A storm system brought heavy snow to the Sierra Nevada and southern Cascades. Reports of 15 to 44 inches of new snow were received in the northern Sierra, with heavy snow reported down to around 3000 feet in the southern Cascades.
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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 STO wrote it up.
A storm system brought heavy snow to the Sierra Nevada and southern Cascades. Reports of 15 to 44 inches of new snow were received in the northern Sierra, with heavy snow reported down to around 3000 feet in the southern Cascades. Northbound Interstate 5 was closed 10 miles north of Fawndale for approximately 5 hours on the night of the 7th and again for about 4 hours on the 8th due to winter weather conditions. During the event, chain controls were in place on Interstate 5, Interstate 80, US Highway 50 and other mountain highways. A brief EF-0 tornado was confirmed 4 miles north northwest of Galt on the morning of the 8th, with minor damage reported.
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 Nov 6, 3:23 PM PST, 3 hours 37 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Sacramento CA 323 PM PST Sun Nov 6 2022 .SYNOPSIS... Occasional rain and high elevation snow continues over the mountains today. Widespread rain and heavy mountain snow arrives this evening, along with gusty winds, and persists into the middle of the week. Drier conditions return by mid-week with morning frost. && .DISCUSSION... Quiet conditions prevail this afternoon with some light showers across portions of the Sierra and Shasta County. Southerly surface pressure gradients have begun to tighten this afternoon as the next cold front approaches. Stronger wind gusts will develop this evening, especially across the northern half of the Sacramento Valley, where gusts up to 40-45 mph will be possible until about midnight. A Wind Advisory remains in effect from 4 PM this afternoon to midnight PST tonight. A cold and unsettled pattern will take hold tonight and into early this week as a strong winter storm brings widespread moderate to heavy precipitation. Hi-Res models show the main precipitation band gradually spreading southward across the area overnight into Monday morning. Cannot rule out some embedded lightning as the main band moves through. Heavy snow will develop across the NorCal mountains this evening and continue into Monday morning, then lighter snow is expected Monday afternoon before a second round of heavy snow moves in Monday night into Tuesday. NBM and HREF highlight a period of enhanced snowfall rates after midnight tonight that may approach 1-3" per hour. Snow levels will lower to around 3-4k ft by Monday morning. Total snow accumulations of 1 to 4 feet, locally up to 5 feet, are expected tonight through Tuesday evening above 4000 feet. Combined with gusty southwest winds, severe winter weather conditions are expected resulting in several days of very difficult driving conditions over the higher passes. A Winter Storm Warning remains in effect from 7 pm PST today to 4 AM PST Wednesday for the northern Sierra and southern Cascades above 4000 feet. Thunderstorm chances still remain favorable for the Valley and adjacent foothills Monday and Tuesday afternoons. Small accumulating hail, gusty winds and brief heavy rain will be possible. Cannot rule out funnel clouds given adequate speed and directional shear. Model guidance keeps rainfall rates below debris flow thresholds. Lingering showers are expected into Wednesday afternoon, mainly over the mountains. Then, dry weather returns to interior NorCal. Clearing skies and lighter winds will allow for colder temperatures in the Valley Wednesday night with areas of frost. Valley lows could range from the low to upper 30s. && .EXTENDED DISCUSSION (Thursday THROUGH Sunday)... Dry weather returns to interior NorCal Thursday as ensemble and cluster analysis show upper level ridging moving through. Areas of frost possible in the Valley Thursday and Friday mornings, with Valley lows ranging from the low to upper 30s. Unsettled weather conditions may return late in the forecast period as a weather system approaches from the west. At this time, NBM guidance suggests precipitation spreading into the region as early as Friday. However, clusters still show significant uncertainty regarding timing and strength. && .AVIATION... Surface winds 12-18 kts with gusts up to 25 kts. 00z-12z Monday, gusts up to 35-45 kts possible in the northern Sacramento Valley and adjacent foothills and up to 55-65 kts over the Sierra. Rain and heavy mountain snow possible after 03-06z Monday with snow levels lowering to 3500-4500 ft by 12z Monday. Areas of MVFR/IFR conditions with isolated LIFR in the mountains with precipitation. && .STO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Storm Warning from 7 PM this evening to 4 AM PST Wednesday for Burney Basin / Eastern Shasta County-Shasta Lake Area / Northern Shasta County-West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada- Western Plumas County/Lassen Park. Wind Advisory until midnight PST tonight for Central Sacramento Valley-Northeast Foothills/Sacramento Valley-Northern Sacramento Valley-Western Plumas County/Lassen Park. &&
The Sacramento radar (KDAX), 37 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:40 UTC.
6 winter storm, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Central Sierra Snow Lab observed 5.7 of new snow on the 7th, 10.6 on the 8th, and 17.9 on the 9th, for a total of 34.2.
CalTrans District 2 reported via Twitter that northbound Interstate 5 was closed 10 miles north of Fawndale for approximately 5 hours on the night of the 7th and again for about 4 hours on the 8th due to winter weather conditions.
Bear Valley Ski Resort reported 6 of new snow on the 7th, 6 on the 8th, and 24 on the 9th for a total of 36. Dodge Ridge Ski Resort reported 12 of new snow on the 7th, 8 on the 8th, and 24 on the 9th for a total of 44. Kirkwood Ski Resort reported 4 of new snow on the 7th, 9 on the 8th, and 20 on the 9th for a total of 33. Sierra at Tahoe Ski Resort reported a total of 42. Sugar Bowl Ski Resort reported 5 of new snow on the 7th, 10 on the 8th, and 13 on the 9th for a total of 28.
CalTrans District 3 at Kingvale reported 6 of new snow on the 7th, 11 on the 8th, and 16 on the 9th for a total of 33. At Castle Peak, they reported 7 of new snow on the 7th, 9 on the 8th, and 15 on the 9th for a total of 31. At Soda Springs, they reported 6 of new snow on the 7th, 8 on the 8th, and 13 on the 9th for a total of 27. Chain controls were in effect through much of the event on Interstate 80 and US Highway 50, with significant delays reported.
Lower Lassen Peak reported 9 of new snow on the 7th, 9 on the 8th, and 16 on the 9th for a total of 34. Travel was impacted on mountain roads with chain controls and delays.
Shingeltown 5.3ENE reported 2.6 of new snow on the 7th, 5 on the 8th, and 13 on the 9th for a total of 20.6. Travel was impacted on upper foothill roads with chain controls and delays.
A weak tornado touched down near Highway 99 and Arno Rd., about 4 miles NNW of Galt. The California Highway Patrol reported a tin roof from a barn blown off and downed powerlines over Arno Rd. and a bus had windows blown out. Maximum estimated wind speeds were 70 mph. Path length was approximately 0.8 miles, path width 400 yards, |from preliminary information.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for California, 2022Warnings in California, November 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: 1066483, 1066497, 1066507, 1066517, 1066535, 1066537, 1062971.