A winter storm brought another round of mountain snow and valley rain. This system was a bit more focused on mountain locations along and north of Highway 50.
Every event with a place to put it. 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 STO wrote it up.
A winter storm brought another round of mountain snow and valley rain. This system was a bit more focused on mountain locations along and north of Highway 50. There was some moderate rainfall amounts in the northern Sacramento Valley and northern Sierra foothills, but creeks and streams had time to recover between systems so no additional reports of flooding were received.
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 Mar 20, 2:00 PM PST, 2 hours earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Sacramento CA 300 PM PDT SUN MAR 20 2016 .SYNOPSIS... Wet weather returns into Tuesday with showers, mountain snow, a few thunderstorms and breezy winds. Travel over the Sierra may be impacted at times into Tuesday by accumulating snow, especially Monday afternoon and night. && .Discussion... Band of precip associated with the front has been gradually moving across NorCal today. Precip amounts over the past 12 hours have ranged from around a tenth to a quarter inch in the valley north of Sacramento, 1/4 to 1/2 inch in the northern foothills and Coast Range, and 1/2 inch to an inch over the northern mountains. Precip has just recently begun over the northern Sierra, and it's possible there will be some limited impacts later tonight as snow levels lower slightly below pass levels. May see a narrow window late this afternoon and early this evening for a few thunderstorms to develop over the northern Sacramento Valley and surrounding foothills. We'll continue to monitor for the potential for some stronger organized storms should sufficient clearing develop late today allowing for greater instability. Next wave arrives by Monday afternoon and continues into early Tuesday bringing showers, a chance of thunderstorms and more impactful snowfall to the northern Sierra where a winter weather advisory remains in effect. Snow levels will lower to 3500 to 4500 feet with up to a foot of snowfall accumulation possible along the northern Sierra crest. System will exit on Tuesday, but enough moisture will remain for at least light mountain showers. Upper ridge with drying northwest flow builds in on Wednesday ending the rain threat and bringing a warming trend. && .EXTENDED DISCUSSION (Thursday THROUGH Sunday) High pressure will dominate into the weekend with northerly flow, dry weather, and above normal temperatures. Occasional breezy conditions each afternoon/evening along western side of Sac Valley. CEO && .AVIATION... A weather system is moving across northern California today, bringing VFR/MVFR conditions across the Valley and MVFR/IFR over the mountains. A slight chance of TSRA will be possible near KRDD this afternoon. South winds 5-15 kt with local gusts to 25 kt will weaken tonight, then pick up again Monday. A brief break in showers is expected tonight, then another round of showers arrives Monday. Dang && .STO Watches/Warnings/Advisories... Winter Weather Advisory from 11 AM Monday to 5 AM PDT Tuesday for West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada-Western Plumas County/Lassen Park. &&
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
8 heavy snow, 3 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
The spotter just outside of Castella reported that 2.43 inches of rain fell at his location during a 38 hour period.
Spotter reported 2.03 inches of rain in 36 hours. The location also received 2 inches of slushy wet snow in the early morning hours of the March 22.
Pacific House spotter reported 3.14 inches of rain over 2 days (36 hours) creek running dirty and high, but within it's banks.
Boreal Ske resort reported 7 inches of new snow from storm.
Sierra at Tahoe ski resort reported 16 inches of new snow from the storm.
Kirkwood ski resort reported 15 inches of new snow from the storm.
Dodge Ridge ski resort reported 10 inches of snow from storm.
Bear Valley ski resort reported 9 inches of new snow from the storm.
Cal Trans District 3 Kingvale dispatch reported 11 inches of snow at Donner Summit on Interstate 80.
Kingvale shed of CalTrans estimated 10 inches of snow fell during the storm.
Sugar Bowl ski resort reported 13 inches of new snow from the storm.
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, March 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: 632554, 627007, 632510, 632575, 632603, 632606, 632608, 632610, 632594, 632604, 632589.