A series of storms with a strong subtropical moisture plume brought widespread heavy rain, with mountain totals around 4 to 8 inches, 1 to 3 inches in the Valley. Some areas were impacted by flooding, particularly in the foothills and mountains.
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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 series of storms with a strong subtropical moisture plume brought widespread heavy rain, with mountain totals around 4 to 8 inches, 1 to 3 inches in the Valley. Some areas were impacted by flooding, particularly in the foothills and mountains. Snow was limited to pass levels and over higher peaks.
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 13, 9:13 PM PST, 6 hours 47 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Sacramento CA 913 PM PST Tue Dec 13 2016 .SYNOPSIS... Wet weather returns to NorCal today with significant rainfall and mountain snow likely by Wednesday into Friday. Freezing temperatures possible this weekend and next week. && .Discussion... Moist flow streaming in from the Pacific is generating some light rain over most of the interior this evening. Some light snow has been falling above 3500 feet in Shasta County this evening while further south snow levels have risen to around 7000 feet. Snow levels will rise overnight in the north to near 5000 feet by morning. On Wednesday the weak ridging moves most of the precipitation northward with chances in the valley down to around I-80. Snow levels will rise above pass levels. Precipitation increases Wednesday night over the coastal range and in the mountains north of I-80. The focus of the heavier precipitation shifts southward and over Sacramento on Thursday afternoon and evening. Winds will be increasing as well becoming windy over the north end of the valley starting Wednesday afternoon and continuing into Thursday morning. Further south the winds will increase early on Thursday. The winds will decrease late Thursday and Thursday night and precipitation will decrease from north to south on Thursday and Thursday evening. Heavy precipitation during the afternoon and evening hours over the Sacramento region may cause some street flooding and some flooding of some smaller creeks near and in the foothills. Snow levels will begin to lower maybe as early as late Thursday evening but certainly after midnight below major Trans- Sierra pass levels and will likely result in travel problems over the crest. On Friday rain and snow will diminish during the morning with some lingering showers over the mountains in the afternoon before ending early in the evening. Precipitation amounts continue to look impressive with this system with generally 1 to 3 inches within the valley 3 to 9 inches over the foothills and mountains. The highest totals continue to be centered over Butte County tapering to near 6 inches around Blue Canyon...to 4 to 5 inches to the south in the mountains with Western Shasta County getting as much as 7 inches. Local higher amounts will be possible. && .EXTENDED DISCUSSION (Saturday THROUGH Tuesday) Trough axis will move away from our CWA on Saturday, resulting in northerly flow and increasing heights aloft. Thus, dry conditions will prevail across interior NorCal through early next week. Cold airmass aloft should result in daytime highs below average this weekend, with Valley highs in the upper 40s to low 50s and overnight temperatures in the low 30s. Although a slight warming trend is expected early next week, highs should remain near to slightly below normal. Long range models suggest a weak system approaching our area sometime Tuesday or Wednesday but main dynamics should remain north of the area with only slight chances of precipitation across far interior NorCal. && .AVIATION... Showers will continue to spread across TAF sites today with brief periods of MVFR to IFR conditions. South winds will increase ahead of an approaching system mainly after 18z Wednesday, with strong gusts especially over higher terrain and the northern Sacramento Valley. An Airport Weather Warning has been issued for the Redding airport for gusty winds midday Wednesday through midday Thursday. && .STO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Flood Watch through late Thursday night for Burney Basin / Eastern Shasta County-Central Sacramento Valley-Clear Lake/Southern Lake County-Motherlode-Mountains Southwestern Shasta County to Northern Lake County-Northeast Foothills/Sacramento Valley-Northern Sacramento Valley-Northern San Joaquin Valley-Shasta Lake Area / Northern Shasta County- Southern Sacramento Valley-West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada- Western Plumas County/Lassen Park. Wind Advisory from noon Wednesday to noon PST Thursday for Burney Basin / Eastern Shasta County-Carquinez Strait and Delta- Central Sacramento Valley-Clear Lake/Southern Lake County- Motherlode-Mountains Southwestern Shasta County to Northern Lake County-Northeast Foothills/Sacramento Valley-Northern Sacramento Valley-Northern San Joaquin Valley-Shasta Lake Area / Northern Shasta County-Southern Sacramento Valley-Western Plumas County/Lassen Park. Winter Storm Watch from Thursday afternoon through Friday afternoon for West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada-Western Plumas County/Lassen Park. &&
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 heavy rain, 4 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
There were 1.93 of rain measured over the last 15 hours.
There were 4.98 of rain measured over 24 hours.
There were 2.5 of rain measured after midnight, 4 miles south of Oroville.
Downtown Sacramento set a 24 hour rainfall record for the date. The official new record amount is 2.28.
There were 1.35 of rain measured at Shingletown over 8 hours.
A trained spotter 3 miles northeast of Shingletown measured 2.26 over 12 hours.
Multiple homeless people were trapped in encampments along the Arden Garden Connector, by Acoma Street. Extensive rescue operations by the Sacramento Fire Department were needed.
Folsom police closed White Rock Road, between Placerville and Scott roads, Thursday night and into the Friday morning commute because of flooding and debris in the road.
Flooding caused a road closure on Eastern Road between Marconi and Robertson in Carmichael.
Deer Creek flooded, forcing the closure of Scott Road near Rancho Murieta.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in California, December 2016
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: 671402, 671399, 671401, 671419, 671400, 671403, 671434, 671433, 671431, 671430.