Heavy Snow and Hail in California, March 13 to 17, 2020

Name: Heavy Snow and Hail in California, March 13 to 17, 2020
Start: 2020-03-13T22:00
End: 2020-03-17T09:15
Location: California

March 13 to 17, 2020 · NWS EKA · 30 events in 7 counties and zones

Mountain snow and low-elevation small hail occurred across northwest California during mid March. Several accidents occurred as a result.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 27 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: $750
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 30

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.

Mountain snow and low-elevation small hail occurred across northwest California during mid March. Several accidents occurred as a result.

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 Mar 13, 2:11 PM PST, 7 hours 49 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 13, 2:11 PM PST, 7 hours 49 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 13, 2:11 PM PST, 7 hours 49 minutes before

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The radar

The Eureka (Bunker Hill) radar (KBHX), 101 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:22 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

19 winter weather, 10 heavy snow, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Southern Trinity

When: March 13, 10:00 PM PST to March 14, 12:00 PM PST
Where: Southern Trinity forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 40.651, -123.113 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Three inches of snow at an elevation of 3099 feet.

Winter Weather, Northern Humboldt Interior

When: March 13, 10:00 PM PST to March 14, 12:00 PM PST
Where: Northern Humboldt Interior forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 40.705, -123.916 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Four inches of snow at an elevation of 3400 feet.

Winter Weather, Southern Humboldt Interior

When: March 13, 10:00 PM PST to March 15, 8:02 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)

Six inches of snow at an elevation of 2500 feet.

Heavy Snow, Southern Trinity

When: March 13, 10:00 PM PST to March 15, 8:05 AM PST
Where: Southern Trinity forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 40.651, -123.113 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Nine inches of snow near Ruth.

Winter Weather, Southern Humboldt Interior

When: March 13, 10:00 PM PST to March 15, 8:12 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)

Snow total of 6.8 inches at an elevation of 2400 feet.

Heavy Snow, Southern Humboldt Interior

When: March 13, 10:00 PM PST to March 15, 8:21 AM PST
Where: Southern Humboldt Interior forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 40.705, -123.916 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow total of 7 inches reported at an elevation of 2800 feet.

Heavy Snow, Southern Humboldt Interior

When: March 13, 10:00 PM PST to March 15, 8:20 AM PST
Where: Southern Humboldt Interior forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 40.705, -123.916 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ten inches of snow reported at an elevation of 2400 feet.

Heavy Snow, Southern Humboldt Interior

When: March 13, 10:00 PM PST to March 15, 8:15 AM PST
Where: Southern Humboldt Interior forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 40.705, -123.916 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow amount of 11.5 inches.

Winter Weather, Southern Trinity

When: March 13, 10:00 PM PST to March 15, 8:15 AM PST
Where: Southern Trinity forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 40.651, -123.113 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow amount of 6 inches.

Winter Weather, Southern Trinity

When: March 13, 10:00 PM PST to March 15, 8:15 AM PST
Where: Southern Trinity forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 40.651, -123.113 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow report of 5.5 inches.

Winter Weather, Southern Humboldt Interior

When: March 13, 10:00 PM PST to March 15, 8:57 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)

Six inches of snow at an elevation of 2500 feet.

Heavy Snow, Southern Trinity

When: March 13, 10:00 PM PST to March 15, 9:07 AM PST
Where: Southern Trinity forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 40.651, -123.113 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Eleven inches of snow in Hettenshaw Valley.

Winter Weather, Southern Humboldt Interior

When: March 13, 10:00 PM PST to March 15, 9:21 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)

Three inches of snow 5 miles west of Alderpoint near Pratt Mountain.

Heavy Snow, Southern Trinity

When: March 13, 10:00 PM PST to March 15, 9:26 AM PST
Where: Southern Trinity forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 40.651, -123.113 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Eight inches of snow at an elevation of 2600 feet.

Winter Weather, Northern Humboldt Interior

When: March 13, 10:00 PM PST to March 15, 9:44 AM PST
Where: Northern Humboldt Interior forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 40.705, -123.916 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Storm total snowfall of 9 inches at an elevation of 3400 feet.

Winter Weather, Southern Trinity

When: March 13, 10:00 PM PST to March 15, 10:01 AM PST
Where: Southern Trinity forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 40.651, -123.113 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Five inches of snow at 2800 feet.

Winter Weather, Southern Trinity

When: March 13, 10:00 PM PST to March 15, 10:46 AM PST
Where: Southern Trinity forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 40.651, -123.113 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Six inches of snow at 2770 feet.

Winter Weather, Southern Humboldt Interior

When: March 13, 10:00 PM PST to March 15, 11:24 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)

Three inches of snow at 1500 feet.

Heavy Snow, Northwestern Mendocino Interior

When: March 13, 10:00 PM PST to March 15, 11:59 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)

Storm total snow of 12 inches at 3125 feet.

Heavy Snow, Southern Humboldt Interior

When: March 13, 10:00 PM PST to March 15, 1:40 PM PST
Where: Southern Humboldt Interior forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 40.705, -123.916 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Eleven inches of snow at 4200 feet.

Winter Weather, Southern Humboldt Interior

When: March 13, 10:00 PM PST to March 15, 12:01 PM PST
Where: Southern Humboldt Interior forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 40.705, -123.916 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Four inches of snow.

Winter Weather, Southwestern Humboldt

When: March 13, 10:00 PM PST to March 15, 9:50 AM PST
Where: Southwestern Humboldt forecast zone
Reported by: NWS Employee
Coordinates: 40.705, -123.916 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Six inches of snow near KBHX radar.

Winter Weather, Southern Trinity

When: March 13, 10:00 PM PST to March 17, 7:45 AM PST
Where: Southern Trinity forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 40.651, -123.113 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow report of 4.1 inches at 2532 feet.

Heavy Snow, Southern Humboldt Interior

When: March 13, 10:00 PM PST to March 17, 8:17 AM PST
Where: Southern Humboldt Interior forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 40.705, -123.916 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Storm total snow of 7 inches at 2675 feet.

Winter Weather, Southern Humboldt Interior

When: March 13, 10:00 PM PST to March 17, 8:19 AM PST
Where: Southern Humboldt Interior forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 40.705, -123.916 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow report of 3.1 inches at 389 feet.

Winter Weather, Southern Trinity

When: March 13, 10:00 PM PST to March 17, 9:15 AM PST
Where: Southern Trinity forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 40.651, -123.113 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow report of 4.5 inches at 2554 feet.

Winter Weather, Southern Lake County

When: March 14, 6:00 AM PST to March 15, 6:00 AM PST
Where: Southern Lake County forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Three inches of snow.

Winter Weather, Northwestern Mendocino Interior

When: March 14, 6:00 AM PST to March 15, 8:54 AM PST
Where: Northwestern Mendocino Interior forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 39.434, -123.432 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Five inches of snow at an elevation of 2870 feet.

Heavy Snow, Southern Lake County

When: March 14, 6:00 AM PST to March 15, 9:47 AM PST
Where: Southern Lake County forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Eight inches of snow at 3223 feet.

Hail, Humboldt

When: March 14, 10:25 AM PST
Where: Humboldt County, 0.52 mi W of Fernbridge
Measured: 0.25 in hail
Property damage: $750
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 40.620, -124.210

Hail on roadway leading to a three car accident.

What these are

Winter Weather: Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.
Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in California in 2020 Every state in 2020 This day in weather history Warnings in California, March 2020

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 879007, 879025, 879041, 879042, 879045, 879046, 879048, 879050, 879052, 879055, 879059, 879060, 879062, 879066, 879069, 879075, 879076, 879077, 879078, 879079, 879080, 879081, 879082, 879085, 879086, 879087, 879031, 879057, 879074, 879006.