Low pressure dropped from off the Oregon coast through northern California on the 31st, bringing heavy snow to portions of the Sierra and northeast California.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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 REV wrote it up.
Low pressure dropped from off the Oregon coast through northern California on the 31st, bringing heavy snow to portions of the Sierra and northeast California.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 heavy snow, 1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Between 20 and 31 inches of snow fell near the Sierra crest, with about 12 inches at the Mammoth Ranger Station. Much less snow fell near highway 395 with between 5 and 6.5 inches near Lee Vining and only 1.5 inches in Bridgeport.
Five to 7 inches of snow fell from Portola to Susanville, respectively, on the 31st with most of the snow falling before 0900PST.
Interstate 80 was closed (time range estimated) due to a 25-car pileup near the California and Nevada state line caused by snow and ice on the freeway. The accident was on the eastbound side of the freeway; however, the westbound side of I-80 had to be closed to allow emergency vehicles to reach the scene and get injured persons to the hospital.
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, January 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 617723, 617719, 617749.