California, 2024

Heavy Snow in California, March 22 to 24, 2024

March 22 to 24, 2024 · NWS STO · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

A winter storm brought moderate to heavy mountain snow, thunderstorms, rain and gusty winds from March 22nd through March 24th. A brief funnel cloud was observed in Solano County.

Where it happened

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  • 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
3

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 STO wrote it up.

A winter storm brought moderate to heavy mountain snow, thunderstorms, rain and gusty winds from March 22nd through March 24th. A brief funnel cloud was observed in Solano County. Periods of chain controls were observed in the mountains.

The radar

The Sacramento radar (KDAX), 44 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:12 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 heavy snow, 1 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada

When
March 22, 12:00 PM PST to March 24, 8:00 AM PST
Where
West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada forecast zone
Reported by
Department of Highways

Caltrans reported storm total snow amounts of around 1 to 2 feet, with 18 inches at Kingvale, 11 inches at Camp Connell, 16 inches at Cabbage Patch, and 23 inches at Highway 207 Summit over 48 hours. Ski resorts reported storm total snow amounts of 12 to 30 inches over the same timeframe. UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab reported snow amounts of 20.3 inches.

Heavy Snow, Mt Shasta/Western Plumas County

When
March 22, 12:00 PM PST to March 24, 8:00 AM PST
Where
Mt Shasta/Western Plumas County forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS

CoCoRaHS near Shingletown reported 3.5 inches of snow in 24 hours at 3980 feet, and CoCoRaHS near Meadow Valley reported 5 inches of snow in 24 hours at 4380 feet. The automatic sensor at Lower Lassen Peak reported storm total snow amounts of 19 inches over 48 hours. The National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center estimated 6 to 30 inches of snow over the same timeframe.

Funnel Cloud, Solano

When
March 23, 12:14 PM PST to 12:20 PM PST
Where
Solano County, 4.39 mi SE of Suisun City
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
38.180, -121.980

Trained Spotter SO82 reported a brief funnel cloud with a cell near Grizzly Island.

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
Funnel Cloud
A rotating column of cloud extending from a thunderstorm that did not reach the ground.

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, March 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: 1166338, 1166340, 1166335.