An atmospheric river brought mountain snow and valley rain to much of Inyo County, causing flood impacts in Death Valley and surrounding areas.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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 VEF wrote it up.
An atmospheric river brought mountain snow and valley rain to much of Inyo County, causing flood impacts in Death Valley and surrounding areas.
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 Las Vegas, NV wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 3, 1:54 AM PST, 1 hour 6 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Las Vegas NV 154 AM PST Sat Jan 3 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... * Patchy fog will remain possible across parts of the Mojave Desert this morning with locally reduced visibility. * Heavy snow will return to the Sierra Saturday and Sunday with snow totals exceeding a foot above 8500 feet. * Unsettled weather will persist across the Western U.S. through the week with periods of breezy conditions and additional rounds of light rain and mountain snow. && .DISCUSSION...through next weekend. Current satellite imagery shows low clouds over Mohave, Clark, and Lincoln counties. Surface observations indicate temperatures within a few degrees of dew points and surface visibilities under one mile at Kingman. Given this conducive environment for fog development and reports of low visibility, have issued a Dense Fog Advisory for parts of Mohave County including Kingman through most of the morning. High clouds over the remainder of the southern Great Basin and southeastern California should hinder fog development in these areas. Light precipitation is on track to spread into the area today and tomorrow as moisture advects in along southwesterly flow. Most of this should be in the form of light rain and have little impact to the area. The greater concern is heavier snow in the Sierra where lift and moisture will be the greatest. Given the warm subtropical nature of this moisture, snow levels will start off around 8000 feet today, then lower to around 6500 feet by tomorrow as heights aloft fall with the incoming low. Moderate to Major winter storm impacts are expected in the Eastern Sierra including Aspendell and a Winter Storm Warning remains in effect through early Monday morning. Additional disturbances will move across the area through midweek. A trough will drop into the western United States during the second half of the week. This change should bring colder temperatures and lower snow levels, although precipitation should remain fairly light given the dry continental track of the system. Afterwards, dry northwesterly flow takes hold by next weekend. && .AVIATION...For Harry Reid...For the 06Z Forecast Package...SCT low clouds will persist into the early morning hours with some isolated CIGs around 3kft possible at times. There remains a low probability of fog and will leave it out of the current TAF, but some isolated areas in lower spots can not be completely ruled out. Expect to see mid and high level clouds increase after 09Z with SCT clouds around 12k feet which will continue to increase Saturday morning and become BKN by afternoon. Winds will remain light and diurnal through the TAF period. There will be an increase in shower chances late Saturday afternoon, but should still remain isolated. For the rest of southern Nevada, northwestern Arizona and southeastern California...For the 06Z Forecast Package...FEW-SCT clouds around 020-030kft will into the early morning hours along with a few patchy areas of fog. At this time, fog does not look to impact any TAF sites and will leave out of the TAF forecast. Increasing mid and high level clouds overnight ahead of the next system that will bring isolated to scattered showers to the region Saturday afternoon. The rain/snow chances will remain highest in the Sierra and Owens Valley Saturday where lower CIGS and visibility reductions are likely. Winds will remain light and diurnal through the TAF period. && .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...Spotters are encouraged to report any significant weather or impacts according to standard operating procedures. && DISCUSSION...Meltzer AVIATION...Gorelow For more forecast information...see us on our webpage: https://weather.gov/lasvegas or follow us on Facebook and Twitter
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 flash flood, 1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Event snow totals ranged between 15 and 20 inches at several SNOTELs in the Eastern Sierra.
California Highway Patrol reported a vehicle stuck in mud and rocks over CA 190 near Towne Pass.
Heavy rain caused flash flooding with rock and mud on the roadway near Zabriskie Point.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in California, January 2026
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: 1315029, 1315040, 1315037.