Winter Weather in Upper San Joaquin River, California

Several SNOTELs picked up an estimated 3 to 5 inches of new snowfall.

A strong low pressure system moved eastward across northern California during the evening of December 26 and the morning of December 27 spreading precipitation southward into central California. Much of the San Joaquin Valley picked up between a tenth and a quarter inch of rainfall by late morning of December 27 while areas from Fresno northward generally had a quarter to a half inch of rainfall while amounts

were less than a tenth of an inch south of Delano. Much of the Sierra foothills picked up between a half inch and an inch of rain while SNOTELs indicated an estimated 3 to 5 inches of new snowfall over the higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada above 6500 feet. This system also produced strong winds with widespread peak gusts exceeding 60 mph in the Mojave Desert Slopes and far south end of the Upper Sierra in Kern County during the morning of December 27. While the precipitation ended by late morning, the strong wind gusts continued through the evening before finally diminishing by the early morning of December 28.