High Wind — Central Sacramento Valley, California

2025-12-24 to 2025-12-25 · Central Sacramento Valley, California

Event narrative

Southerly wind gusts of 50 to 80 mph were observed in the central Sacramento Valley on December 24th and 25th. Oroville Municipal Airport recorded a max gust of 78 mph. The OPENSHAW RAWS measured a gust of 70 mph. Yuba County Airport measured a 67 mph gust. Beale Air Force Base measured a gust to 63 mph. Numerous downed trees, branches and powerlines were reported by California Highway Patrol.

Wider weather episode

A prolonged period of wet weather brought heavy snowfall and strong winds to the Sierra Nevada. Heaviest snowfall was observed from 12/24-12/26 when snow levels came down below the mountain passes. Snowfall measurements over the 12/24-12/26 timeframe were around 2-5 ft per Caltrans, Ski resorts, and UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab. Southerly wind gusts of 50-80 mph were observed as well across the Valley, foothills and mountains that resulted in numerous downed trees and thousands of power outages. There were also numerous reports of flooding in the lower elevations from heavy rain, including two fatalities and 3 injuries from vehicles that hydroplaned and crashed.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1307954. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.