There was a break in the weather on December 23rd and 24th, as a weak upper-level ridge moved into California. Light winds and a stable airmass aloft allowed areas of dense fog to develop over parts of the central and southern San Joaquin Valley. But the break was short-lived, as yet another storm was dropping south out of the Gulf of Alaska. Christmas Day, 2010, saw precipitation move north over the central California interior, as the upper-level low remained offshore. The heaviest rain and snow fell during the late afternoon and evening of December 25th, and some flooding was reported during the evening on the east side of the San Joaquin Valley. East Bakersfield was the hardest hit, as the saturated ground could not absorb the additional runoff. On the evening of Christmas Day, Bakersfield received 0.42 inch of
rain, raising the total for Meadows Field through the 25th to 5.37 inches. This broke the old record for the wettest month of 5.36 inches set in February 1998.
In the high country of the Southern Sierra Nevada, between 6 and 13 inches of new snow fell from December 25th through the morning of the 26th.
The storm quickly moved east during the night of December 25th-26th, and skies began clearing from the west. This allowed dense fog to develop over parts of the central and southern San Joaquin Valley during the early morning hours of December 26th. Weak upper-level short-waves moved through California during the nights of the 26th-27th and the 27th-28th, bringing some mid-level and high clouds to the region. This only flattened a weak upper-level ridge over California, and did not prevent fog from redeveloping, although the fog did form later on these nights than on the 25th-26th.
The last storm of the month arrived on December 28th and continued into the next day. Fresno had a record rainfall of 0.92 inch on the 28th, breaking the old record of 0.72 inch, set in 2004.
The two-day total at Fresno-Yosemite International Airport was 1.54 inch, which pushed the December rainfall to 5.92 inches for the second wettest December on record for Fresno; the wettest December was in 1955, with 6.73 inches. Fresno also surpassed Bakersfield for the monthly total by a tenth of an inch.
Up to 4 feet of fresh snow fell on the high country of the Southern Sierra Nevada, and strong winds developed over much of the region as a very cold airmass moved into the central California interior. While the winds kept central and southern San Joaquin Valley lows in the upper 20s to mid 30s on the morning of December 30th, light winds allowed lows to fall a few degrees colder the next morning. Lows in the coldest, wind-sheltered Valley locations bottomed out in the mid 20s on the 31st, and even Bakersfield and Fresno fell below 32 degrees. December 31st was not only the coldest low of the month at both Bakersfield and Fresno, it also was the coldest low of the year for Fresno, and tied with November 30th for the coldest low at Bakersfield.

Winter Storm in S SIERRA MTNS, CALIFORNIA
From 25-DEC-10 18:00:00 to 26-DEC-10 07:00:00 (PST-8)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Park/Forest Service

High Wind in SE S.J. VALLEY, CALIFORNIA
From 25-DEC-10 19:07:00 to 25-DEC-10 22:00:00 (PST-8)
Magnitude: 52.00 EG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

High Wind in KERN CTY MTNS, CALIFORNIA
From 25-DEC-10 19:07:00 to 25-DEC-10 22:00:00 (PST-8)
Magnitude: 52.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Winter Storm in S SIERRA MTNS, CALIFORNIA
From 28-DEC-10 02:00:00 to 29-DEC-10 15:00:00 (PST-8)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Park/Forest Service

Winter Storm in TULARE CTY MTNS, CALIFORNIA
From 28-DEC-10 02:00:00 to 29-DEC-10 15:00:00 (PST-8)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Park/Forest Service

High Wind in SE KERN CTY DESERT, CALIFORNIA
From 29-DEC-10 19:14:00 to 30-DEC-10 19:00:00 (PST-8)
Magnitude: 65.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Flood in FRESNO, CALIFORNIA
From 29-DEC-10 05:00:00 to 29-DEC-10 11:00:00 (PST-8)
Location: KERMAN
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 125.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Heavy rain caused widespread urban and poor drainage flooding on the morning of the 29th across much of the San Joaquin Valley. Especially hard hit were the metro areas of Fresno, Visalia, and Bakersfield, and the adjacent foothills.

Flood in KERN, CALIFORNIA
From 29-DEC-10 05:00:00 to 29-DEC-10 11:00:00 (PST-8)
Location: TAFT
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 1.00M
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Heavy rain caused widespread urban and poor drainage flooding on the morning of the 29th across much of the San Joaquin Valley. Especially hard hit were the metro areas of Fresno, Visalia, and Bakersfield, and the adjacent foothills.

Flood in TULARE, CALIFORNIA
From 29-DEC-10 05:00:00 to 29-DEC-10 11:00:00 (PST-8)
Location: TULARE
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 0.50M
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Heavy rain caused widespread urban and poor drainage flooding on the morning of the 29th across much of the San Joaquin Valley. Especially hard hit were the metro areas of Fresno, Visalia, and Bakersfield, and the adjacent foothills.

Flood in KINGS, CALIFORNIA
From 29-DEC-10 05:00:00 to 29-DEC-10 11:00:00 (PST-8)
Location: LEMOORE
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 75.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Heavy rain caused widespread urban and poor drainage flooding on the morning of the 29th across much of the San Joaquin Valley. Especially hard hit were the metro areas of Fresno, Visalia, and Bakersfield, and the adjacent foothills.

Flood in MERCED, CALIFORNIA
From 29-DEC-10 05:00:00 to 29-DEC-10 11:00:00 (PST-8)
Location: (MER)CASTLE AFB
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 100.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Heavy rain caused widespread urban and poor drainage flooding on the morning of the 29th across much of the San Joaquin Valley. Especially hard hit were the metro areas of Fresno, Visalia, and Bakersfield, and the adjacent foothills.

Flood in MADERA, CALIFORNIA
From 29-DEC-10 05:00:00 to 29-DEC-10 11:00:00 (PST-8)
Location: COARSEGOLD
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 75.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Heavy rain caused widespread urban and poor drainage flooding on the morning of the 29th across much of the San Joaquin Valley. Especially hard hit were the metro areas of Fresno, Visalia, and Bakersfield, and the adjacent foothills.