A cold low pressure system pushed into the Pacific Northwest on Christmas Day and through Central California on December 26. This system brought heavy precipitation to the Sierra Nevada with several SNOTELs picking up an estimated 18 to 24 inches of new snowfall, and snow falling as low as 2000 feet before the precipitation ended during the morning of December 26.
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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 HNX wrote it up.
A cold low pressure system pushed into the Pacific Northwest on Christmas Day and through Central California on December 26. This system brought heavy precipitation to the Sierra Nevada with several SNOTELs picking up an estimated 18 to 24 inches of new snowfall, and snow falling as low as 2000 feet before the precipitation ended during the morning of December 26. Much of the Sierra Nevada and adjacent foothills picked up between an inch to two and a half inches of liquid precipitation while the San Joaquin Valley picked up another half inch to an inch of rain on the east side and a quarter to half inch of the west side. Much of the Tehachapi Mountains picked up between a quarter to a half inch of liquid precipitation although impacts to the major passes was minimal.
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 Hanford, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 25, 12:30 PM PST, 3 hours 30 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Hanford CA 1230 PM PST Sat Dec 25 2021 .SYNOPSIS...A very wet weather pattern will continue into next week with brief breaks as several weather disturbances move across the Central California Interior. Heavy mountain snow and significant lower elevation rain will occur through the middle of next week. Snow levels will occasionally lower into the lower foothills and the mountain passes through Kern County. && .DISCUSSION... Some areas of sunshine this morning across the SJV, while the mountains see some clouds. Regional satellite and radar loops indicate the leading edge of the next weather system pushing through the Bay area attm. Seasonal temperatures today with increasing clouds and precip moving into the region from the NW and spreading south overnight with moderate to heavy snow in the Sierra and scattered showers in the SJV. Ensembles are in decent agreement with the timing and intensity of the cold core low center that will dip down into our area tonight. We will see low snow levels because of the colder system. Models have been advertising snow levels to drop to around 2000 feet along the Sierra foothills and down to around 3000 feet in the Kern county mountains by Sunday morning. Excellent dynamics and upslope flow will wring out every bit of moisture to provide a deep fluffy snowpack in the Sierra. We are forecasting up to 4 feet of snow through Sunday morning above 6000 feet. There is not a sub tropical connect with this system but a lot of energy and cold air. We are expecting a brief break Sunday afternoon before another cold core trough will bring another round of heavy fluffy snow the Sierra with up to an additional 3 feet above 6000 feet and scattered rain showers to the San Joaquin Valley Sunday night and into Monday. Moisture content will be lighter than if it were an AR event. Snow ratio will be more like 15:1 and even higher above 8000 feet due to the very cold air. There will be a break in the active weather pattern Monday night through Tuesday, however Monday night will be cold with temps in the lower 30s across most of the SJV. Will monitor the potential for possible freeze statements for Monday night. A return of light Sierra snow and scattered showers on Wednesday as another cold trough moves through. There is very little moisture with this system, but enough to kick off a few showers and snow showers. Rain and snow amounts will be light on Wednesday and Wednesday evening. By Thursday morning we will see gradual clearing from the north valley and will remain cloudy in the south valley with upslope flow for a few showers and drizzle along the north facing slopes of the Kern county mountains. A very cold trough of low pressure will move through the region per the GFS ensembles on Friday. However the ECM is not as cold and we are going with the NBM Blend for the extended. However the GFS looks very cold Friday night. Happy Holidays as we enjoy the active wet weather pattern. && .AVIATION...MVFR conditions are likely in and near showers over the next 24 hours. Mountain obscurations with areas of IFR conditions are expected in the Sierra Nevada through at least the next 24 hours. && .AIR QUALITY ISSUES... None. && .CERTAINTY... The level of certainty for days 1 and 2 is medium. The level of certainty for days 3 through 7 is medium. Certainty levels include low...medium...and high. Please visit www.weather.gov/hnx/certainty.html for additional information an/or to provide feedback. && .HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Weather Advisory from 4 PM this afternoon to 10 AM PST Sunday for CAZ318-320-322-324-325-332>336. Winter Storm Watch from Sunday afternoon through late Monday night for CAZ318-320-322-324-325-332>336. Winter Storm Warning until 10 PM PST Monday for CAZ323-326>331. && public...JDB aviation....Andersen weather.gov/hanford
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
7 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
The Lower Kibbie Ridge SNOTEL (6479 ft) picked up an estimated 18 inches of new snowfall.
The Paradise Meadow SNOTEL (7676 ft) picked up an estimated 18 inches of new snowfall.
The Tenaya Lake SNOTEL (8160 ft) picked up an estimated 18 inches of new snowfall.
The Tuolumne Meadows SNOTEL (8600 ft) picked up an estimated 23 inches of new snowfall.
The Poison Ridge SNOTEL (6988 ft) picked up an estimated 18 inches of new snowfall.
The Upper Burnt Corral SNOTEL (9700 ft) picked up an estimated 20 inches of new snowfall.
The Giant Forest SNOTEL (6650 ft) picked up an estimated 20 inches of new snowfall.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in California, December 2021
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: 990434, 990435, 990436, 990437, 990438, 990439, 990440.