California, 2023

Winter Weather in California, April 2 to 3, 2023

April 2 to 3, 2023 · NWS STO · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Moderate snow added to an already heavy mountain snow-pack, bringing snow removal challenges for mountain highways, with travel delays and periods of chain controls. There were embedded thunderstorms with small hail in the foothills and heavy snow showers in the mountains.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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.

Moderate snow added to an already heavy mountain snow-pack, bringing snow removal challenges for mountain highways, with travel delays and periods of chain controls. There were embedded thunderstorms with small hail in the foothills and heavy snow showers in the mountains. After a long period of minor flooding in March, the San Joaquin River at Vernalis receded from flood stage at 0700 on April 4, dropping into Monitor Stage.

Event by event

1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada

When
April 2, 4:00 PM PST to April 3, 8:00 AM PST
Where
West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada forecast zone
Reported by
Department of Highways

Caltrans reported 10 inches of new snow at Castle Peak (7165 feet), 6 inches at Soda Springs (6819 feet) and 4 inches at Kingvale (6093 feet). UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab reported 6 inches (6894 feet). Sugar Bowl Ski Resort reported 9 inches of new snow at the summit (8383 feet). Sierra at Tahoe Ski resort reported 4 inches of new snow (8852 feet). Kirkwood Ski Resort reported 5 inches of new snow (7690 feet). The snow brought chain controls and delays on Interstate 80 and US Highway 50.

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 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in California, April 2023

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: 1095831.