At a Glance
- Sage hit the West Coast with flooding rain and higher elevation snow.
- The storm produced a blizzard in the Northern Plains.
- It closed out its journey across the U.S. as a nor'easter along the East Coast.
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Winter Storm Sage spread snow from the West to the Plains, upper Midwest and Northeast in March 2023.
Sage entered the West Coast March 9-10 and pummeled California with a strong atmospheric river of moisture.
The storm’s heavy rain in combination with melting snow caused serious flooding in lower elevations as heavy snow piled up in the highest peaks of the Sierra Nevada. Up to 40 inches of snow was estimated in the highest elevations of the southern Sierra Nevada.
Snow and gusty winds from the storm then spread across the Northern Plains, upper Midwest and Great Lakes March 11-12.
Blizzard conditions were reported across nearly all of North Dakota on March 11. Numerous roadways across the state, including Interstate 94, were closed.
The storm dumped up to 16 inches of snow around the Duluth-Superior Twin Ports area of northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin. Parts of northern and central Wisconsin also picked up over 10 inches of snow, including Wausau.
Sage then formed into a nor'easter along the East Coast March 14-15.
It brought heavy snow and strong winds to interior parts of New England and central and eastern New York.
Up to 3 feet of snow was measured in eastern New York, western Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The highest total was 42.1 inches near Readsboro, Vermont.
The wet snow and gusty winds contributed to tree damage and power outages in some areas. Nearly 300,000 homes and businesses lost power at one point during the storm. See this link for more details on impacts.
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