California, 2022

Heavy Snow and High Wind in California, March 27 to 29, 2022

March 27 to 29, 2022 · NWS REV · 3 events in 2 counties and zones

A weather system fueled by a low end atmospheric river brought increased breezes Sunday, then notable cooling on Monday with increased chances for valley rain and mountain snow showers.

Where it happened

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.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
3

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 REV wrote it up.

A weather system fueled by a low end atmospheric river brought increased breezes Sunday, then notable cooling on Monday with increased chances for valley rain and mountain snow showers.

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 Reno, NV wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 27, 12:09 PM PST, 3 hours 51 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 27, 12:09 PM PST, 3 hours 51 minutes before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 high wind, 1 winter weather, 1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Mono

When
March 27, 4:00 PM PST to 5:00 PM PST
Where
Mono forecast zone
Measured
51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
37.939, -118.887 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Mesonet station (MTH01) located 0.9 S Mammoth Mountain (Mammoth) summit reported a wind gust of 59 mph.

Winter Weather, Greater Lake Tahoe Area

When
March 28, 6:00 AM PST to March 29, 6:00 AM PST
Where
Greater Lake Tahoe Area forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
38.935, -120.458 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A CoCoRaHS site 2.0 mi NW of Meyers in El Dorado county reported a 24 hr storm total snowfall amount of 1.0 inch.

Heavy Snow, Mono

When
March 28, 6:00 AM PST to March 29, 6:00 AM PST
Where
Mono forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
37.939, -118.887 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The public located at the Mammoth Mountain Ski Base (9000ft elevation) reported the 24hr storm total snowfall amount of 8.0 inches.

What these are

High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.
Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in California in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in California, March 2022

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1010648, 1010644, 1010645.