The third in a series of significant winter storms brought heavy mountain snow, moderate to heavy rain and strong southerly winds to interior northern California from March 15th through March 17th. Numerous down trees and powerlines were reported, especially up in Shasta and Tehama counties.
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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.
The third in a series of significant winter storms brought heavy mountain snow, moderate to heavy rain and strong southerly winds to interior northern California from March 15th through March 17th. Numerous down trees and powerlines were reported, especially up in Shasta and Tehama counties. Thunderstorms brought hail up to 1 inch in size in the mountains. A funnel cloud was reported in Stanislaus County as well. Interstate 80 Westbound was closed from Blue Canyon to Truckee due to low visibility and multiple spinouts and crashes during the heavy snowfall.
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 15, 12:29 PM PST, 10 hours 31 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Sacramento CA 129 PM PDT Sat Mar 15 2025 .SYNOPSIS... Snow showers are possible over the mountains today, with accumulating snow over the Shasta County mountains. Sunday into Monday, expect more widespread mountain snow with periods of moderate to major travel impacts expected. Strong gusty winds are expected, especially for the northern Sacramento Valley and northeast foothills. && .DISCUSSION... Current radar analysis reveals mostly light snow showers present in the Shasta County mountains this afternoon. Activity is expected to increase in coverage in the aforementioned mountains later this afternoon and continue throughout the evening and overnight hours. A Winter Storm Warning has been issued for elevations above 4000 feet for Shasta County from 11 AM this morning through 11 PM Sunday, with 6 to 12 inches of snow accumulation and up to 2 feet over peaks. Some light rain showers may extend into the northern and central Sacramento Valley today, with generally dry conditions farther south. High temperatures this afternoon will remain about 6 to 12 degrees below normal. Our next widespread winter storm system arrives Sunday and continues through early Tuesday bringing more rain, mountain snow, and strong southerly winds. Strong winds aloft are forecast to mix down to the surface, with ensembles showing the potential for 65 mph gusts (60-80% probability) over the northeastern foothills, with gusts up to 50 to 60 mph (50-70% probability) over the northern Sacramento Valley. A High Wind Warning continues for the area from 11 PM Sunday until 11 PM Monday. A Wind Advisory continues for the Central Sacramento Valley, portions of the southern Sacramento Valley, and adjacent foothills for gusts 40 to 50 mph, also from 11 PM Sunday until 11 PM Monday. Ensemble guidance continues to show high probability of heavy snow in the southern Cascades and northern Sierra. A Winter Storm Warning has been issued for above 4500 feet for the southern Cascades from 11 AM Sunday to 11 PM Monday, and from 5 PM Sunday to 11 PM Monday for the northern Sierra. Snowfall amounts of 1 to 2 feet are expected, with up to 3 feet over higher peaks. Around 6-10 inches of snow is expected for elevations between 4500-5000 feet. This could bring moderate to major mountain travel impacts. Afternoon thunderstorms are possible in clearing behind a cold frontal passage, with best potential over the eastern Valley and into the foothills. Latest probabilities moving into next week are as follows: Probability of Rain > 1" Late Sunday-Tuesday AM: 30-60% Valley/foothills, highest probs in the northern Sacramento Valley and foothills. Probability of Snow > 12" Late Sunday-Tuesday AM: 70-95% above 4500' Probability of Thunderstorms Monday: 20-30% It continues to look like most precipitation is expected to be coming to an end by very early Tuesday morning. Dry weather is expected for the rest of the day, with cold morning temperatures. The NBM projects near freezing for the northern Sacramento Valley, mid to upper 30s for the rest of the Valley, with areas of morning frost possible. && .EXTENDED DISCUSSION (Wednesday THROUGH Saturday)... A brief lull widespread activity is expected early Wednesday, then another PacNW trough is progged to dig into Oregon and Washington, which will slightly lower our heights and also re-introduce a shot of light precipitation for the region Wednesday night and into Thursday. Cluster analysis is relatively confident that most of the heavier precipitation impacts will remain north of our CWA. As that trough exits to our east on Thursday afternoon, ensembles are depicting another shortwave trough strengthening in the PacNW which will help keep our heights mostly flat, and allow for additional moisture to return to the area Friday and Saturday. As of now, most of the precipitation will be focused on portions of the northern Sacramento Valley, southern Cascades, and the Sierra. Slight changes in the trough's intensity will alter the forecast, however Clusters are confident in this general flat, zonal height pattern. High temperatures will generally be in the low to mid 60s in the extended forecast period, with cooler 40s to mid 50s for our higher elevations. && .AVIATION... Mostly VFR conditions across the Valley today, except in the northern Sacramento Valley where MVFR/IFR conditions may develop from a weather system moving through the area, bringing light rain showers and snow showers to the Shasta County mountains. Strong southerly winds are expected to develop tomorrow around 06z Sunday and continue Sunday night, with southerly gusts up to around 50 kts along the I-5 corridor north of Chico. Elsewhere, gusts up to 40 knots will be possible in the central/southern Sacramento Valley and Delta. Mountain wind gusts up to 60 knots are also expected. && .STO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Storm Warning until 11 PM PDT Sunday for Shasta Lake Area / Northern Shasta County-West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada- Western Plumas County/Lassen Park. High Wind Warning from 11 PM this evening to 11 PM PDT Sunday for Northeast Foothills/Sacramento Valley-Northern Sacramento Valley. Wind Advisory from 11 PM this evening to 11 PM PDT Sunday for Central Sacramento Valley-Motherlode-Mountains Southwestern Shasta County to Western Colusa County-Southern Sacramento Valley. &&
The San Francisco radar (KMUX), 115 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:17 UTC.
2 high wind, 2 heavy snow, 2 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind, 1 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.
Redding Municipal Airport measured a max wind gust of 62 mph. Numerous downed trees and powerlines were reported across Shasta and Tehama counties.
Bluff Springs and Flea Mountain PGE weather stations measured wind gusts of 58 and 68 mph respectively. Power outages were reported in the area.
CalTrans reported 11-22 inches from March 16th to March 18th from 5000 to 7200 feet with ski resorts reporting 10-23 inches for the same time frame. The California Highway Patrol closed I-80 Westbound from Blue Canyon to Truckee due to low visibility and multiple spinouts and crashes.
Nearby CoCoRaHS sites at 5000 feet reported 4 inches of snow, with the National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center estimated 8 to 12 inches of snow from 5000 to 7000 feet from March 16th to March 18th.
There were around 100 almond trees uprooted during a thunderstorm on March 17. It has been determined from a review of radar and damage photos that the event was due to straight line winds, estimated at 70 mph.
A public report of a funned cloud in southern Stanislaus County was relayed by NWS Hanford, with the location and time approximated.
A trained spotter reported hail about the size of pennies covering roadways.
There was 1 inch hail reported at the school in Kirkwood. The California Highway Patrol also reported hail covering nearby Interstate 5.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in California, March 2025
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: 1248978, 1248980, 1246951, 1246967, 1246978, 1246975, 1246976, 1246977.