Seasoned residents refer to a January snowstorm in 1952 as the “big snow.” In three days, Susanville was covered with five feet of snow and on the other side of the mountain in Westwood eight feet of snow blanketed the town. With all that precipitation from a single storm, it was far from the wettest year on record.
By late March officials were concerned with the spring run-off. A snow survey taken late that indicated there was eleven feet of snow at Silver Lake with over a fifty percent water content. By the first of April stream flows were quickly rising, especially on Piute Creek. By April 4, that creek was transformed in a raging torrent—Memorial Park now a lake and homes further down on Foss and Cornell Streets received substantial flood damage.
Susan River through Susanville caused minor damage, with the exception at the railroad trestle that spanned the river at South Lassen Street, trapped debris backing up flood waters. Downstream was another matter with tributaries to the river increasing water flows causing widespread flooding in the Standish district.