A storm with strong winds, road flooding, and hazardous mountain travel with snow up to 3 feet deep impacted the area.
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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 STO wrote it up.
A storm with strong winds, road flooding, and hazardous mountain travel with snow up to 3 feet deep impacted the area.
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 Jan 16, 4:22 AM PST, 5 hours 20 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Sacramento CA 422 AM PST Wed Jan 16 2019 .SYNOPSIS... Wet and windy weather is expected across the region through Thursday with heavy snowfall in the mountains. A brief period of dry weather is expected before precipitation chances return on the weekend. Drier weather next week. && .DISCUSSION... Areas of precipitation continue across the region early this morning as yesterday's system lifts to the north into the PacNW and strong warm-advection develops ahead of the big storm approaching for later today into Thursday. Winds have dropped off a bit compared to last evening, but gusts of 20-30 mph continue across portions of the area. Current temperatures range from mainly the 30s in the mountains to the mid 40s to mid 50s across the Central Valley. Little change to previous forecasts. Still looking at a strong storm affecting the region later today into Thursday. Moderate to heavy precipitation will develop this afternoon and continue into this evening in the valley, and through Thursday across the northern Sierra. Rises on small rivers and creeks will be likely and debris flows will be possible in and near the recent burn scars. Strongest winds will be this evening until shortly after midnight in the valley and foothills as the cold front moves through. Gusts of 60 mph or higher will be possible mainly along the eastern edge of the valley and Sierra foothills from eastern Tehama County southward to the Sacramento region. Significant damage to trees and powerlines will be possible. The biggest hazard to travel will be the heavy mountain snows, generally 5,000 feet and above. Warm-advection ahead of the front will bring snow levels up through this evening, but they will fall again later tonight and Thursday. Heavy snow is expected by this evening as the front approaches and will continue Thursday as lapse rates steepen behind the front. Several feet of snowfall accumulation is expected above 5500 feet with 4-6 feet possible across some of the higher northern Sierra passes. Additionally, very strong southwesterly winds will persist through Thursday morning through the passes. Travel impacts will be severe and travel is not advised given intense snowfall rates coupled with high winds leading to blizzard/whiteout conditions. Such hazards should persist through Thursday. While this will be a long duration rainfall event, the potential threat for thunderstorms may ignite some short-term flash flood concerns. This is particularly the case over any recent burns scars so those will bear watching. Difficult to say this far out where any such storms would develop, but instability appears decent enough to support scattered convection this evening into the overnight hours. Portions of the region will see a break in the weather Friday before another weaker and milder system brings some precipitation for the weekend. && .EXTENDED DISCUSSION (Sunday THROUGH Wednesday) A Pacific trough will bring widespread precipitation on Sunday but rain and snow amounts will be relatively light. Snow levels start around 7000 feet Sunday falling to 4500 to 5500 feet Sunday night. Some mountain travel impacts are possible with accumulations of around 2 to 4 inches above 6000 feet. Drying northerly winds are expected to increase Monday and Tuesday as the trough exits, with breezy winds on the west side of the Valley. A dry pattern sets in through mid week as the area remains on the east side of a Pacific ridge, with above normal temperatures. This dry pattern could continue through the week as the ridge deflects disturbances well to the north. EK && .AVIATION... A strong storm will bring southerly flow aloft with local MVFR/IFR conditions possible over interior Northern California in moderate to heavy precipitation over the next 24 hours. Local SE gusts 30 to 40 kts possible over the southern Sacramento and northern San Joaquin Valley today, 40 to 50 kt from 00z through 08z with the passage of a cold front, along with the potential for isolated TSRA. Airport Weather Warnings have been issued today and tonight for strong winds for RDD and SCK. Very heavy snow is expected above 5500 feet. EK && .STO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Storm Warning until 4 PM PST this afternoon for West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada-Western Plumas County/Lassen Park. Blizzard Warning from 4 PM this afternoon to noon PST Thursday for West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada-Western Plumas County/Lassen Park. Flood Watch from 4 PM PST this afternoon through Thursday morning for Carquinez Strait and Delta-Central Sacramento Valley- Clear Lake/Southern Lake County-Motherlode-Mountains Southwestern Shasta County to Northern Lake County-Northeast Foothills/Sacramento Valley-Northern Sacramento Valley-Northern San Joaquin Valley-Shasta Lake Area / Northern Shasta County- Southern Sacramento Valley. Wind Advisory from noon today to 2 AM PST Thursday for Carquinez Strait and Delta-Central Sacramento Valley-Clear Lake/Southern Lake County-Mountains Southwestern Shasta County to Northern Lake County-Northeast Foothills/Sacramento Valley-Northern Sacramento Valley-Northern San Joaquin Valley. High Wind Warning from 4 PM this afternoon to 2 AM PST Thursday for Central Sacramento Valley-Motherlode-Northeast Foothills/Sacramento Valley-Northern Sacramento Valley-Southern Sacramento Valley. &&
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA
717 AM PST WED JAN 16 2019
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0600 AM SNOW 2 N BEAR VALLEY 38.49N 120.04W
01/16/2019 M14.0 INCH ALPINE CA PUBLIC
14 INCHES OF NEW SNOW REPORTED THIS MORNING
AT BEAR VALLEY MOUNTAIN RESORT.
&&
ROGUEPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA
719 AM PST WED JAN 16 2019
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0600 AM SNOW 1 SSE KIRKWOOD MEADOWS 38.68N 120.07W
01/16/2019 M14.0 INCH ALPINE CA PUBLIC
14 INCHES OF NEW SNOW REPORTED AT KIRKWOOD
MOUNTAIN RESORT.
&&
ROGUEPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA
720 AM PST WED JAN 16 2019
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0600 AM SNOW 2 ESE TWIN BRIDGES 38.80N 120.08W
01/16/2019 M16.0 INCH EL DORADO CA PUBLIC
16 INCHES OF NEW SNOW ACCUMULATION REPORTED
AT SIERRA AT TAHOE SKI RESORT.
&&
ROGUEPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA
723 AM PST WED JAN 16 2019
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0600 AM SNOW 1 W DONNER PEAK 39.31N 120.33W
01/16/2019 M13.0 INCH PLACER CA PUBLIC
13 INCHES OF NEW SNOW REPORTED AT SUGAR BOWL
SKI RESORT THIS MORNING.
&&
ROGUEThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
12 flood, 2 heavy rain, 1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
County Road 30 near Yolo Airport was closed due to flooding. Report from the CHP.
Rock and Debris flow over the Butte County Camp fire due to heavy rain at the Crests Powerhouse. Also CalTrans had some nearby debris issues that they have addressed with maintenance but do not know the extent. Rock slides are common in this particular slide area was a result of heavy rain on the Camp Fire.
Heavy rains led to intense flooding in Red Bluff leading to 30 homes being evacuated on Aloha Street. Several homes did flood and evacuation orders were lifted at 1100 am.
There was a 12 hour total of 2.1 of rain. Slush from earlier snow was blocking street drains with ponding water observed.
Cottonwood Road closed between Highway 99 and Table Mountain Blvd. due to flooding.
NWS Sacramento received a message via twitter about damage received from a line of showers moving through Lake county the evening of January 16th, 2019. A trailer was lifted, a metal awning was ripped off, an outdoor range was pushed over, and many large branches were broken off.
River Road closed between Chico River Road and West Sacramento Ave. because of flooding.
Hamilton Nord Cana Hwy. closed from Bennet Rd. to Cana Hwy. because of flooding.
A member of the public observed flooded roads in Palermo, CA. Video footage showed water flowing over the road with water making it up to the businesses on either side.
Stockton Blvd was impassable due to flooding.
Between 5 and 6 am a vide of someone driving across flooded roads was posted on social media.
Roadway flooding reported at SR16 pff ramp at I505S in Madison, with full closure for north and south bound I505.
Highway 162 closed between 1st St. and County Rd. 9 in Willows because of storm related flooding.
Highway 16 had east and west bound lanes flooded at County Road 89 near Guys Corner. A vehicle was submerged in flood waters. Flooding was first reported at 11 am.
Local media shared a video of law enforcement rescuing a stranded motorist in Sloughhouse near Kiefer Blvd and Jackson Rd. Road was completely flooded.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in California, January 2019
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: 805049, 805238, 805050, 805062, 805051, 805237, 805052, 805053, 805054, 805055, 805056, 805058, 805059, 805057, 805060.