January 2008 Western North American Storm Complex - Meteorological Synopsis

Meteorological Synopsis

The strong low pressure system responsible for much of the extreme weather (this was actually a series of three storms) traversed much of the Pacific Ocean before the first main wave arrived late on January 3, with the final major band of snow and rain affected much of the Pacific Coast from British Columbia to northern Mexico with precipitation continuing well into January 4 before weakening east of the Rockies. Heavy rain downpours, heavy snow and fierce winds lashed the west coast of most of California, beginning January 4, 2008. For January 4 and 5, general rainfall was around 2 inches (51 mm) of rain in Oregon and Utah, while nearly 4 inches (100 mm) fell over parts of Nevada and as much as 10 inches (250 mm) in parts of California. Snowfall amounts for those two days reached as much as 70 inches (1,800 mm) in Blackcap Basin in California while many mountain regions of California, Nevada and Idaho received between 1 and 5 feet (1.5 m) of snow. On the afternoon of January 6, Kirkwood Ski Resort reported 10 feet (3.0 m) of snow in 48 hours with a storm total of 11 feet. Widespread hurricane-force wind gusts were reported across most western states with winds reaching speeds of 100 mph (160 km/h) or more. The highest reported wind gusts were 165 mph (260 km/h) in Tahoe City, California. Waves were reported as high as 37.7 feet (11.5 m) offshore from Washington State, and pressure fell to 28.30 inHg (958 millibars) - the pressure equivalent of a Category 3 hurricane.