Heavy Snow — West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada, California

2025-02-03 to 2025-02-05 · West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada, California

Event narrative

Caltrans District 3 measured 15 to 20 inches of snow along Interstate 80 from February 3rd through February 5th above 5500 feet. UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab measured 25 inches of heavy snow over the same timeframe. Ski resorts in the area measured 1 to 3 feet of snow. The National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center estimated 1 to 3 feet of snow above 5500 feet with 4 feet at the higher peaks. Interstate 80 was closed in both directions for about 5 hours from Nyack to Truckee due to a crash and icy roads.

Wider weather episode

A strong winter storm brought heavy mountain snow, moderate to heavy rain with river and roadway flooding, and gusty southerly winds February 3rd through 5th. Multiple feet of heavy snow were observed above 5000 feet, with 2 to 5 inches of rain observed in the Valley and foothills and southerly wind gusts of up to 50 mph. There were numerous reports of flooding in the Valley that led to multiple search and rescue efforts and prolonged road closures. Portions of Highway 99 were closed due to flooding, State Route 70 was closed from Greenville Wye to Jarbo Gap due to a slide, and Interstate 80 was closed in both directions for about 5 hours from Nyack to Truckee due to crashes and icy roads. There were also reports of numerous downed branches and trees across the area with associated power outages. Glenn County reported over 20 road closures across their area due to flooding and storm damage.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1237924. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.