The continuous impactful storms over the winter brought another round of rain and wind to Northwest California during the last day of the month.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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 EKA wrote it up.
The continuous impactful storms over the winter brought another round of rain and wind to Northwest California during the last day of the month.
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 Eureka, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 29, 5:28 AM PST, 1 hour 7 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
National Weather Service Eureka CA
528 AM PST Thu Feb 29 2024
.SYNOPSIS...A strong winter storm will impact the area today with
moderate to heavy rain showers along the north coast and strong wind
this morning. Heavy snow will begin to fall along high mountain
passes early this morning, and snow levels will continue to drop in
elevation through Saturday morning.
&&
.DISCUSSION...Current space pictures depict banded high cloud
associated with a cold front moving over the Oregon Coast early this
morning, backed by a broad area of open cellular cumulus stretching
from just offshore the PNW to the Gulf of Alaska. Latest surface obs
show the boundary of the cold front sliding down the southern Oregon
coastline at time of writing, with sharply dropping temperatures (of
nearly 10 degrees) occurring with the boundary's passage.
Additionally, radar imagery shows a band of heavier precip
sliding southward down the coast with this boundary, with more
broken and showery precip behind this feature. This boundary is
forecast to progress across NWRN CA this morning, with the latest
hires guidance showing it exiting to the SE by early this
afternoon.
The boundary passage this morning marks the beginning of impacts
from a large trough over the NEPAC. Winds are expected to peak this
morning with its passage, with gusts in Humboldt and Del Norte
hitting around 40 to 55 mph...while some isolated mountain peaks may
see gusts in the mid 60 mph range. Winds sharply decrease and turn
westerly behind the front, with obs downstream of the front
reporting gusts in the 15 to 30 mph range this morning. The winds
today will likely be the strongest/most organized of the system over
the next few days, although gusty conditions likely continue with
additional waves of convective showers.
Snow levels ahead of this morning's front are running around 5000
ft. A majority of the precip with this front looks to be falling
ahead of the front, within this warmer air and higher snow levels.
Snow levels are forecast to sharply fall behind the front today to
around 2 to 3 kft, possibly reaching around 1500 ft in Del Norte by
this evening. Due to the convective nature of the precip behind this
morning's front, these snow levels will likely fluctuate this
afternoon through the rest of this event, but are expected to slowly
trend lower from this afternoon through this weekend. In any case,
travel impacts are expected to begin this afternoon for highway
passes in Humboldt, Del Norte and Trinity counties (on highways 199,
299, 36, and 3). Snow levels continue to fall Thursday night, with 1
to 4 inches is expected as low as Weaverville.
A second, colder, cold front will move across the area during the
day on Friday. This will bring another round of enhanced winds,
though latest guidance depicts that it should be brief and remain
sub-advisory (gusts below 45 mph). Snow levels will fall further
Friday afternoon through early Saturday morning, reaching as low as
500 to 1500 feet with the lowest snow levels toward the northeast.
This feature is forecast to bring accumulating snow to valley bottom
in Trinity county, as well as to high elevations of highway 20 in
Mendocino and Lake and along Highway 101 in northern Humboldt and
northern Mendocino. These lower elevation passes can expect 6 to 12
inches of snow, while high elevation passes receive an additional
one to two feet of snow. NBM shows a 30 to 60% chance of 1 to 3
inches of snow as low as Clear Lake and similar probabilities of
trace amounts of snow as low as Blue Lake in Humboldt. Consistent
onshore flow is expected to keep surface temps too warm for snow on
the coast, however low freezing levels and building instability will
contribute to widespread and accumulating small hail along the
coast, especially Friday evening. Small hail can create treacherous
driving conditions even at sea level.
Calmer weather is expected with only lingering showers Sunday into
Monday. Calm weather likely won't last long, however, with another
cold, albeit weaker system, expected mid next week. at the moment,
most of the impacts of that system seem to be restricted to Trinity
County, though snow already appears possible at valley floors.
/JHW/TDJ
&&
.AVIATION...Winds and rain will advance through the region into early
this evening as a cold front moves from northwest to southeast. The
strongest gusts are occurring at KCEC just before sunrise and will
progress to KACV by mid morning. Gusts from 40 to 50 knots are still
possible by sunrise at KCEC. Gusts to 30 knots are possible at KACV
by mid morning and gusts from 20 to 25 knots will be possible at
KUKI by this afternoon. Low-level wind shear could also be a threat
at all terminals through this period. Heavier rain is expected to
move through bringing MVFR to IFR conditions as the front
progresses. Periods of rain are expected to last through the TAF
period.
&&
.MARINE...A cold front will continually move through the marine zones
into mid morning. As a result, southerly winds will continue to be
elevated this morning with a narrow band of sustained gale force
winds and widespread gale force gusts. Winds will become more
southwesterly with moderate to strong breezes through tomorrow. A
slight increase in the winds is expected tomorrow afternoon and some
isolated gale gusts are possible with this. Winds are then expected
to diminish into this weekend. Early next week another round of
southerly winds is expected with another front. A significant wind
wave response combined with a large WNW swell will fill in by
tomorrow and produce combined wave heights around 20 feet. Steep and
hazardous seas will continue through the weekend.
&&
.EKA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CA...
High Wind Warning until 7 AM PST this morning for CAZ101-
102.
Winter Storm Warning until 10 AM PST Friday for CAZ102.
Winter Storm Watch from Friday morning through late
Saturday night for CAZ102-104>108-110-111-114.
Wind Advisory until 10 AM PST this morning for CAZ103.
High Wind Warning until 10 AM PST this morning for
CAZ104>106.
Winter Weather Advisory from 4 PM this afternoon to 10 AM
PST Friday for CAZ104.
Winter Storm Warning from 10 AM this morning to 10 AM PST
Friday for CAZ105-106.
Winter Storm Warning until 10 AM PST Friday for CAZ107-108.
Wind Advisory until 4 PM PST this afternoon for CAZ110-111-
114.
Winter Storm Warning from 4 PM this afternoon to 10 AM PST
Friday for CAZ111-114.
Winter Storm Watch from Friday evening through late
Saturday night for CAZ113-115.
Wind Advisory from 7 AM this morning to 4 PM PST this
afternoon for CAZ115.
NORTHWEST CALIFORNIA COASTAL WATERS...
Gale Warning until 9 AM PST this morning for PZZ450-455-470-
475.
Hazardous Seas Warning from 9 AM to 9 PM PST Friday for
PZZ450-455-475.
Hazardous Seas Warning from 9 PM this evening to 9 PM PST
Friday for PZZ470.
&&
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For forecast zone information
see the forecast zone map online:
https://www.weather.gov/images/eka/zonemap.pngPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Eureka CA
542 AM PST Thu Feb 29 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0440 AM Non-Tstm Wnd Dmg Smith River 41.93N 124.14W
02/29/2024 Del Norte CA Utility Company
Power outage effecting about 1000 customers.
&&
JHWThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Tree down partially blocking highway 101 north of Trinidad.
Tree down blocking part of highway 199.
Tree down blocking Shelter Cove Rd.
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, February 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: 1165508, 1165509, 1165510.