California, 2023

Cold in California, June 4, 2023

June 4, 2023 · NWS STO · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Melting snow brought unusually strong currents and cold water to area waterways in the month of June.

The toll

Deaths
1
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.

Melting snow brought unusually strong currents and cold water to area waterways in the month of June.

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 Sacramento, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 4, 12:44 PM PST, 2 hours 16 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 4, 12:44 PM PST, 2 hours 16 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Sacramento CA
144 PM PDT Sun Jun 4 2023

.SYNOPSIS...
Shower/thunderstorm chances over the mountains will continue
becoming more extensive beginning Monday. Temperatures will be
above average today, then cooler weather returns.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
High pressure over the area is peaking today with temperatures
becoming the warmest today. Normally these temperatures are not a
big deal this time of year but we have been fortunate having
cooler than normal temperatures this late in the season. Peoples
bodies are still adjusting to the warmer temperatures.

A low pressure area currently well southwest of the area and off
the coast of Southern California is also moving closer to the
Southern California coast today. This will help to increase
moisture over the mountains and chances for showers and
thunderstorms to spread further north for the afternoon and
evening hours than compared to yesterday.

Monday and Tuesday the center of low will move to around Point
Conception. This will help to bring back the Delta Breeze and a
cooling trend. Currently the Delta Breeze looks like it may
become strong on Monday. Precipitable waters will continue to be
unusually high over the region so any organized thunderstorms
will be capable of producing an abundance of rainfall and
localized flooding probably through Wednesday. Most areas will see
some chances of showers or thunderstorms but the main focus will
be over the mountains and northern half of the Sacramento valley
mainly late Monday through Wednesday evening.

The combination of increased cloud cover, synoptic cooling from
weakening high pressure, and increased onshore flow will result
in a significant cooling trend for the entire area by Tuesday
with high temperatures returning to below normal.

Area waterways continue to run cold and fast as a consequence of
the melting Sierra snowpack. Be sure to exercise cold water safety
if you're near area waterways this weekend.

&&
.EXTENDED DISCUSSION (Thursday THROUGH Sunday)...

Closed upper low weakens and moves into Nevada on Thursday.
Another short wave trough is currently forecast to move over the
region Friday into the weekend. Threat of afternoon and evening
showers and thunderstorms will continue over the mountains and
possibly into the northern and central Sacramento Valley but
activity definitely favors the mountains. NBM forecasts near to
slightly below normal temperatures Thursday into Saturday, warming
to near normal Sunday.

&&

.AVIATION...

VFR conditions at TAF sites over the next 24 hours. Isolated
shower and thunderstorm chances (15-30% probability of
thunderstorm development) over the Sierra Nevada and southern
Cascades from 19Z-03Z today. Surface winds generally at or below
12 kts except in the vicinity of the Delta with southwesterly
wind gusts up to 20-25 kts after 00Z Monday.

&&

.STO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
None.
&&

Event by event

1 cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Cold/Wind Chill, Southern Sacramento Valley

When
June 4, 3:00 PM PST
Where
Southern Sacramento Valley forecast zone
Deaths
1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
Broadcast Media

A 15-year-old man drowned in the Sacramento River near Sand Cove Park on June 4th, with his body found on June 5th. Strong currents pulled him and 2 others downstream. A bystander in a boat nearby was able to rescue two. Warm weather was occurring with highs of 96 at downtown Sacramento, 94 at Sacramento Executive Airport reported. A Sacramento Fire Department Captain confirmed that high water levels with strong currents and cold water temperatures were observed during search efforts. Water temperatures in the general area at the time measured between 55 and 65 degrees. The cold water and strong currents were due to unusually heavy mountain snowmelt.

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

EventDateAgeSexWhereKind
Cold/Wind Chill, Southern Sacramento Valley2023-06-0415MaleIn WaterDirect

What these are

Cold/Wind Chill
Cold or wind chill below warning criteria that caused deaths, injuries or damage.

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, June 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1106205.