The Great California Storm of April 19-23, 1880

Wyatt earp

Diamond Member
Apr 21, 2012
69,975
16,380
2,180
Damn..... Kind of cool they had records since 1850


The Great California Storm of April 19-23, 1880 | Weather Extremes


One the wettest storms in central California history occurred on April 20-23, 1880. This was an extraordinary storm: Sacramento experienced its greatest 24-hour rainfall on record when 7.24” fell on April 20-21 and its two-day total was an astonishing 8.37” and, with a storm total of 8.81”, these are all still-standing records for the city.


Sacramento’s 14.02” total for the month of April 1880 is the 2nd greatest monthly total for any month of the year since their records began in 1850. San Francisco was on the southern edge of the heaviest precipitation band but still picked up an impressive 3.20” on April 20-21 and 6.43” for the week of April 14-21. Its monthly total of 10.06” remains its wettest April on record since measurements began in 1850. In Napa Valley, north of San Francisco, an amazing 14.70” fell in 24 hours at Mt. St. Helena and 14.70” was also measured at Helen Mine further north. These figures still stand as the greatest April 24-hour rainfalls in California records. Other storm totals included 11.42” at Nevada City, 10.28” in Grass Valley (both in the Sierra foothills northwest of Sacramento), and 9.72” at Healdsburg, 8.88” in St. Helena (Napa Valley), and 7.34” in San Rafael (Marin County).

In the Sierra Nevada snow accumulations were off the charts. An amazing 194” (over 16 feet!) of snow fell at the railway depot Norden on April 20-23 at an elevation of about 7500’. If this figure was true, it would constitute the greatest single-storm snowfall on record for the contiguous U.S. The snow was so heavy it collapsed snow sheds over the railway near Summit (Donner Pass area)
 

Forum List

Back
Top