Storm Summary Number 6 for Western and Central U.S. Major Winter
Storm System
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
700 PM PST Wed Dec 15 2021
...A strengthening low pressure system will continue to bring
rain, snow and high winds to the Great Plains and Upper Midwest
through tomorrow...
Winter Storm Warnings are in effect for portions of northern
Minnesota.
Winter Weather Advisories are in effect for portions of the
Central/Northern Rockies, Northern Plains, and the Upper Midwest.
High Wind Warnings are in effect for portions of southern New
Mexico, Central/Southern Rockies, Great Plains, Upper/Middle
Mississippi Valley, and the Upper Great Lakes.
Red Flag Warnings are in effect for the Texas and Oklahoma
panhandle.
Wind Advisories are in effect for portions of the Southern Plains,
Middle Mississippi Valley, Ohio Valley, and the Great Lakes.
For a detailed graphical depiction of the latest watches, warnings
and advisories, please see www.weather.gov
At 600 PM PST...A deepening low pressure system was centered near
Sioux Falls, SD with a central pressure of 980 mb, or 28.94 inches
of mercury. An associated cold front was observed extending
through the mid-Mississippi valley and into the Southern Plains,
while a warm front extended east into the Upper Midwest and Great
Lakes region. A tight pressure gradient stemming from the strong
low pressure system and potent high pressure to the west has
produced the threat for extreme high winds across the Plains.
Current RADAR and surface observations indicate heavy rain and
severe thunderstorms associated with the cold front currently
progressing eastwards through the Upper Midwest and
mid-Mississippi Valley. Snow is also occurring on the northwest
side of the low-pressure center.
...Selected preliminary Storm Total Snowfall in inches from 800 AM
PST Sat Dec 11 through 600 PM PST Wed Dec 15...
...COLORADO...
DURANGO 0.8 SSW 2.3
...IDAHO...
DONNELLY 5 SW 46.0
WARM LAKE 6 WSW 27.0
GLANDALE 9 ESE 26.0
MEADOWS 6 ENE 25.0
ATLANTA 10 SE 22.0
WEST YELLOWSTONE 6 WNW 18.0
HAILEY 2 NNW 17.0
ELK RIVER 15.0
FEATHERVILLE 9 W 15.0
GANNETT 10 NE 14.0
HORSESHOE BEND 11 SSE 13.0
PIONEERVILLE 9 ESE 12.0
BELLEVUE 1 WSW 11.0
ARCO 7.0
LAVA HOT SPRINGS 2.9 NNW 6.5
WOODLAND 1 E 6.5
INKOM 5.5 N 5.5
...MONTANA...
WEST YELLOWSTONE 6 WNW 18.0
DUPUYER 23 SW 12.0
NOXON 12 NE 12.0
REED POINT 5 SE 5.0
ANACONDA 7.4 NW 3.5
GREAT FALLS 6.2 S 2.9
...UTAH...
ALTA 23.0
BRIGHTON 17.0
PARK CITY 11.0
SALT LAKE CITY 11.0
...WYOMING...
ALPINE 5.9 S 5.0
PINEDALE 13.8 NW 5.0
...Selected preliminary Peak Wind gusts in miles per hour earlier
in the event...
...ARIZONA...
PINAL PEAK 74
HUALAPAI PEAK 3 S 69
GREER 8 WNW 68
WILLIAMS 5 WSW 68
TWEEDS POINT 64
MOUNTAIN SPRINGS GRADE 63
PAGE 2 N 63
SAINT JOHNS 1 NW 60
YUCCA 56
PHOENIX SKY HARBOR 51
...CALIFORNIA...
MAGIC MOUNTAIN TRUCK TRAIL 89
LAGUNA LAUNCH 88
RUNNING SPRINGS 2 NW 84
ACTON 8 NW 82
GRAPEVINE PEAK 82
SIERRA PELONA WEST 82
BIG PINES 1 E 81
FALCON RD 68
TV TOWERS RD 2 68
JOAQUIN RIDGE 65
LAS YEGUAS 62
DE LA CONCEPCION 60
CRANE FLAT 58
SAN LUIS OBISPO 2 ENE 58
VENTURA GOVT CENTER 58
CHOLAME 57
SADDLE PEAK 57
MILLER RANCH 55
CUYAMA VALLEY 52
...COLORADO...
LAMAR 4 WSW 107
MANITOU 2 SSW 101
AIR FORCE ACADEMY 4 SE 100
WHITE RANCH OPEN 3 NNE 95
LOUISVILLE 2 WSW 93
BOULDER 3 SSW 91
ORTIZ 9 W 77
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS 4 ESE 77
DOUGLASS PASS 1 W 76
WOLF CREEK PASS 1 ESE 76
MEEKER 66
EMMA 3 SSW 64
...IDAHO...
POCATELLO REGIONAL AIRPORT 68
TWIN FALLS 6 S 67
GRANGEVILLE 2 N 60
WINCHESTER 5 NW 59
...IOWA...
MASON CITY AIRPORT* 83
MISSOURI VALLEY* 83
SERGEANT BLUFF* 82
BUCK GROVE 4 NNE* 81
...KANSAS...
RUSSELL 100
SMITH CENTER 13 NNW 97
CODELL 8 NNE 95
GRANDVIEW PLAZA 1 ENE 94
SALINA 91
NORTON 90
...MINNESOTA...
PLAINVIEW 85
MORRISTOWN* 75
...MISSOURI...
CORNING 3 N* 90
TARKIO 1 W* 90
UNIONVILLE* 80
...MONTANA...
EAST GLACIER PARK 8 SE 92
BYNUM 14 W 86
WILSALL 17 NE 78
SUNBURST 75
DENTON 7 ENE 68
LIVINGSTON 2 WSW 68
ZORTMAN 10 ESE 65
GREAT FALLS 5 WSW 62
...NEBRASKA...
BENNET* 92
GRAND ISLAND* 85
...NEVADA...
HOOVER DAM 82
TIMBER MOUNTAIN 81
ANGEL PEAK 73
DOUBLE H 71
KINGS RIVER VALLEY 11 ESE 71
WARM SPRINGS 71
BAKER 4.3 E 69
MERCURY 9.8 NW 63
ELKO 4 WSW 59
...NEW MEXICO...
RED RIVER 9 SSW 103
LAS VEGAS 6 NE 90
FARMINGTON 2 W 66
NAVAJO DAM 12 N 63
ARROYO HONDO 5 S 61
RED HILL 1 N 59
...OREGON...
LINCOLN CITY 93
YAQUINA BAY BRIDGE 78
HEBO 5 ESE 75
YACHATS 2 SE 72
ASTORIA 1 W 68
ROCKHOUSE RAWS 61
GARIBALDI 2 WNW 59
SALEM AIRPORT 47
PORTLAND 45
...SOUTH DAKOTA...
SPEARFISH 3 SE 64
...UTAH...
OGDEN PEAK 89
SNOWBASIN 89
SIGNAL PEAK 82
REYNOLDS PEAK 80
LOGAN PEAK 76
ELGIN 41 NNE 74
SANDY 72
UPPER CEDAR MOUNTAIN 71
MOAB 16 NW 70
MONTICELLO 2 E 68
WINDY PEAK 64
I-15 AT HMILTONS FORT 61
TOOELE 2 58
TULE VALLEY 57
FREMONT ISLAND - MILLER HILL 52
COTTONWOOD MOUNTAIN 41
...WASHINGTON...
RICHLAND 22 NNW 78
WALLA WALLA AIRPORT 62
POMEROY 58
LOOMIS 5 S 49
SPOKANE SOUTH HILL 42
...WYOMING...
BUFORD 2 WNW 93
CENTENNIAL 13 NE 91
BORDEAUX 1 SSE 88
CASPER 2.1 SW 88
ARLINGTON 7 ESE 85
RED CANYON - SOUTH PASS 82
CLARK 80
CENTENNIAL 2 WNW 77
I25 - HAT SIX 77
MILLS 6 NW 66
CHEYENNE 1 NW 64
BIG HORN 17 WSW 60
GELNROCK 1 S 58
...Selected preliminary Storm Total Snowfall in inches where the
event has ended...
...CALIFORNIA...
PINECREST 2 E 60.0
SODA SPRINGS 1 ENE 54.8
BEAR VALLEY 2 N 54.0
HEAVENLY SKI BASE 50.0
PALISADES TAHOE SKI BASE 50.0
MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN SKI 48.0
HOMEWOOD MOUNTAIN SKI 45.0
NORTHSTAR SKI BASE 1 SSW 44.0
KINGVALE 1 WSW 34.0
ASPENDELL 28.0
CASTLE PEAK 25.0
PONDEROSA 24.0
SUGAR BOWL 24.0
SIERRA SNOW LAB 23.5
CENTRAL SIERRA SNOW LAB 18.7
KIRKWOOD 18.0
MOUNT SHASTA 6 ENE 13.0
...COLORADO...
GLENWOOD SPRINGS 0.6 S 3.5
PITKIN 1.1 SW 3.5
...NEVADA...
INCLINE VILLAGE 1 NNW 26.5
MT. ROSE SKI BASE 3 NE 15.0
GARDNERVILLE RANCH 3 WSW 14.5
BRISTLECONE SNOTEL 11.0
LEE CANYON SNOTEL 11.0
MT. CHARLESTON 1 ESE 10.0
...OREGON...
SUMMIT LAKE 33.0
TIMBERLINE LODGE 31.0
MOUNT HOOD MEADOWS 28.0
SANTIAM PASS 25.0
GOVERNMENT CAMP 18.0
HALFWAY 9 NNW 18.0
WHITE RIVER 18.0
CRATER LAKE 1 SW 16.0
JOSEPH 3 S 15.0
SADDLE MOUNTAIN 14.0
SALT CREEK FALLS 13.0
TOLLGATE 13.0
CRESCENT 1 W 10.0
SUMPTER 6 N 9.0
CLACKAMAS LAKE 8.0
HAYES HILL 6.0
...UTAH...
SANDY 2 NE 13.8
EAST MILLCREEK 0.7 NW 11.0
FRUIT HEIGHTS 1.3 N 9.7
SALT LAKE CITY 8.3 WSW 9.2
...WASHINGTON...
SWIFT CREEK 27.0
LONE PINE 26.0
JUNE LAKE 25.0
SPIRIT LAKE 21.0
SPENCER MEADOW 19.0
WINTON 3 NW 14.0
LUCERNE 9 W 10.5
MAZAMA 2 NW 8.3
EASTON 6 NNW 7.0
STEVENS PASS 6.0
...Selected preliminary Storm Total Rainfall in inches where the
event has ended...
...CALIFORNIA...
MOUNT TAMALPAIS 8.74
SCOTTS VALLEY 6.05
SCOTT CREEK 5.84
WOODACRE 5.84
BEN LOMOND 5.68
PARADISE 1.1 W 5.53
KENTFIELD 5.36
STRAWBERRY VALLEY 5.30
GASQUET 4.86
RED MOUND 4.56
DOWNIEVILLE 4.53
BASS LAKE MARINA 4.43
FLYNN PRAIRIE 4.37
DE SABLA 3.93
SPRING VALLEY 3.86
WHISKEYTOWN 1.6 S 3.80
AMERICAN HOUSE 7.6 SW 3.76
SIMS 3.51
ELMIRA 3.25
BLUE CANYON 3.18
ARNOLD 2.40
SAN FRANCISCO 2.37
SACRAMENTO 1.49
...OREGON...
SOUTH SLOUGH ESTUARY COOS BAY 2.81
PORT ORFORD 4.7 E 2.34
SELMA 2.28
MURPHY 1 SSE 1.54
BANDON 3 NE 1.42
GLENDALE 1.39
Over the course of the next 12 hours the low pressure system is
expected to deepen further as it moves north and east through the
Upper Midwest. Snow associated with this system has tapered off
across the western region and Rockies, as the threat has shifted
eastward into the northern Great Plains and Midwest. 3-6 inches of
snow is possible across these areas. In the warm sector of the
streghtening low-pressure system, the severe thunderstorm threat
will continue over the next several hours as atmospheric
conditions remain favorable in supporting the ongoing derecho. The
aforementioned deepening of the system has and will continue to
produce widespread wind gusts of 60 to 70 mph across the Great
Plains and Mississippi Valley, which may result in damage and
widespread power outages. Winds should begin to subside overnight
in the southwestern Plains states as the low-pressure moves
further north and east. These strong wind gusts mixed with
antecedent dry conditions across the Central and Southern Plains
has led to an extremely critical fire danger, which should begin
to wane during the overnight hours.
* Cities noted with an asterisk indicate wind gusts that were
observed in thunderstorms.
The next Storm Summary will be issued by the Weather Prediction
Center at 700 AM PST. Please refer to your local National Weather
Service office for additional information on this event.
Russell