Near the end of March, a winter storm brought moderate to heavy snow to the mountains from March 27th to March 28th with periods of chain controls. Thunderstorms, rain, and gusty winds were also observed across interior northern California.
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.
Near the end of March, a winter storm brought moderate to heavy snow to the mountains from March 27th to March 28th with periods of chain controls. Thunderstorms, rain, and gusty winds were also observed across interior northern California.
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 Mar 27, 12:25 AM PST, 10 hours 35 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Sacramento CA 125 AM PDT Wed Mar 27 2024 .Synopsis... The first of two weather systems will arrive today into Thursday, bringing periods of mountain snow, rain, breezy winds, and thunderstorm chances. The second storm is expected Friday into Saturday morning, bringing similar Valley rain, but less mountain snow for the holiday weekend. Drier weather by the end of the weekend continuing into early next week. && .Discussion... Unsettled weather returns today, bringing mountain snow, rain, breezy winds, and potential for thunderstorms with it. Precipitation will begin later this morning over the Coastal Range and northern Sacramento Valley, spreading southeast over the northern Sierra by late morning/early afternoon, and eventually the remainder of the Valley. Moderate to heavy snow is expected overnight in the mountains at elevations above 5500 ft. To this point, a Winter Storm Warning was issued for areas above 5500 ft in the Sierra and southern Cascades from 11 AM Wednesday to 11 AM Thursday. Moderate to heavy snow and gusty winds are expected during this time period, with snow totals around 6 to 12 inches (2 ft at highest peaks). Based on the latest hires data, snowfall rates peak with 1-3"/hr begin around 6pm/8pm lasting through 4am/6am for I-80 and Highway 50 respectfully. While this is a low- end Warning event when looking at 24 hour snowfall totals, moderate travel impacts are still to be expected due to snow- covered roads, chain controls, and winds gusting up to 45 mph. Be sure to be prepared if you must travel during this time period! Pack your car with an extra flashlight, food, and water in case of an emergency. Digging into the probabilities...the National Blend of Models (NBM) is currently showing a 20 to 70% probability of at least 10 inches of snow above 5500 ft between Wednesday and Thursday. As for rainfall totals, the NBM is projecting somewhere between 0.25 inches (50 to 80% probability) and 0.5 inches (20 to 60% probability) for most of the Valley, with Shasta County, the foothills and mountains below snow levels expecting closer to 1 inch (30 to 90% probability) to 1.5 inches (25 to 65% probability). Given the cold front moves through tonight, instability will be limited, but there is a non-zero chance for a few embedded lightning strikes as the front moves through tonight. Following the front overnight tonight, expect a period of dry conditions before more isolated to scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms Thursday. The best thunderstorm chances (10-20% probability), will be primarily between I-80 and Redding in the Valley and foothills. Friday morning will see additional precipitation as two upper-level low pressure systems Fujiwara and dig along the CA coastline into the weekend. The models have been struggling with the evolution of these two system the last several days, but the latest forecast track of the phased/dominant circulation has shifted slightly further south, bringing the bulk of the upper level divergence across southern CA. As a result, the latest forecast has trended down some, and snow rates over the course of Friday will be less than those overnight tonight, generally less than 0.50-1"/hr. Even so, given that this weekend is also a holiday weekend and a larger number of people may try to travel, it is especially important to use caution if you must travel through the mountains. Currently, the NBM is predicting 20 to 50% probability of at least 6 inches of snow above 5000 ft on Friday, with some additional snow expected on Saturday. Friday rainfall totals of around 0.25 inches (30 to 80% probability) in the Valley and around 0.75 inches (20 to 70% probability) for the foothills and mountains. Additional thunderstorm chances (15 to 30% probability) are possible Saturday morning into the afternoon as the upper- low's center will be close to the Bay Area, allowing for showers and isolated thunderstorms mainly for the southern Sacramento Valley to San Joaquin Valley and surrounding foothills. // SP/Peters && .EXTENDED DISCUSSION (Sunday THROUGH Wednesday)... Upper low off the SoCal coast Sunday with secondary low over NV keeps a threat of showers and snow showers, mainly in the northern and eastern foothills and mountains. Upper ridging builds into the PacNW early next week with offshore flow over interior NorCal. This will result in dry weather with above normal high temperatures. Locally gusty north to east wind possible Monday and Tuesday, mainly in the northern and eastern foothills/mountains. && .AVIATION... In Central Vly, areas MVFR/IFR spreading from NW to SE aft 18z Tue. Areas Sly sfc wind up to 20 kts aft 18z Tue with lcl gusts up to 30 kts. In foothills and mtns, widespread MVFR/IFR with lcl LIFR spreading from NW to SE aft 18z Tue. Snow levels 5500-6500 today, lowering to 3500-4000 feet Thu morning. Areas S-SW sfc wind 15-25 kts with lcl gusts up to 40 kts or more over higher trrn aft 18z Tue. && .STO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Storm Warning from 11 AM this morning to 11 AM PDT Thursday for West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada-Western Plumas County/Lassen Park. &&
2 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
CoCoRaHS observer measured 0.5 inches of snow over 24 hours near Meadow Valley. The National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center estimated snow amounts of 3 to 12 inches over the same timeframe.
Caltrans reported snow amounts of 2 to 10 inches over 24 hours. Ski resorts reported snow amounts of 6 to 12 inches over the same timeframe. UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab measured 9.8 inches.
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, March 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: 1166346, 1166347.