Winter Storm Warning Issued for Central California Sierra Nevada Through Wednesday
This alert is no longer in effect.
NOAA issued it on April 6, 2026, 4 months ago. Warnings of this kind stay in effect for hours to a few days, so this page is a historical record of what was issued, not a current warning. For conditions where you are right now, check weather.gov (US), weather.gc.ca (Canada), the Met Office (UK), or the Bureau of Meteorology (Australia).
Areazine synthesizes this NWS weather alert directly from NOAA's official public data feed. See our methodology for full source attribution and refresh cadence.
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for the Sierra Nevada, forecasting up to 7 feet of snow and 60 mph wind gusts through Wednesday night.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Winter Storm Warning
- Affected area
- Central California
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Hanford CA
Storm notices can cover different combinations of wind, hail, lightning, and rainfall. Use the original notice for the hazards and boundaries attached to this specific record.
Record status: historical. It was issued 4 months ago; use the issuing agency's live warning service for current conditions in Central California.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in Hanford, CA has issued a Winter Storm Warning for the Sierra Nevada region. The alert is currently in effect and is scheduled to remain active until 10:00 PM PST on Wednesday, February 18.
Affected Areas
The warning covers a significant portion of central California, specifically including:
- Mariposa-Madera Lower Sierra
- Fresno-Tulare Lower Sierra
- South End of the Lower Sierra
- Yosemite National Park (including Yosemite Valley and areas outside the valley)
- San Joaquin River Canyon and Upper San Joaquin River
- Kaiser to Rodgers Ridge
- Kings Canyon National Park and the Grant Grove Area
- Sequoia National Park
- South End of the Upper Sierra
What You Should Do
Travel is expected to be very difficult to impossible during this period. If you must travel, the National Weather Service advises keeping an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency. Residents and travelers can obtain the latest road conditions by calling 5 1 1.
Expected Conditions
- Snow Accumulations: Heavy snow is forecast with total accumulations of 3 to 5 feet for areas above 6,000 feet. The highest elevations could see between 5 to 7 feet of snow. Elevations down to 4,000 feet are expected to receive 1 to 2 feet of accumulation.
- Wind: Wind gusts could reach as high as 60 mph, which may lead to tree damage.
- Impacts: Hazardous conditions are expected to impact both the Monday morning and evening commutes.
Timeline
The Winter Storm Warning remains in effect until 10:00 PM PST Wednesday. Snow levels are expected to begin between 5,500 and 6,000 feet on Sunday night, lowering to 4,000 feet by Tuesday morning. Light snow accumulations may reach down to 3,000 feet by Tuesday night and into Wednesday.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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