Heavy Snow in California, January 1 to 4, 2017

Name: Heavy Snow in California, January 1 to 4, 2017
Start: 2017-01-01T12:00
End: 2017-01-04T08:00
Location: California

January 1 to 4, 2017 · NWS EKA · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

A cold storm system brought heavy snow to much of interior Northwest California. Snow was wet and heavy in the interior valley locations of Humboldt County which resulted in hundreds of downed trees and thousands of people without power.

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: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 6

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 EKA wrote it up.

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 Eureka, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 1, 6:53 AM PST, 5 hours 7 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 1, 6:53 AM PST, 5 hours 7 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 1, 9:42 AM PST, 2 hours 18 minutes before

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In the hours before

Local storm report, Jan 1, 10:24 AM PST, 1 hour 36 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jan 1, 10:51 AM PST, 1 hour 9 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jan 1, 10:53 AM PST, 1 hour 7 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jan 1, 10:58 AM PST, 1 hour 2 minutes before

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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Del Norte Interior

When: January 1, 12:00 PM PST to January 4, 5:30 AM PST
Where: Del Norte Interior forecast zone
Reported by: NWS Employee
Coordinates: 41.745, -123.958 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Four to six inches of snow reported in Gasquet at 400 feet elevation at 10 am on the 2nd. Snow was still falling at the time of the observation. There was also an additional report of over 12 inches of snow on highway 199 from an NWS employee passing through the Collier Tunnel and 17 inches around 1700 feet from a spotter around noon on the 3rd.

Heavy Snow, Northern Humboldt Interior

When: January 1, 12:00 PM PST to January 4, 8:00 AM PST
Where: Northern Humboldt Interior forecast zone
Reported by: Utility Company
Coordinates: 40.705, -123.916 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A storm spotter and utility company reported at least a thousand people without power from Hoopa to Orleans along the Highway 96 corridor. The power outages were caused by downed trees which trapped several people due to blocked roads. Storm total snowfall of very wet, heavy snow was reported to be 4 to 6 inches in valley locations. Higher elevation snowfall was not known.

Heavy Snow, Southern Humboldt Interior

When: January 1, 12:00 PM PST to January 4, 8:00 AM PST
Where: Southern Humboldt Interior forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 40.705, -123.916 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several reports of heavy snow were received over social media in interior southern Humboldt County with the first report over 6 inches of snow received at 10:45 am on the 2nd in Bridgeville at 2,800 feet elevation. Additional reports of between 4 and 7 inches were received through the 3rd. More snow likely fell at higher elevations into the 4th but no additional reports were received. Snow chains were required along Highway 36 during much of the event.

Heavy Snow, Northern Trinity

When: January 1, 12:00 PM PST to January 4, 8:00 AM PST
Where: Northern Trinity forecast zone
Reported by: Public

Several reports received of heavy snow in northern Trinity County including over 6 inches in Burnt Ranch at 1,200 feet elevation, 8 inches in Covington Mill at 2,500 feet elevation, and 14 inches in Denny at 3,000 feet elevation. Snow chains were required on highways 299 and 3 for much of the event. Highway 3 was closed over Scott Mountain Pass.

Heavy Snow, Southern Trinity

When: January 1, 12:00 PM PST to January 4, 8:00 AM PST
Where: Southern Trinity forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 40.651, -123.113 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Storm total snow of 9 to 10 inches reported near Ruth and north of Hayfork. Snow chains were required on highways 36 and 3 for much of the event.

Heavy Snow, Northwestern Mendocino Interior

When: January 1, 12:00 PM PST to January 3, 8:00 AM PST
Where: Northwestern Mendocino Interior forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 39.434, -123.432 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Public and trained spotter reports indicated 4 to 6 inches of snow had fallen in northern Mendocino County from Iron Mountain near Laytonville at 3,750 feet elevation to near Willits at around 2,000 feet elevation.

What these are

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.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in California in 2017 Every state in 2017 This day in weather history Warnings in California, January 2017

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 676414, 676417, 676419, 676420, 676422, 676424.