Avalanche and Heavy Snow in California, February 17 to 18, 2016

Name: Avalanche and Heavy Snow in California, February 17 to 18, 2016
Start: 2016-02-17T19:00
End: 2016-02-18T11:00
Location: California

February 17 to 18, 2016 · NWS REV · 5 events in 3 counties and zones

A potent cold front brought heavy snow with moderate to high snowfall rates from the evening of the 17th through the morning of the 18th.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 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

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $100,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 5

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS REV wrote it up.

A potent cold front brought heavy snow with moderate to high snowfall rates from the evening of the 17th through the morning of the 18th.

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 Reno, NV wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 17, 6:39 PM PST, 21 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 17, 6:39 PM PST, 21 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV
639 PM PST WED FEB 17 2016

.UPDATE...
QUICK UPDATE TO EXPIRE THE LAKE WIND ADVISORY AS WIND SPEEDS ARE
DECREASING ACROSS PYRAMID LAKE. WITH WIND GUSTS 40-45 MPH EXPECTED
AGAIN TOMORROW, ISSUED ANOTHER LAKE WIND ADVISORY FOR THURSDAY.
ELSEWHERE, SOME AREAS ARE STARTING TO DECOUPLE ALONG THE 395
CORRIDOR THIS EVENING, BUT THERE REMAIN SOME WIND GUSTS TO 50-60
MPH IN WIND PRONE AREAS. WILL LET THE OTHER WIND STATEMENTS RIDE
UNTIL THEIR EXPIRATION AT 10 PM. WITH THE JET OVERHEAD, BRIEF
STRONG GUSTS REMAIN POSSIBLE THE NEXT FEW HOURS. WALLMANN

&&

.SYNOPSIS...
A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IS EXPECTED THROUGH THURSDAY AS A WINTER
STORM MOVES INTO THE REGION. THIS WILL BRING CONTINUED GUSTY WINDS
THIS EVENING FOLLOWED BY SNOW AND RAIN TONIGHT AND THURSDAY.
ANOTHER WEAK SYSTEM IS POSSIBLE FRIDAY NIGHT, BEFORE THE RIDGE
REBUILDS OVER THE WEST WITH WARMING TEMPERATURES INTO EARLY NEXT
WEEK.

&&

.PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 206 PM PST WED FEB 17 2016/

SHORT TERM...

ANOTHER SOMEWHAT TRICKY FORECAST FOR TONIGHT AND EARLY THURSDAY AS
A VIGOROUS AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WITH A DYNAMIC COLD FRONT PUSHES
THROUGH THE REGION.

AFTER A BURST OF VERY STRONG WINDS THIS MORNING...THE WINDS
BACKED OFF A BIT THROUGH THE DAY. BUT THE FORECAST MODELS CONTINUE
TO SHOW THE STRONGEST CORE OF THE UPPER LEVEL JET MOVING THROUGH
THE REGION THIS EVENING. THIS SHOULD SUPPORT ANOTHER PERIOD OF
STRONGER WINDS EAST OF THE SIERRA. IN THE SIERRA THE WINDS ARE NOT
LIKELY TO BE AS STRONG AS PCPN TRIES TO MOVE INTO THE REGION
TONIGHT. SNOW LEVELS ARE QUITE HIGH RIGHT NOW AS WE ARE IN A
PERIOD OF LITTLE PCPN IN THE SIERRA...BUT AS THE UPPER TROUGH
APPROACHES THIS EVENING AND PCPN INCREASES...WE SHOULD SEE THESE
SNOW LEVELS FALL. SINCE WINDS HAVE NOT BEEN QUITE AS STRONG AS
ADVERTISED WE WILL JUST DROP THE HIGH WIND WARNING FOR TAHOE AND
MONO AND START THE WINTER STORM WARNING A FEW HOURS EARLIER.

ELSEWHERE...WE WILL ALLOW THE HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE SIERRA
FRONT TO CONTINUE AS A PERIOD OF STRONGER WINDS ARE LIKELY THIS
EVENING. THE SAME GOES FOR THE ADVISORIES IN MINERAL/LYON COUNTIES
AND NORTHEAST CALIFORNIA.

AS SNOW LEVELS FALL THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT ACCUMULATIONS WILL
BEGIN ABOVE 7000 FEET IN THE SIERRA AND NORTHEAST CALIFORNIA. THE
CURRENT WINTER STORM WARNINGS AND THE ADVISORY COVER THIS WELL.
AMOUNTS IN THE TAHOE BASIN LOOK GOOD...BUT MAY BE A LITTLE TOO LOW
FOR THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF MONO COUNTY. ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE
DELAYED A BIT FOR NORTHEAST CALIFORNIA DUE TO SLIGHTLY HIGHER SNOW
LEVELS...BUT THE ADVISORY MAKES SENSE WEST OF HIGHWAY 395.

EAST OF THE SIERRA THE SNOW LEVELS WILL FALL BY MORNING WITH THE
COLD FRONT. THE FRONT IS DYNAMIC ENOUGH THAT A BURST OF HEAVY SNOW
COULD BE POSSIBLE DOWN TO THE VALLEY FLOORS. ACCUMULATIONS BELOW
5000 FEET ARE LIKELY TO BE LIMITED...THOUGH...BY WARM ROAD AND
SURFACE TEMPERATURES. THERE COULD BE SOME AREAS WEST OF HIGHWAY 95
ABOVE 6000 FEET THAT RECEIVE UP TO 6 INCHES. EVEN WITH LIMITED
ACCUMULATIONS IN THE VALLEYS THERE COULD BE WET OR ICY ROADS THAT
AFFECT THE MORNING COMMUTE THURSDAY.

LINGERING SHOWERS DECREASE THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. A WEAK
RIDGE BUILDS BRIEFLY FOR FRIDAY PROVIDING SOME WARMING. THE MODELS
CONTINUE TO BRING A WEAK SYSTEM INTO THE NORTHWEST PART OF THE
FORECAST AREA LATE FRIDAY INTO EARLY SATURDAY. POPS WERE INCREASED
A BIT WITH THIS AND WINDS MAY INCREASE FRIDAY...BUT REMAIN SUB
ADVISORY. THIS STORM DOES NOT LOOK TO BE VERY SIGNIFICANT WITH
SOME ACCUMULATIONS NORTH AND WEST OF A LINE FROM SOUTH LAKE TAHOE
TO ABOUT GERLACH...GENERALLY LESS THAN 4 INCHES. 20

LONG TERM...SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...

MILD AND DRY CONDITIONS PREVAIL IN THE EXTENDED FORECAST WITH HIGH
PRESSURE IN CONTROL OF THE LARGE SCALE PATTERN. A WEAK SHORTWAVE
TROUGH PASSES NORTH ACROSS THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST SUNDAY AFTERNOON
AND EVENING BUT WILL LIKELY JUST SEE INCREASED CLOUD COVER VERSUS
ANY SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION. LIGHT SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE MAINLY
ACROSS WESTERN LASSEN AND NORTHERN WASHOE COUNTY BUT LOOKING AT ONLY
A FEW HUNDREDTHS OF PRECIPITATION WITH THIS SYSTEM.

THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK, UPPER LEVEL RIDGING AMPLIFIES ACROSS THE
WESTERN U.S. WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES WARMING INTO THE LOWER AND MID
60S ACROSS WESTERN NEVADA AND THE MID 50S FOR SIERRA VALLEYS.
ANOTHER SHORTWAVE TROUGH APPROACHES THE WEST COAST BY TUES-WED BUT
HAVE REDUCED PRECIPITATION CHANCES AS THE RIDGE KEEPS THE MAJORITY OF
THE MOISTURE ACROSS THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST WITH MAINLY INCREASED
CLOUD COVER EXPECTED FOR THE THE SIERRA AND WESTERN NEVADA. FUENTES

AVIATION...

A MODERATE WINTER STORM IMPACTS THE REGION TODAY WITH STRONG WINDS,
LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR, AND MOUNTAIN WAVE TURBULENCE FOLLOWED BY
INCREASING MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION AND PERIODS OF RAIN/SNOW/ICING AND
MVFR/IFR CIGS/VSBY TONIGHT AND INTO THURSDAY MORNING.

WINDS...

STRONG SURFACE WINDS WILL CONTINUE THIS AFTERNOON WITH THE STRONGEST
WINDS EXPECTED IN THE LEE OF THE SIERRA INCLUDING TERMINALS SUCH AS:
KRNO, KRTS, KMEV, KCXP. SOUTHERLY WIND GUSTS BETWEEN 40-50KTS
POSSIBLE THROUGH ABOUT 06Z THIS EVENING. ROTORS HAVE DEVELOPED IN
THE VICINITY OF KRNO WITH LLWS POSSIBLE. MOUNTAIN WAVE TURBULENCE
WILL CONTINUE ALL THROUGH THURSDAY AS STRONG WINDS ALOFT REMAIN
ACROSS THE SIERRA CREST WITH 100 MPH GUSTS POSSIBLE THROUGH THURSDAY
AFTERNOON.  GUSTS AT SIERRA TERMINALS WILL BE IN THE 30 TO 40 KNOT
RANGE. SURFACE WINDS WILL REMAIN GUSTY THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON,
BUT WILL BEGIN TO TAPER OFF BY FRIDAY MORNING.

RAIN/SNOW...

NEXT ROUND OF PRECIPITATION EXPECTED TO PUSH ACROSS THE
SIERRA TERMINALS AROUND 03Z-05Z AHEAD OF STRONG COLD FRONT THAT WILL
RAPIDLY LOWER SNOW LEVELS BELOW 5000 FEET. ACCUMULATIONS BETWEEN 4
TO 8 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE AT KTRK AND KTVL.

PRECIPITATION AT KMMH WILL BEGIN ABOUT 3 HOURS LATER WITH 4 TO 6
INCHES POSSIBLE. FOR KRNO/KCXP THE RAIN/SNOW WILL BEGIN PUSHING IN
OVERNIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING. SNOW LEVELS WILL DROP TO NEAR 5000
FEET BETWEEN 8Z AND 12Z THURSDAY. ANTECEDENT CONDITIONS HAVE BEEN SO
WARM THAT LITTLE, IF ANY, ACCUMULATION OF SNOW IS EXPECTED ON THE
WARM GROUND, BUT IT IS POSSIBLE THAT A SLUSHY MIX COULD ACCUMULATE
ON RUNWAYS.

THE QUICK-HITTING STORM MOVES EAST BY LATE THURSDAY LEAVING BEHIND
ONLY RESIDUAL SNOW SHOWERS FOR THE AIRPORTS. WINDS WILL REMAIN GUSTY
THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON WITH STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS NEAR 100 MPH
STILL POSSIBLE ACROSS THE SIERRA RIDGELINE THROUGH THURSDAY
AFTERNOON. WINDS BEGIN TO TAPER OFF BY THE FRIDAY MORNING.
FUENTES/HOON

REV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NV...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL NOON PST THURSDAY NVZ002.

     WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM PST THIS EVENING NVZ001.

     HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 10 PM PST THIS EVENING NVZ003.

     LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM PST THIS EVENING FOR PYRAMID LAKE
     IN NVZ004.

CA...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO NOON PST
     THURSDAY CAZ071.

     WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM PST THIS EVENING CAZ071.

     WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL NOON PST THURSDAY CAZ072-073.

FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT...

&&

.REV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NV...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL NOON PST THURSDAY NVZ002.

     WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM PST THIS EVENING NVZ001.

     HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 10 PM PST THIS EVENING NVZ003.

     LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM PST THIS EVENING FOR PYRAMID LAKE
     IN NVZ004.

     LAKE WIND ADVISORY FROM 6 AM TO 6 PM PST THURSDAY FOR PYRAMID
     LAKE IN NVZ004.

CA...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO NOON PST
     THURSDAY CAZ071.

     WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM PST THIS EVENING CAZ071.

     WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL NOON PST THURSDAY CAZ072-073.

&&

FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT...
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/RENO (ALL LOWER CASE)

In the hours before

Local storm report, Feb 17, 5:59 PM PST, 1 hour 1 minute before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV
559 PM PST WED FEB 17 2016

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0644 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST 5 WSW GARDNERVILLE      38.91N 119.83W
02/17/2016  M62.00 MPH       DOUGLAS            NV   TRAINED SPOTTER

0223 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 3 SE RENO               39.51N 119.78W
02/17/2016  M58.00 MPH       WASHOE             NV   ASOS

            PEAK GUST AT THE RENO AIRPORT

0331 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 3 SE SUSANVILLE         40.38N 120.61W
02/17/2016  M62.00 MPH       LASSEN             CA   AWOS

            PEAK GUST AT THE SUSANVILLE AIRPORT

0520 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 5 NE RENO               39.59N 119.76W
02/17/2016  M59.00 MPH       WASHOE             NV   OFFICIAL NWS OBS

            60 MPH WIND GUST MEASURED AT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
            FORECAST OFFICE.

&&

JWALLMAN

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 heavy snow, 1 avalanche, 1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Lassen/Eastern Plumas/Eastern Sierra

When: February 17, 7:00 PM PST to February 18, 10:00 AM PST
Where: Lassen/Eastern Plumas/Eastern Sierra forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 40.086, -120.650 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Between 6 and 11.5 inches of snow fell between Eagle Lake and Susanville south to near Portola and Blairsden. At the higher elevations, between 11 and 16 inches (estimated) fell at the Grizzly Ridge HADS and Independence Creek SNOTEL.

Heavy Snow, Greater Lake Tahoe Area

When: February 17, 8:00 PM PST to February 18, 11:00 AM PST
Where: Greater Lake Tahoe Area forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 38.935, -120.458 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A widespread 1 to 2 feet of snow was reported by the morning of the 18th. Snowfall rates were moderate to heavy with almost 13 inches in 8 hours in Tahoma and 24 inches at Tahoe-Donner in less than 12 hours.

Heavy Snow, Mono

When: February 17, 10:00 PM PST to February 18, 9:00 AM PST
Where: Mono forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 37.939, -118.887 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Twelve to 18 inches of snow fell near the crest and along highway 395 north of Bridgeport (near Devil's Gate Summit), with lesser amounts of 5 to 10 inches elsewhere.

Avalanche, Greater Lake Tahoe Area

When: February 18, 7:00 AM PST
Where: Greater Lake Tahoe Area forecast zone
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 38.935, -120.458 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Two avalanches hit Alpine Meadows Road the morning of the 18th, affecting a bus and two cars. The bus impacted a garage and caused damage, while the occupants of one car had to be dug out by fire and ski area officials. No injuries were noted due to the avalanches. Alpine Meadows Ski area was closed for the day due to high avalanche danger.

Strong Wind, Mono

When: February 18, 8:00 AM PST to 9:00 AM PST
Where: Mono forecast zone
Measured: 35 kt (40 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $100,000
Reported by: Newspaper
Coordinates: 37.939, -118.887 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

At least 3 large trees were downed the morning of the 18th in Mammoth Lakes. In at least one case, the heavy snow and gusty winds combined with a weakened tree (rotten inside) to cause the downing. One home was nearly split in two, with a nearby condominium unit rendered unlivable.

What these are

Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
Avalanche: A mass of snow sliding down a mountainside that caused a death, an injury or damage.
Strong Wind: Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in California in 2016 Every state in 2016 This day in weather history Warnings in California, February 2016

Sources

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: 620110, 620766, 620774, 620099, 620102.