE ALREADY APPROACHING 2 INCHES IN SOUTH-SLOPED SAN
BERNARDINO COUNTY MOUNTAINS...WITH MOSTLY LESS THAN ONE-HALF INCH
ELSEWHERE. THE SILVERADO BURN AREA IS THE ONLY AREA OF FLASH
FLOODING CONCERN AS THE FLASH FLOOD/SIGNIFICANT DEBRIS FLOW
THRESHOLD IS AROUND ONE-HALF INCH PER HOUR...BUT SO FAR MAXIMUM
HOURLY RAINFALL RATES HAVE PEAKED AT 0.28 INCHES PER HOUR AT THE
SILVERADO MOTORWAY GAUGE. THE SNOW LEVEL IS AROUND 6000 FEET IN SAN
BERNARDINO COUNTY...WITH SNOW JUST STARTING TO STICK IN
WRIGHTWOOD...AND LIGHT SNOW REPORTED SINCE LATE AFTERNOON AT BIG
BEAR AIRPORT.
BEST AVAILABLE MOISTURE FOR PRECIP WILL BE TONIGHT DUE TO MOISTURE
EXTENDING ABOVE 700 MB OVER MOST OF THE FORECAST AREA...AND THE
STRONGEST TROUGH AXIS MOVING THROUGH AFTER MIDNIGHT...THEN
MORE OF A WNW WIND IN THE 850-700 MB LAYER BRINGS IN DRIER AIR
MONDAY. WE WILL HAVE SOME LINGERING SHOWERS DUE TO SOME MOISTURE IN
THE LOW LAYERS...INSTABILITY AND A SECOND WAVE WITH THE TROUGH
MONDAY NIGHT. THAT SECOND WAVE WILL NOT PRODUCE MUCH PRECIP AS BY
THE TIME IT MOVES THROUGH...THE LOW LEVELS WILL HAVE DRIED OUT QUITE
A BIT. STORM TOTAL RAINFALL WILL GENERALLY BE 1/2 INCH TO 3/4 INCH
AT LOWER ELEVATIONS...EXCEPT A LITTLE LESS IN SOUTHERN SAN DIEGO
COUNTY. THE MOUNTAINS WILL MOSTLY HAVE 3/4 INCH TO 2 INCHES...WITH
LOCAL AMOUNTS TO ALMOST 3 INCHES ON SOUTH SLOPES OF SAN BERNARDINO
COUNTY. THERE WILL MOSTLY BE LESS THAN 1/4 INCH UPPER
DESERTS AND LESS THAN 1/10 INCH LOWER DESERTS. THE SNOW LEVEL WILL
MOSTLY BE AROUND 5500-6000 FEET IN SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY...LOCALLY
LOWERING BY MONDAY NIGHT...WITH 6 INCHES OR MORE OF SNOW ABOVE ABOUT
7000 FEET...WITH LOCAL AMOUNTS TO 16 INCHES ON THE HIGHEST PEAKS.
THE SNOW AMOUNTS BELOW 6000 FEET NEED TO BE LOWERED A LITTLE BIT AS
MOISTURE DECREASES AS THE COLDER AIR MOVES IN...AND THAT WILL BE
REFLECTED IN THE UPDATE OF THE WINTER STORM WARNING. SNOW LEVELS
WILL BE MOSTLY AROUND 6000 FEET IN RIVERSIDE COUNTY AND NEAR THE
HIGHEST PEAKS OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY.
THE SYSTEM MOVES OUT MONDAY NIGHT/TUESDAY...WITH SOME OFFSHORE FLOW
TUESDAY/TUESDAY NIGHT TO CLEAR THINGS OUT. TEMPS WILL BE A LITTLE
BELOW NORMAL MONDAY...THEN RECOVER TO NEAR NORMAL TUESDAY THEN A
LITTLE ABOVE NORMAL WEDNESDAY UNDER NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. GFS/ECMWF
BOTH HAVE BROAD TROUGHING NEXT WEEKEND FROM THE NORTH/NORTHEAST...SO
THERE SHOULD BE A PERIOD OF PRECIP THEN. THE MODELS KEEP THE CENTER
OF THE UPPER LOW TO THE NORTH...SO THIS SHOULD NOT BE TOO COLD OF A
STORM SYSTEM DESPITE ORIGINS ALONG THE CANADIAN WEST COAST...BUT WE
SHOULD STILL GET SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS...ABOVE PERHAPS 5000 OR 6000
FEET. WITH THE UPPER RIDGE GENERALLY RETROGRADING WEST INTO THE EAST
PACIFIC...THIS WILL ALLOW STORMS TO MOVE THROUGH FROM THE
NORTH...WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF A ANOTHER SYSTEM SOMETIME THE FIRST
WEEK OF MARCH.
&&
.AVIATION...230400Z
COAST/VALLEYS...THROUGH 14Z...5-6SM -SHRA BKN/OVC015-025 WITH 2SM
+RA OVC010 IN STRONGER CELLS. AFT 14Z...BKN-OVC025-035 BECMG SCT-
BKN030-040 WITH -SHRA DECREASING IN COVERAGE THROUGH 23Z. SOUTHERLY
WINDS 10-20 KT TONIGHT SHIFTING WESTERLY BTWN 06-09Z.
MTNS...OBSCD IN CLDS AND PCPN THROUGH 18Z MONDAY. SOUTHWEST WINDS 25-
30 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 KT THROUGH MONDAY. SNOW LEVEL LOWERING TO
5000 FT BY MONDAY MORNING.
DESERTS...CIGS LOWERING TO BKN-OVC040-060 TONIGHT WITH OCNL -SHRA AT
KPSP AND KTRM THRU 16Z MONDAY. AFT 16Z...SCT-BKN050-080.
&&
.MARINE...800 PM
AT 7 PM THE SAN CLEMENTE BASIN BUOY REPORTED SSW WINDS 18G20KT.
SOUTH WINDS 15-20 KT WITH GUSTS TO 25 KT THIS EVENING WILL SHIFT
WESTERLY AFTER MIDNIGHT WITH COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE. A SMALL CRAFT
ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM MONDAY. SCATTERED SHOWERS
TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY MORNING...DECREASING IN THE AFTERNOON.
&&
.SKYWARN...
SKYWARN ACTIVATION IS NOT REQUESTED. HOWEVER WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE
ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS.
&&
.SGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CA...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 4 PM PST MONDAY FOR RIVERSIDE COUNTY
MOUNTAINS-SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY MOUNTAINS.
FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH LATE TONIGHT FOR SANTA ANA MOUNTAINS
AND FOOTHILLS.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 8 AM PST MONDAY FOR SAN DIEGO COUNTY DESERTS-
SAN DIEGO COUNTY MOUNTAINS-SAN GORGONIO PASS NEAR BANNING.
PZ...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR WINDS UNTIL 1 PM PST MONDAY FOR COASTAL
WATERS FROM SAN MATEO POINT TO THE MEXICAN BORDER AND OUT
TO 30 NM-WATERS FROM SAN MATEO POINT TO THE MEXICAN BORDER
EXTENDING 30 TO 60 NM OUT INCLUDING SAN CLEMENTE ISLAND.
&&
PUBLIC...MAXWELL
AVIATION/MARINE...MOEDEWinter Weather, San Bernardino County Mountains
- When
- February 22, 10:00 PM PST to February 23, 9:00 AM PST
- Where
- San Bernardino County Mountains forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 34.841, -116.178 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Multiple trained spotters and a CoCoRaHS observer reported 12 hour snowfall totals of 3 to 6 inches in the city of Big Bear as of 0900PST on the 23rd. Elsewhere in the San Bernardino Mountains spotters reported lighter 12 hour totals at 0900PST on the 23rd, with 1 to 4 inches reported by trained spotters in Wrightwood, 2 inches reported by a trained spotter in Running Springs, and 1 inch reported by a CoCoRaHS observer in Fawnskin.
Winter Weather, San Bernardino County Mountains
- When
- February 22, 10:00 PM PST to February 23, 9:00 AM PST
- Where
- San Bernardino County Mountains forecast zone
- Reported by
- Public
- Coordinates
- 34.841, -116.178 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
As of 0900PST on the 23rd 12 hour snowfall totals of 6 inches in Green Valley Lake and Snow Summit, 8 inches at the end of Mt Baldy Road, 3 inches in Forest Falls and Arrowbear, and 2 inches at Onyx Peak and Crestline were reported.
Heavy Snow, San Bernardino County Mountains
- When
- February 22, 10:00 PM PST to February 23, 9:00 AM PST
- Where
- San Bernardino County Mountains forecast zone
- Reported by
- Public
- Coordinates
- 34.841, -116.178 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
The ski resorts of Mountain High and Snow Valley reported 10 to 14 inches of snow above 7000 feet in the 12 hours preceding 0900 PST on the 23rd.
Winter Weather, Riverside County Mountains
- When
- February 22, 10:00 PM PST to February 23, 8:00 AM PST
- Where
- Riverside County Mountains forecast zone
- Reported by
- CoCoRaHS
- Coordinates
- 33.744, -115.994 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
A CoCoRaHS observer reported a 12 hour snowfall total of 2 inches at 0659 PST on the 23rd.
- Winter Weather
- Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.
- Heavy Snow
- Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Winter Weather in Texas, February 22 to 23, 20151 death · 6 injured · $500,000 · 24 events
- Winter Storm in Texas, February 22 to 23, 2015$172,000 · 19 events
- Heavy Snow and Heavy Rain in Arizona, February 22 to 24, 20156 injured · 9 events
- Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Oklahoma, February 22 to 23, 201516 events
- Cold in Michigan, February 22 to 23, 201515 events
- Extreme Cold in North Dakota, February 22, 201513 events
- Extreme Cold in Minnesota, February 22, 201513 events
- Extreme Cold in Minnesota, February 22, 201512 events
- Winter Storm in Texas, February 22 to 23, 201510 events
- Extreme Cold in South Dakota, February 22, 20158 events
- Winter Storm and High Wind in Utah, February 22 to 24, 201559 kt wind · 6 events
- Extreme Cold in Minnesota, February 22 to 23, 20156 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: 563673, 563695, 563701, 563709.