California, 2024

Flooding and Winter Weather in California, January 21 to 22, 2024

January 21 to 22, 2024 · NWS HNX · 10 events in 10 counties and zones

Following the departure of a storm which brought light to moderate precipitation to the area between the morning of January 20 and the early afternoon of January 21, a second system moved through central California between the late evening of January 21 and the afternoon of January 22. This system produced three quarters to an inch and a half of rainfall over Merced County and a half inch to an…

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
10

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 HNX wrote it up.

Following the departure of a storm which brought light to moderate precipitation to the area between the morning of January 20 and the early afternoon of January 21, a second system moved through central California between the late evening of January 21 and the afternoon of January 22. This system produced three quarters to an inch and a half of rainfall over Merced County and a half inch to an inch of liquid precipitation the the Sierra Nevada with the snow level around 8000 feet. Much of the remainder of the San Joaquin Valley and the Tehachapi Mountains picked up between a half inch and an inch of rainfall which produced some localized flooding.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 winter weather, 3 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Yosemite Np Outside of the Valley

When
January 21, 10:00 PM PST to January 22, 4:00 PM PST
Where
Yosemite Np Outside of the Valley forecast zone
Reported by
SNOTEL
Coordinates
37.609, -119.874 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several SNOTEL stations picked up an estimated 4 to 8 inches of new snowfall.

Winter Weather, Upper San Joaquin River

When
January 21, 10:00 PM PST to January 22, 4:00 PM PST
Where
Upper San Joaquin River forecast zone
Reported by
SNOTEL
Coordinates
36.988, -119.706 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several SNOTEL stations picked up an estimated 4 to 8 inches of new snowfall.

Winter Weather, Kaiser to Rodgers Ridge

When
January 21, 10:00 PM PST to January 22, 4:00 PM PST
Where
Kaiser to Rodgers Ridge forecast zone
Reported by
SNOTEL
Coordinates
36.758, -119.649 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several SNOTEL stations picked up an estimated 4 to 8 inches of new snowfall.

Winter Weather, Kings Canyon Np

When
January 21, 10:00 PM PST to January 22, 4:00 PM PST
Where
Kings Canyon Np forecast zone
Reported by
SNOTEL
Coordinates
36.489, -119.224 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several SNOTEL stations picked up an estimated 4 to 8 inches of new snowfall.

Winter Weather, Grant Grove Area

When
January 21, 10:00 PM PST to January 22, 4:00 PM PST
Where
Grant Grove Area forecast zone
Reported by
SNOTEL
Coordinates
36.489, -119.224 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several SNOTEL stations picked up an estimated 4 to 8 inches of new snowfall.

Winter Weather, Sequoia Np

When
January 21, 10:00 PM PST to January 22, 4:00 PM PST
Where
Sequoia Np forecast zone
Reported by
SNOTEL
Coordinates
36.220, -118.800 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several SNOTEL stations picked up an estimated 4 to 8 inches of new snowfall.

Winter Weather, South End of the Upper Sierra

When
January 21, 10:00 PM PST to January 22, 4:00 PM PST
Where
South End of the Upper Sierra forecast zone
Reported by
SNOTEL
Coordinates
35.782, -118.765 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several SNOTEL stations picked up an estimated 4 to 8 inches of new snowfall.

Flood, Mariposa

When
January 22, 5:47 AM PST to 8:47 AM PST
Where
Mariposa County, 0.74 mi NNE of Briceburg to 0.77 mi NNE of Briceburg
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
37.610, -119.964

California Highway Patrol reported multiple rocks on the roadway on SR 140 near Briceburg.

Flood, Merced

When
January 22, 6:25 AM PST to 9:25 AM PST
Where
Merced County, 3.16 mi N of Snelling to 3.2 mi N of Snelling
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
37.566, -120.427

California Highway Patrol reported flooding on SR 59 with two vehicles spun out near Fields Rd.

Flood, Kern

When
January 22, 9:53 AM PST to 12:53 PM PST
Where
Kern County, 4.81 mi NE of Delano Airport to 4.37 mi NE of Delano Airport
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
35.790, -119.160

California Highway Patrol reported Reed Rd. was closed due to flooding between County Line Rd. and Cecil Ave.

What these are

Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.
Flood
Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in California in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in California, January 2024

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1148866, 1148867, 1148868, 1148869, 1148870, 1148871, 1148872, 1148863, 1148864, 1148865.