Data health
CaliforniaSite status

Winter

WPC’s winter severity index and its chances of snow and ice, and NWS’s winter and cold alerts in California. WPC draws for the lower 48.

NWS winter alerts / WPC selected map / WPC discussion: feeds current

NWS winter alerts: Feed current; checked .

WPC selected map: Feed current; checked .

WPC discussion: Feed current; checked .

Checked means retrieved, not newly issued. Each graphic retains its issue, observation, initialization or valid time. Site publishing status is separate.

Snow on the ground — NOHRSC pictures and retained history. Source analysis with qualified metadata times; separate from WPC’s winter forecasts and NWS warnings.

Winter Storm Severity Index: Overall impact, Day 1

WPC: “WSSI does not depict official warnings and should always be used in context with official NWS forecasts and warnings.”

WPC’s WSSI levels

  • Winter Weather Area
  • Minor Impacts
  • Moderate Impacts
  • Major Impacts
  • Extreme Impacts
WPC’s Winter Storm Severity Index, overall impact, Day 1, valid to , issued . Data: NOAA/NWS/WPC. The impact a winter storm’s forecast snow, ice and wind may have on daily life, from WPC’s reading of the National Digital Forecast Database: not a warning, and not a chance.

Winter in California

Severity index (WSSI), overall

Day 1nothing drawn
Day 2Major Impacts
Day 3nothing drawn
Days 1–3Major Impacts

What drives it, Days 1–3: Snow amount: Winter Weather Area and Blowing snow: Major Impacts.

Chance of snow and ice

Day 1Day 2Day 3
At least 4 inches of snowunder 10%under 10%under 10%
At least 8 inches of snowunder 10%under 10%under 10%
At least 12 inches of snowunder 10%under 10%under 10%
At least a quarter inch of iceunder 10%under 10%under 10%

Each level is the highest anywhere in California, not at any one place in it. WSSI’s levels and WPC’s chances are two products on two scales: a Moderate impact is not a Moderate chance.

No NWS winter or cold alert in California.

NWS winter and cold alerts in California

No winter storm, blizzard, ice, snow squall, lake-effect, freezing fog, cold or freeze watch, warning or advisory in California.

NWS issues most winter alerts by forecast zone; a zone is a county or part of one. A Snow Squall Warning is drawn by NWS around the squall. NWS’s warnings on the Live map Storm Mode for California, winter

WPC’s heavy snow and icing discussion

WPC’s Probabilistic Heavy Snow and Icing Discussion, issued , for to . WPC’s words, as written. Data: NOAA/NWS/WPC.

Washington Cascades Days 1-3

A couple of cold fronts will bring periods of snow to the higher Cascades this morning and again late Monday into Tuesday, mainly above 5000ft. This will affect Washington Pass/SR-20 (5476ft) which is still open. The probability of at least 4 inches of snow tomorrow into Tuesday is about 10-20% before milder air changes the snow over to rain there by Tuesday afternoon.

The probability of significant ice across the CONUS is less than 10 percent.

Fracasso

The whole discussion, as WPC wrote it
Probabilistic Heavy Snow and Icing Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
142 AM EST Sun Nov 8 2026

Valid 12Z Sun Nov 08 2026 - 12Z Wed Nov 11 2026

...Washington Cascades...
Days 1-3...

A couple of cold fronts will bring periods of snow to the higher
Cascades this morning and again late Monday into Tuesday, mainly
above 5000ft. This will affect Washington Pass/SR-20 (5476ft) which
is still open. The probability of at least 4 inches of snow
tomorrow into Tuesday is about 10-20% before milder air changes the
snow over to rain there by Tuesday afternoon.


The probability of significant ice across the CONUS is less than
10 percent.


Fracasso

Not an official warning service. Warnings and watches are the National Weather Service’s, outlooks and reports the Storm Prediction Center’s and the Weather Prediction Center’s (Data: NOAA/NWS, NOAA/SPC, NOAA/WPC). When a warning is issued for you, act on it, and use weather.gov or a NOAA Weather Radio for where you are.