Two bodies were recovered over an early August weekend due to cold-water drownings. The first was found on 8/3 in the American River at the Clay Banks near Rancho Cordova.
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.
Two bodies were recovered over an early August weekend due to cold-water drownings. The first was found on 8/3 in the American River at the Clay Banks near Rancho Cordova. A man in his 30s went underwater and never resurfaced. He was not wearing a life jacket. The second male was found on 8/4 in the Sacramento River, 1 mile south of Garcia Bend in the Pocket neighborhood. He went underwater and never resurfaced. A third body was recovered on 8/6 on the Stanislaus River near Salida, CA. Emergency personnel responded to a report of a distressed person in the water. The body of a 26 year old male was found, and lifesaving measures were attempted but he was later pronounced deceased.
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 Aug 3, 12:40 AM PST, 11 hours 10 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Sacramento CA 140 AM PDT Sat Aug 3 2024 .SYNOPSIS... Monsoonal moisture will bring isolated thunderstorms over higher terrain through Saturday afternoon. Sprinkles or light rain will be possible elsewhere. Above normal temperatures will continue through mid week next week. && .Discussion... A push of monsoonal moisture continues making it way across California, though GOES West satellite imagery reveals an end to the plume of moisture is somewhat near as drier air covers the southern half of California tonight. Until then, sprinkles remain possible across the Valley through this afternoon, with a chance for thunderstorms (20 to 35% probability) over higher terrain in the Sierra during the same time period. By Sunday, most if not all of the moisture plume should have moved out from interior NorCal, leaving Sunday with largely diminished chances and areal coverage for chances of thunderstorms; currently the NBM has a 10-20% probability of thunderstorms south of HWY 50 on Sunday along the Sierra crest. By Monday, thunderstorm chances are more or less non- existent at this point. Otherwise, the forecast remains largely unchanged, with above normal temperatures expected over the weekend and into early next week. Valley highs will generally be between the high 90s and low 100s, with higher elevations seeing temperatures between the 80s and high 90s, with some locations in the foothills reaching low triple digits as well. && .EXTENDED DISCUSSION (Wednesday THROUGH Saturday)... The remainder of next week also looks to have temperatures remain above normal as an upper level ridge builds back into the area. The ridging looks to be fairly broad and a bit further west, which should keep any further monsoonal moisture away for the most part. HeatRisk looks to remain moderate on Wednesday with temperatures around the low 100s in the Valley. Thursday into Friday, the ridging pattern broadens further and peaks slightly further east, allowing heights to lower over interior NorCal and temperatures to come down slightly as well. As such, HeatRisk Thursday and beyond looks to be more and more Minor in coverage, with some remaining areas of Moderate HeatRisk in the foothills and portions of the Valley. && .AVIATION... VFR conditions next 24 hours over interior NorCal. Potential for local MVFR in hz/fu in vicinity of Park Fire. Winds generally 12 kts of less with gusts up to 20 kts in vicinity of the Delta. Isolated mountain showers and thunderstorms possible through next 24 hours. && .STO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. &&
3 cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.
On August 3rd just before noon, a man in his 30s went underwater on the American River at Clay Banks near Rancho Cordova and never resurfaced. His body was discovered around 4:30 PM in the afternoon several hundred yards downstream.
On August 4th, a man's body was found in the Sacramento River, 1 mile south of Garcia Bend in the Pocket neighborhood. He went underwater and never resurfaced. The body was located by bystanders on a boat.
A report of a distressed person in the water on the Stanislaus River near Salida, CA was received around 7:45 PM. By 8:18 PM, the body of a 26-year old male was recovered. Lifesaving measures were attempted by first responders, but he was later pronounced deceased.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cold/Wind Chill, Southern Sacramento Valley | 2024-08-03 | Male | In Water | Direct | |
| Cold/Wind Chill, Southern Sacramento Valley | 2024-08-04 | Male | In Water | Direct | |
| Cold/Wind Chill, Northern San Joaquin Valley | 2024-08-06 | 26 | Male | In Water | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in California, August 2024
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: 1208482, 1208483, 1208484.