Northern California typically experiences a wet season, October through May, and a dry season May through September. Last year's water year, October 2019 through September 2020, was one of the driest on records.
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.
Northern California typically experiences a wet season, October through May, and a dry season May through September. Last year's water year, October 2019 through September 2020, was one of the driest on records. This likely contributed to the U.S. Drought Monitor's decision to place portions of interior northern California into extreme drought on September 29, 2020. Portions of Shasta, Tehama, Butte, Glenn, Colusa, Yolo, Solano, Yuba, Nevada, and Sacramento counties remain placed extreme drought; however, the state of California has not announced that these locations are in drought.
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 Oct 31, 1:02 PM PST, 10 hours 58 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Sacramento CA 202 PM PDT Sat Oct 31 2020 .SYNOPSIS... Dry weather with above normal high temperatures will persist through next Thursday. Cooler with a threat of showers on Friday, mainly over the mountains. && .DISCUSSION... High pressure over the western states will shift eastward the next couple of days. A closed low off the Southern California coast will lift towards the northeast Sunday and Monday and may bring some high clouds to the region. Little change in temperatures is expected through Monday. A weak trough on Tuesday falls apart before it reaches the northwest coast but may bring slightly cooler temperatures and breezy winds over the ridgetops. && .EXTENDED DISCUSSION (Wednesday THROUGH Saturday)... High pressure returns to the region for Wednesday and Thursday to keep temperatures relatively the same both days and similar to earlier in the week. Friday and Saturday may be getting wetter and a lot colder as a deep trough of low pressure moves through the region. Currently there are timing differences within the models of about 6 hours. Both the European and GFS are indicating some rain within the valley. NBM may be under forecasting the amount and extent of the precipitation. Have precipitation chances for northern part of the valley and over the mountains for now but suspect chances will be going up for all areas if this pattern holds. && .AVIATION... VFR conditions next 24 hours except local MVFR visibilities northern San Joaquin Valley. Winds generally less than 12 kts. && .STO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. &&
5 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
For the month of November, the U.S. Drought Monitor kept all of Yolo County, and portions of Sacramento, Sutter, Solano counties in extreme drought (D3). They also noted on this month's call the following impacts for the Sacramento Valley: low groundwater levels, dry stock pond, and poor range-land and pasture conditions.
For the month of November, the U.S. Drought Monitor kept all of zone 63, which covers western Tehama, Glenn, and Colusa counties in extreme drought (D3). They also noted on this month's call the following impacts for the Sacramento Valley: low groundwater levels, dry stock pond, and poor range-land and pasture conditions.
For the month of November, the U.S. Drought Monitor kept most of Glenn and Colusa, and Sutter counties along with the western portions of Butte and Yuba counties in extreme drought (D3). They also noted on this month's call the following impacts for the Sacramento Valley: low groundwater levels, dry stock pond, and poor range-land and pasture conditions.
For the month of November, the U.S. Drought Monitor added all of zone 15, portions of Shasta and Tehama counties, into extreme drought (D3). They also noted on this month's call the following impacts for the Sacramento Valley: low groundwater levels, dry stock pond, and poor range-land and pasture conditions.
For the month of November, the U.S. Drought Monitor added the majority of zone 13, which covers Shasta County, in extreme drought (D3).
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in California, November 2020
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: 929573, 929574, 929575, 929576, 929577.