A cold low pressure system, accompanied by an atmospheric river, dumped heavy snow in Inyo County.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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 VEF wrote it up.
A cold low pressure system, accompanied by an atmospheric river, dumped heavy snow in Inyo County.
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 Las Vegas, NV wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 27, 1:39 AM PST, 1 hour 21 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Las Vegas NV 139 AM PST Wed Jan 27 2021 .SYNOPSIS...Large Pacific storm system will spread widespread clouds into the region today along with increasingly heavy precipitation in the Sierra and southern Great Basin. Periods of heavy snowfall, mixing with rain below 5000 feet can be expected near the Sierra and Owens Valley through Thursday. Rain and mountain snow will spread across the deserts on Friday with dry and warming conditions expected over the weekend. && .SHORT TERM...through Thursday night. This mornings satellite imagery depicts an impressive 528dm low spinning off the Pacific coast, directing a healthy atmospheric river into central and northern California. Ahead of this feature, cloud cover has been on the increase, mainly along and north of I-15, with decreasing clouds further south. All eyes will be on the Sierra region today, with significant snow accumulations expected above 5000 feet, with lesser snow totals spilling into the White Mountains of Inyo county as well as parts of the southern Great Basin over the next couple days. Meanwhile, periods of snow, likely mixing with rain at times is expected in the Owens Valley, especially north of Independence. While overall the forecast thinking hasn't changed much, there are a few things of note that could have implications on the Owens Valley forecast details. Early this morning, main moisture plume is still focused more into the Central Sierra, and will gradually sag southward through the morning hours. Given the moderate-strong IVT advertised, precipitation shouldn't have too much issue spilling over the Sierra crest. However, morning surface observations remain quite dry, with single digit dewpoints common from Bishop to Olancha. This will take some time to overcome, and take a bite out of initial precip rates. However, they should also aid in evaporational cooling ensuring snow at precipitation onset. Through the day, as the lower atmosphere saturates, precipitation may begin mixing with rain at times with the snow levels climbing into the 4000-4500 foot range and wet bulb temps in the Owens Valley rise into the lower to mid 30s. Wednesday night into Thursday, additional rain and snow will be possible with the snow level hovering near valley floors before rising more substantially above 5000 feet during the day Thursday. All this to say, the winter storm warning for the Owens Valley and Bishop region does come with some uncertainty, and additional shifts will have to keep watch on precip type as the event unfolds as it will affect forecast snow accumulations. Main precipitation band will become more north-south oriented Thursday night and begin to shift eastward, favoring the Mojave Desert and Lincoln County areas by late thursday night. .LONG TERM...Friday Through Tuesday. The upper level low sitting off the California Coast is finally expected to swing inland Thursday night through Friday. The forecast has not changed significantly from the previous forecast, with precipitation overspreading the rest of the region by Friday morning. Anomalously high moisture will be available ahead of the main forcing of the system, though long range models disagree with how much above normal it will be. Either way, favored liquid amounts that were higher than the 50th percentile for this reason. The main change this created was decreasing QPF in the Owens Valley as the better moisture shifts eastward (and therefore likely no longer overachieving compared to earlier in the event. Being that this will be a quick shot of precipitation as the trough quickly swings through the Southwest US, impacts with this part of the event should be limited. Moderate rain is likely which could make for wet roads is hazardous driving conditions, especially in southern Clark County and Mohave County. Snow levels will remain around 5000ft for the event, with a decent shot of snow for the Spring Mountains. 6-8 inches of snowfall will be possible in Lee and Kyle Canyons which may prompt a winter weather advisory issuance Thursday night and Friday, but held off for now as it's still a couple days out and the main focus in the near term is on winter impacts in the Sierra. Precipitation should end from west to east Friday afternoon and night. Zonal flow is expected Saturday, though some models do show a quick shortwave zipping though the mean flow. Even if this does occur, impacts would be low with mainly some high elevation light showers. Sunday will be quiet and dry with weak ridging moving over the region. The unsettled weather pattern continues for sometime next week with another system possibly affecting the region. Though its far off, this trough does not look like it will have as much moisture associated with it and may only brush the southern Great Basin with some breezy winds and light precipitation. Temperatures should slowly warm through the weekend into the beginning of next week before cooling back to near or below normal by the middle of next week. && .AVIATION...For McCarran...VFR conditions and light winds remain favorable for aviation through the remainder of tonight before the next winter storm moves into the area today dropping CIGS below 10kft and possibly as low as 4-5kft. On Thursday and Friday, rain with IFR conditions become more likely and air traffic impacts may be more of a concern. For the rest of southern Nevada, northwest Arizona and southeast California...Widespread clouds and precipitation will bring impacts to the southern Sierra and to central Nevada today. Lowered cloud ceilings and visibility are possible at many terminals due to snowfall. Thursday into Friday, conditions warm up in lower elevation locations but moderate rain will be widespread across the area leading to MVFR to IFP conditions. && .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...Spotters are encouraged to report any significant weather or impacts according to standard operating procedures. && DISCUSSION...Outler LONG TERM...Nickerson AVIATION...Salmen For more forecast information...see us on our webpage: https://weather.gov/lasvegas or follow us on Facebook and Twitter
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
931 PM PST TUE JAN 26 2021
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0831 AM HEAVY SNOW 26 SW RACHEL 37.41N 116.12W
01/26/2021 M12.0 INCH NYE NV OTHER FEDERAL
SNOW BEGAN ACCUMULATING SHORTLY AFTER
MIDNIGHT MONDAY MORNING AND ENDED EARLY
TUESDAY MORNING. UP TO A FOOT FELL AT HIGHER
ELEVATIONS ON THE NNSS.
0700 AM HEAVY SNOW 6 NW PAHRUMP 36.26N 116.07W
01/26/2021 M4.0 INCH NYE NV TRAINED SPOTTER
SNOW BEGAN ACCUMULATING AROUND 9 PM MONDAY
AND ENDED AROUND 7 AM TUESDAY.
0800 AM HEAVY SNOW MT. CHARLESTON 36.26N 115.64W
01/26/2021 M20.0 INCH CLARK NV CO-OP OBSERVER
STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL. SEVEN INCHES FELL FROM
0800 SUNDAY TO 0800 MONDAY, AND 13 INCHES
FELL FROM 0800 MONDAY TO 0800 TUESDAY.
0700 AM HEAVY SNOW 3 N SUMMERLIN 36.20N 115.33W
01/26/2021 M3.0 INCH CLARK NV TRAINED SPOTTER
SNOW BEGAN ACCUMULATING AROUND 1100 ON
MONDAY AND ENDED AROUND 0700 ON TUESDAY.
SEVERAL REPORTS OF ONE TO THREE INCHES IN
THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS AROUND THE PERIPHERY
OF LAS VEGAS, WITH LITTLE OR NONE NEAR THE
CENTER OF THE VALLEY.
0130 AM HEAVY SNOW INDIAN SPRINGS 36.58N 115.67W
01/26/2021 E5.0 INCH CLARK NV PUBLIC
SNOW BEGAN ACCUMULATING AROUND 4 PM MONDAY
AND ENDED AROUND 4 AM TUESDAY.
0419 AM SNOW 3 SE MOUNTAIN SPRINGS 35.99N 115.46W
01/25/2021 E3.0 INCH CLARK NV LAW ENFORCEMENT
SR 160 AND MOUNTAIN SPRINGS CLOSED FROM 0419
TO 0440 DUE TO HEAVY SNOW. SNOW DEPTH
ESTIMATED. UNKNOWN.
0930 AM SNOW 1 E MOUNTAIN PASS 35.47N 115.52W
01/25/2021 E4.0 INCH SAN BERNARDINO CA DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
INTERSTATE 15 WAS CLOSED FROM BAKER TO PRIMM
FROM 0930 TO 1300 PST DUE TO SNOW IN
MOUNTAIN PASS.
1100 AM HEAVY SNOW YUCCA 34.87N 114.15W
01/26/2021 M4.0 INCH MOHAVE AZ PUBLIC
SNOW BEGAN ACCUMULATING AROUND 1000 MONDAY
AND ENDED AROUND 0800 TUESDAY.
1020 PM SNOW 1 WSW KINGMAN 35.18N 114.07W
01/25/2021 E3.0 INCH MOHAVE AZ DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
TWO SEPARATE INCIDENTS INVOLVING BIG RIGS
CLOSED INTERSTATE 40 IN KINGMAN. THE HIGHWAY
REOPENED AROUND 5 AM.
0115 PM SNOW 2 ENE OATMAN 35.04N 114.36W
01/25/2021 E3.0 INCH MOHAVE AZ DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
OATMAN HIGHWAY WAS CLOSED FROM MILE MARKER
33 TO SILVER CREEK ROAD. THE ROAD REOPENED
AT NOON THE NEXT DAY.
0800 AM SNOW 3 N HUALAPAI PEAK 35.12N 113.91W
01/25/2021 E5.0 INCH MOHAVE AZ DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
HUALAPAI MOUNTAIN ROAD WAS CLOSED FROM 0900
TO 1400 MST DUE TO SNOW. THE ROAD BRIEFLY
REOPENED LATE MORNING, BUT CLOSED AGAIN
SHORTLY WHEN SNOWFALL RATES INCREASED.
&&
MORGANThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Forty-one inches of snow fell at Aspendell.
Nine point three inches of snow fell 1 mile SW of Bishop. Blizzard conditions were observed for a short time (less than three hours).
Highway 168 was closed east of Big Pine due to heavy snow (estimated 18 inches) at Westgard Pass.
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, January 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: 938778, 938779, 938780.