An upper trough moved eastward across central California on March 4 and March 5. This system produced snow at elevations down to 2000 feet with some higher elevation SNOTELS north of Kings Canyon picking up between a foot and 2 feet of new snowfall.
Every event with a place to put it; 5 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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 HNX wrote it up.
An upper trough moved eastward across central California on March 4 and March 5. This system produced snow at elevations down to 2000 feet with some higher elevation SNOTELS north of Kings Canyon picking up between a foot and 2 feet of new snowfall. Thunderstorms broke out in the San Joaquin Valley during the afternoon and evening of March 5 producing widespread nuisance flooding and small hail. In addition, outflow gusts from some of the thunderstorms downed some trees.
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 Hanford, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 4, 1:32 AM PST, 8 hours 28 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Hanford CA 132 AM PST Sat Mar 4 2023 .SYNOPSIS... After a few days of dry but cold weather, a trough will move into and begin impacting the area today through Sunday night. The biggest impacts from this storm will be additional large amounts of snow in areas that have already been inundated with snow. Storm totals have increased and many northern mountain communities could see up four feet of snow. Alongside high snow totals, the system will bring rain to the San Joaquin Valley, with many areas seeing a quarter to a half inch of rain through Sunday night. After this storm moves out of the area on Monday morning, a break from precipitation and warmer temperatures could occur, but confidence in this is low due to model disagreement. && .DISCUSSION... After a much needed couple day break from precipitation, a trough will bring even more precipitation, mostly snow, to northern mountain communities that have already seen impressive snow amounts within the last couple weeks. The system looks to begin impacting these communities around 10am this morning and most precipitation will fall Saturday afternoon through Sunday afternoon. It will move out of the area completely by 4AM PST Monday morning. Snow levels will start at 3500 feet on Saturday afternoon before lowering to 2000 feet by Sunday morning and lowering further to 1000 feet by Sunday night. Some low elevation areas that could see a few inches of snow are Mariposa and Oakhurst. High winds will accompany the snow, which has led to a Winter Storm Warning valid from 10AM today to 4AM Monday, including a southern expansion of the warning due to updated snow totals. Snow amount totals have risen, so here are the latest probabilities that areas below will see 18 inches of snow or more: Yosemite Valley and Shaver Lake: 80-90 percent Tioga Pass and Mammoth Lakes: 40-50 percent Grant Grove and Lodgepole: 50-60 percent In addition to snow, the system will bring rain to much of the San Joaquin Valley, of which most will fall again between Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Much of the valley will see between a quarter of an inch to a half inch of rain. Bakersfield and the Grapevine are set to see less rain, up to a tenth of an inch. Once the system moves out of the area, it is possible we could see a break from precipitation and warmer temperatures, with high temperatures rising to the mid to high sixties by Saturday. Low temperatures could also rise to the low forties by Saturday. While this scenario would no doubt be appreciated, ensemble model guidance cannot come to agreement on what will happen mid to late next week, and therefore our forecasts at the moment are low confidence. && .AVIATION... Mountain obscuration due to heavy snow in the Sierra could result in MVFR to LFR conditions. Otherwise, VFR conditions will prevail across Central California for the next 24 hours. && .AIR QUALITY ISSUES... ISSUED: 03/03/2023 14:40 EXPIRES: 03/04/2023 23:59 None. && .CERTAINTY... The level of certainty for days 1 and 2 is medium. The level of certainty for days 3 through 7 is medium. Certainty levels include low...medium...and high. Please visit www.weather.gov/hnx/certainty.html for additional information and/or to provide feedback. && .HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Storm Warning from 10 AM this morning to 4 AM PST Monday for CAZ318-320-322>331. && public/aviation...Serrato PIO/IDSS...BS weather.gov/hanford
The San Joaquin Valley radar (KHNX), 146 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:36 UTC.
5 heavy snow, 2 thunderstorm wind, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
The Tenaya Lake SNOTEL (8150 feet) picked up an estimated 19 inches of new snowfall.
The Ostrander Lake SNOTEL (8200 feet) picked up an estimated 20 inches of new snowfall.
The Tuolumne Meadows SNOTEL (8600 feet) picked up an estimated 23 inches of new snowfall.
The Devil's Postpile SNOTEL (8004 feet) picked up an estimated 19 inches of new snowfall.
The West Woodchuck Meadow SNOTEL (9209 feet) picked up an estimated 19 inches of new snowfall.
California Highway Patrol reported a tree in the roadway on northbound SR 99 south of the Road 284 off ramp.
California Highway Patrol reported a tree on all lanes of Rd. 96.
An NWS employee noticed storm damage from a blown down tree next to his house where several tree branches were on the street and had destroyed a car.
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: 1075972, 1075973, 1075974, 1075975, 1075976, 1075963, 1075964, 1075965.