Lake-Effect Snow in California

1 lake-effect snow events since 2021

Every lake-effect snow event the National Weather Service has filed in California, year by year, with the most significant episodes. Heavy snow in bands downwind of a large lake as cold air crosses warmer water.

The most significant on the map

The most significant lake-effect snow episodes in California.

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

Open the live radar

The record

Events: 1
Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Damage: None recorded

Every year

The most significant

Ranked by deaths, injuries, damage and size together.

Lake-Effect Snow in California, October 11, 20211 eventThe favorable combination of northerly winds and cold-air instability further increased the potential for bands of moderate to heavy lake-effect snow showers downwind of Lake Tahoe Monday AM.

Lake-Effect Snow everywhere Every kind of event in California

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 2026-09-24.