California, 2021

Winter Weather in California, January 24 to 25, 2021

January 24 to 25, 2021 · NWS STO · 9 events in 4 counties and zones

The first weather system of the week brought widespread precipitation to interior northern California. Precipitation started across the northern and coastal mountains |and gradually spread eastward.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
9

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 STO wrote it up.

The first weather system of the week brought widespread precipitation to interior northern California. Precipitation started across the northern and coastal mountains |and gradually spread eastward. Snow levels across much of Shasta County were around 2,000 to 2,500 feet at the onset of precipitation, although most precipitation moved quickly towards western Plumas County and the Sierra Nevada. Snow levels were forecast to be around 3,000 to 3,500 feet.

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 Sacramento, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 24, 2:11 PM PST, 49 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 24, 2:11 PM PST, 49 minutes before
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Event by event

9 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Mt Shasta/Western Plumas County

When
January 24, 3:00 PM PST to January 25, 9:00 AM PST
Where
Mt Shasta/Western Plumas County forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer

Quincy reported 4 inches of new snow accumulation.

Winter Weather, Northeast Foothills/Sacramento Valley

When
January 24, 3:00 PM PST to January 25, 9:00 AM PST
Where
Northeast Foothills/Sacramento Valley forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS

Shingletown CoCoRaHS observer reported 6 inches of new snow accumulation.

Winter Weather, West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada

When
January 24, 3:00 PM PST to January 25, 9:00 AM PST
Where
West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada forecast zone
Reported by
Public

Placerville reported 3 inches of new snow accumulation and Applegate reported 1 inch of new snow accumulation.

Winter Weather, West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada

When
January 24, 3:00 PM PST to January 25, 9:00 AM PST
Where
West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada forecast zone
Reported by
Public

Ski resorts across the Sierra reported between 4 and 10 inches of new snow. Boreal, Soda Springs, Kirkwood, and Sugar Bowl received 4 inches, Dodge 10 inches, Kirkword and Alpine 7 inches, and Sierra-at-Tahoe 8 inches.

Winter Weather, West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada

When
January 24, 3:00 PM PST to January 25, 9:00 AM PST
Where
West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer

Pacific House reported 7 inches of new snow accumulation.

Winter Weather, West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada

When
January 24, 3:00 PM PST to January 25, 9:00 AM PST
Where
West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada forecast zone
Reported by
Department of Highways

Caltrans reported 6 inches of new snow at Eagle Lakes.

Winter Weather, West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada

When
January 24, 3:00 PM PST to January 25, 9:00 AM PST
Where
West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS

Blue Canyon reported 11 inches of new snow accumulation.

Winter Weather, West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada

When
January 24, 3:00 PM PST to January 25, 9:00 AM PST
Where
West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter

Camino reported 8 inches of new snow accumulation.

Winter Weather, Motherlode/Camptonville to Groveland

When
January 24, 3:00 PM PST to January 25, 9:00 AM PST
Where
Motherlode/Camptonville to Groveland forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter

Groveland reported 7 inches of new snow accumulation.

What these are

Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in California in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in California, January 2021

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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 940364, 940365, 940367, 940368, 940369, 940370, 940371, 940372, 940598.