Heavy Snow — West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada, California

2026-01-02 to 2026-01-03 · West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada, California

Event narrative

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.

Wider weather episode

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_id 1308094. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.