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Heavy Snow in West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada, California

Heavy Snow January 2, 2026 – January 3, 2026 · West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada, California

What the National Weather Service wrote

Caltrans District 3 measured 1 to 3 feet of snow over 48 hours. Ski resorts in the Sierra measured 2 to 4 feet of snow over 72 hours. UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab measured 40.3 inches of snow. Chain controls and road closures were observed on Interstate 80 and Highway 50 with this.

The wider storm

An active weather pattern brought rounds of rain, mountain snow and gusty southerly winds from January 1st through January 5th. There were numerous flooding reports from moderate to heavy rain, along with some reports of mud and rock slides in the foothills. Ski resorts, Caltrans and the UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab measured 1 to 4 feet of heavy snow in the mountains. There was one fatality of a hiker who had gone missing with these storms. Gusty southerly winds of 35 to 50 mph were also observed at times.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 1308094. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

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