Warm and wet system brought periods of heavy rain with flooding. Snow levels were high, with 1 to 2 feet of snow accumulating above 6,500 feet, locally more on higher peaks.
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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.
Warm and wet system brought periods of heavy rain with flooding. Snow levels were high, with 1 to 2 feet of snow accumulating above 6,500 feet, locally more on higher peaks. Heavy rain on already saturated areas fell bringing additional roadway flooding, as well as local mudslides. Evacuations were ordered in San Joaquin County due to flooding. Thunderstorms with large hail, strong damaging winds and funnel clouds were reported. Strong winds gusting to 40 to 58 mph brought down trees and powerlines across the area, causing power outages.
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 Mar 19, 2:24 AM PST, 3 hours 36 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Sacramento CA 324 AM PDT Sun Mar 19 2023 .SYNOPSIS... A series of storms will move through Northern California through the week. This will bring periods of Valley rain, moderate mountain snow and gusty winds. && .Discussion... After a tranquil Saturday, the active weather pattern has returned to NorCal and will continue through the new week. The first in a series of storm systems is ushering Pacific moisture into California today, continuing tonight. Heavy snowfall is once again forecast for the Sierra Nevada where an additional foot can be expected to fall in the higher terrain today along with wind gusts reaching as high as 50 mph. Snow levels Sun/Mon morning are expected to remain in the 5000-6000 foot range with a 36 hour total of 1 to 2 feet of snow above 5500 feet heaviest near the crest. South winds will also increase to at least breezy levels with gusts of 25-35 mph up the Valley through Sunday night. Rainfall amounts through Monday morning look to be 0.25-1.00 of inch in the Valley and 0.50-2.00 foothills and mountains. After a brief lull in the precipitation Monday afternoon and night another Pacific storm system approaches California on Tuesday, continuing into Wednesday. Heaviest precipitation will remain south of highway 50, as the main moisture focus is over Central California. Current rainfall amounts range from less than a quarter inch over the far north to half and inch around Sacramento to around three quarters of an inch for the Northern San Joaquin Valley. This system may bring more rain than the first one for the southern portions of the forecast area. Winds look much weaker with this system. Snow levels will lower into the 3000-4000 foot range with an additional 1 foot for Donner Pass to 2 feet of snow over Tuolumne County above 4000 feet for the 48 hour period. Lighter accumulations are expected from Plumas County northward. Temperatures will remain abnormally cool throughout the first half of the week with Valley highs generally ranging from 55 to 60 degrees. && .EXTENDED DISCUSSION (Thursday THROUGH Sunday)... Ensembles and clusters favor continuing the cool and unsettled pattern across the region late this week into early next week. A couple more cold systems are indicated, the first on Friday followed by another early next week. GEFS is a little deeper than the EC ensemble with energy dropping further south into NorCal on Friday. Snow levels are forecast to be around 2500-3500 ft, and temperatures will be around 10-15 degrees below average. && .AVIATION... Deteriorating conditions today with widespread MVFR expected in the valley by 18Z, and widespread IFR/LIFR over the northern Sierra by 15Z. Areas southerly surface wind gusts 20-30 kts after 18Z. && .STO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Storm Warning until 10 AM PST Monday for West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada-Western Plumas County/Lassen Park. Winter Storm Watch from late Monday night through Wednesday morning for West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada-Western Plumas County/Lassen Park. &&
The Sacramento radar (KDAX), 79 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:00 UTC.
4 flood, 2 heavy snow, 2 hail, 1 funnel cloud, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center estimated 8 to 30 inches of storm total snow. Lower Lassen Peak reported 13.2 inches of snow over 72 hours.
The UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab reported storm total amounts of 15.5 inches of snow, Bear Valley Resort reported 17 inches of storm total snow, Dodge Ridge Summit reported 36 inches of storm total snow, Kirkwood reported 20 inches of storm total snow, Sierra-at-Tahoe reported 21 inches of storm total snow, and Sugar Bowl Resort reported 19 inches of storm total snow.
San Joaquin County Sheriff issued evacuation orders for 2 locations along the San Joaquin River starting on March 19, 2023. Those two locations include Airport Court, Manteca and Haven Acres Marina in Lathrop due to heavy rain and snowmelt. Evacuation orders were lifted on April 11, 2023.
California Highway Patrol reported mud across Zogg Mine Road from heavy rain, blocking the entire roadway.
California Highway Patrol reported 3 feet of water along the Interstate 5 southbound onramp at Highway 299.
Spotter SO-47 reported rotation in a funnel cloud near Leisure Town Road and Alamo Drive.
Strong straight-line winds downed multiple trees and utility poles near downtown Woodland. Sacramento International Airport reported a max gust of 46 mph. Time was estimated by radar.
California Highway Patrol reported 1 foot of water in the roadway.
The public reported hail, measured at 0.88 inches, associated with a thunderstorm.
The public reported 1 inch hail near Haille Road. The time was estimated by radar.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in California, March 2023
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: 1088541, 1088832, 1088835, 1088477, 1088478, 1088481, 1088487, 1088479, 1088482, 1088484.