An upper level trough which moved through the region on December 3 and 4 brought another round of widespread precipitation to the area. This system picked up some warm tropical moisture which resulted in snow levels being rather high for much of the duration of this event.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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 HNX wrote it up.
An upper level trough which moved through the region on December 3 and 4 brought another round of widespread precipitation to the area. This system picked up some warm tropical moisture which resulted in snow levels being rather high for much of the duration of this event. While significant snowfall did fall above 8000 feet, moderate to locally heavy rainfall below the snow line as much of the Sierra Nevada picked up between 2 and 4 inches of rainfall while the adjacent foothills picked up between 1.5 and 3 inches of rain and the San Joaquin Valley picked up between half an inch and an inch of rainfall. A rockslide was reported near Mariposa which resulted in some brief road closures. Much like with the December 1 and 2 storm, amounts were much lower in Kern County where most stations only picked up a tenth of an inch or less of rainfall.
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 3, 1:36 AM PST, 8 hours 24 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Hanford CA 136 AM PST Sat Dec 3 2022 .SYNOPSIS... A major Winter Storm will impact the Sierra Nevada this weekend as a push of tropical moisture helps enhance precipitation over the region. A Winter Storm warning is currently in effect for higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada. && .DISCUSSION... A Winter Storm Warning remains in effect through Monday morning as tropical moisture is pulled into an upper trough dropping southward. Heavy snow will impact portions of the Sierra Nevada today through early Monday morning as an atmospheric river event unfolds bringing wide areas of heavy rain/snow to southern portions of our region. Snow levels generally sit near 7k feet this morning meaning snow will remain confined to those higher elevations. Current forecast calls for upwards of 3 to 4 feet of additional snow to fall for those higher elevations. For lower valleys, rainfall totals could reach 0.5 inches to just over 1 inch for portions of the SJ valley. The bulk of the precipitation will begin to taper off by Monday evening leaving some lingering showers behind as the trough continues its southward drop. Snow levels will drop to right around 4k feet by Wednesday as models start to show this trough finally pushing through the region. QPF amounts drop off quite rapidly as this passage occurs. Near freezing temperatures return for the SJ valley starting Thursday with the possibility of dropping below freezing by the end of the week. Our next chance to see precipitation appears to be next weekend as models indicate another system beginning to drop southward. This next system does not appear to have the same tropical component as the current one, but chances of precipitation increase as we head into next weekend nonetheless. && .AVIATION... VFR Conditions are expected until 06Z Saturday when MVFR and IFR conditions are likely in areas with showers and mountain obscurations. && .AIR QUALITY ISSUES... ISSUED: 12/02/2022 13:48 EXPIRES: 12/03/2022 23:59 On Saturday December 3 2022,Fireplace/Wood Stove Burning Status is: No Burning Unless Registered in Fresno and Kern Counties. Burning Discouraged in Kings, Madera, Merced, and Tulare Counties, and Kern (Greater Frazier Park Area) and Sequoia National Park and Forest. && .CERTAINTY... The level of certainty for days 1 and 2 is high. 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 and/or to provide feedback. && .HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Storm Warning until 4 AM PST Monday for CAZ323-326>331. && JMC weather.gov/hanford
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 winter weather, 1 debris flow. Local standard time, as filed.
Several SNOTEL reports of an estimated 5 to 10 inches of new snowfall.
Several SNOTEL reports of an estimated 8 to 16 inches of new snowfall.
Several SNOTEL reports of an estimated 8 to 16 inches of new snowfall.
California Highway Patrol reported rocks in the roadway at the intersection of Ben Hur Road and Silver Bar Road.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in California, December 2022
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: 1059106, 1059107, 1059108, 1059109.