An atmospheric river made landfall in California, while cold and dry air remained trapped in the Owens Valley. This resulted in the first known freezing rain event in the WFO Las Vegas CWA since record keeping began.
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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 VEF wrote it up.
An atmospheric river made landfall in California, while cold and dry air remained trapped in the Owens Valley. This resulted in the first known freezing rain event in the WFO Las Vegas CWA since record keeping began.
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 Las Vegas, NV wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 7, 2:10 AM PST, 3 hours 50 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Las Vegas NV 210 AM PST Sat Jan 7 2017 .SYNOPSIS...Active weather pattern continues with the next in a series of wet Pacific storm systems set to move into the region today. This system will bring the potential for excessive rainfall and snow melt to the Sierra and Owens Valley. The storm will push eastward Monday bringing rain chances to the entire region followed by brief drying. Additional storm systems are likely later in the week. && .SHORT TERM...through Tuesday night. As of 2 AM, radar returns were already nearing the western CWA border. This is the leading edge of the long advertised atmospheric river and associated very wet period, with the main impacts expected in the Sierra and the Owens Valley. The Flood Watch looks very well reasoned and no changes were needed. There are some concerns very early in the event about precip starting out as snow due to the cold and dry air mass currently in place, but any snow will quickly melt/wash away as snow levels rise very rapidly during the day due to strong warm advection and the incoming moisture plume being of subtropical origin. Precip chances will shift farther north tonight into Sunday as ridging builds from the south, then spread areawide Monday as heights fall in response to low pressure nearing the Pacific Northwest coast. Monday night and Tuesday are very uncertain as the models depict a fast, moist zonal flow over our area, with the best moisture confined to the Sierra. This will need to be watched, as any small kink in the flow could push the better moisture farther south into the deserts. .LONG TERM...Wednesday through Friday night. Model agreement breaks down quickly during this period, though it does look to stay somewhat moist and active with a progressive pattern continuing. The operational Euro continues to be the wettest (operational) solution, but even the GEFS members indicate the potential for at least one or two systems in this time frame, with the operational run much drier than the ensemble members and mean. Mean timing from all sources would seem to indicate the best potential for any widespread precipitation would be sometime Friday. Did not make any major changes to grids given the uncertainty present. && .AVIATION...For McCarran...Generally light and variable winds through the period with the main focus being CIGs and precip chances. The first round of moisture looks to arrive by the morning hours. Guidance indicates a quick chance of precipitation by 18Z. However, with dry low levels, thinking maybe a sprinkle or two at this time, and given the moisture and thermal profile it is hard to rule out a snowflake or two, but surface temperatures remain comfortably above freezing. CIGS will likely fall to around 5 kft with little recovery through the day with the next shot of moisture and rain chances by Saturday evening. For the rest of southern Nevada...northwest Arizona...and southeast California...A potent Pacific system will spread low clouds and rain across much of the region through tonight with widespread mountain obscuration and ceilings below 5 kft by Saturday afternoon. Snow can be expected in the Owens Valley Saturday morning before turning to rain which will persist through Sunday night. && .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...Rainfall and snowfall totals are encouraged through early next week. Reports of flooding or elevated stream flows are also requested. && Short term...Morgan Long term/Aviation...Steele For more forecast information...see us on our webpage: http://weather.gov/lasvegas or follow us on Facebook and Twitter
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 ice storm, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Two inches of snow fell in Big Pine before the precipitation changed over to freezing rain. Approximately half an inch of freezing rain was reported in Big Pine and Independence, and Highway 395 was closed for about 90 minutes due to several incidents related to the slick roads.
Over a quarter inch of freezing rain fell 5 miles WSW of Bishop, resulting in tree limbs sagging and breaking.
Water was over Highway 395 in two places near Olancha, but the road was still passable.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in California, January 2017
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: 674303, 674304, 674305.