Alert archive / California / Tornado Warnings in 1996
Tornado Warning 2, NWS Hanford, CA
NWS Hanford, CA issued this tornado warning at Mar 12, 1996, 2:03 PM PST for Fresno County, Kings County, California. It was in force for 27 min. 4 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.
The facts
- Issued
- Mar 12, 1996, 2:03 PM PST (22:03 UTC)
- Expired
- Mar 12, 1996, 2:30 PM PST
- In force
- 27 min
- Issued by
- NWS Hanford, CA
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Fresno County, CA, Kings County, CA
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 12, 2:05 PM PST | Hail 0.75 | Fresno, CA | |
| Mar 12, 2:07 PM PST | Tornado F0 | Hanford, CA | |
| Mar 12, 2:20 PM PST | Hail 0.75 | Hanford, CA | |
| Mar 12, 2:25 PM PST | Tornado F0 | Hanford, CA |
NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in.
The nearest sounding before it
Lompoc (Awos), CA (KLPC), launched 12:00Z, 10.1 hours before the alert went out and 203 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 8 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -1 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 597 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 65 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 88 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 148 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KFAT 122207 TORFAT CAC019-031-122230- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY HANFORD CA 203 PM PST TUE MAR 12 1996 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY HANFORD HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 230 PM PST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS... IN CALIFORNIA ...SOUTH CENTRAL FRESNO COUNTY...NORTHEASTERN KINGS COUNTY AT 155 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN HANFORD INDICATED A TORNADO IN THE CITY OF HANFORD NEAR THE INTERSECTIONS OF GRANGEVILLE AND 11TH AVENUE. THE TORNADO IS MOVING TO THE NORTH-NORTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 MPH. PERSONS IN THE NORTHWEST SECTION OF HANFORD AND IN THE COMMUNITIES OF LATON AND FOWLER SHOULD SEEK COVER IMMEDIATELY. IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER IN A NEARBY REINFORCED BUILDING. AS A LAST RESORT...SEEK SHELTER IN A CULVERT...DITCH OR LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS. IF YOU LIVE IN A HOME OR APARTMENT...SEEK SHELTER IN THE INNERMOST PORTION OF THE BUILDING ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. GET TO A BASEMENT IF ONE IS AVAILABLE. AVOID WINDOWS AND PROTECT YOUR BODY FROM FLYING DEBRIS WITH CUSHIONS...BLANKETS...OR PILLOWS. ADAMS
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this tornado warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Mar 12, 9:50 AM PST, 4 hours 13 minutes before
CAZ005-010-013-130000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA 950 AM PST TUE MAR 12 1996 ...WINTER STORM WARNING FOR THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA TODAY... ...PATCHY DENSE FOG OVER THE TEHACHAPIS... WIDESPREAD RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AND THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA TODAY. A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE PARK SOUTHWARD TODAY. SNOW LEVELS WILL BE BETWEEN 4000 AND 5000 FEET WITH SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 12 TO 18 INCHES LIKELY. THE WEATHER SYSTEM RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RAIN AND SNOW WAS MOVING ONSHORE NEAR THE MONTEREY BAY THIS MORNING AND WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE SLOWLY SOUTHEAST TODAY. IN ADDITION TO THE SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS...SHOWERS... AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE IN THE VALLEY TODAY. SOME OF THE SHOWERS WILL HAVE LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN. . THIS WEATHER SYSTEM WAS ALSO BRINGING LOW CLOUDS AND LOCALLY DENSE FOG TO THE TEHACHAPIS. AT 930 AM...VISIBILITY AT SANDBURG WAS LESS THAN ONE-QUARTER MILE. REDUCED VISIBILITIES WILL LIKELY CONTINUE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON OVER THE GRAPEVINE AND THE TEHACHAPI PASS. SHOWERS ARE ALSO EXPECTED IN THE TEHACHAPI MOUNTAINS TODAY WITH THE SNOW LEVEL 5000 TO 6000 FEET. DRIVERS INTO THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR WINTER DRIVING CONDITIONS TODAY. CARRY CHAINS...WARM CLOTHING AND BLANKETS... WATER AND NONPERISHABLE FOOD. BE PREPARED FOR DELAYS AND ROAD CLOSURES. CHECK THE LATEST WEATHER AND ROAD REPORTS BEFORE DEPARTING AND WHILE ENROUTE. ROAD CONDITIONS ARE AVAILABLE FROM CALTRANS AT 1-800-427-7623. DRIVERS ON INTERSTATE 5 OVER THE GRAPEVINE AND HIGHWAY 58 THROUGH THE TEHACHAPI PASS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR AREAS OF DENSE FOG. VISIBILITIES IN DENSE FOG PATCHES CAN CHANGE ABRUPTLY...DROPPING TO NEAR ZERO IN A MATTER OF SECONDS. IF YOU APPROACH OR ENCOUNTER DENSE FOG...SLOW DOWN... PUT YOUR HEADLIGHTS ON LOW BEAM...AND LEAVE PLENTY OF ROOM BETWEEN YOU AND THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF YOU. BEAN
Special weather statement, Mar 12, 9:54 AM PST, 4 hours 9 minutes before
CAZ005-010-013-130000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA 950 AM PST TUE MAR 12 1996 ...WINTER STORM WARNING FOR THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA TODAY... ...PATCHY DENSE FOG OVER THE TEHACHAPIS... WIDESPREAD RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AND THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA TODAY. A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE PARK SOUTHWARD TODAY. SNOW LEVELS WILL BE BETWEEN 4000 AND 5000 FEET WITH SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 12 TO 18 INCHES LIKELY. THE WEATHER SYSTEM RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RAIN AND SNOW WAS MOVING ONSHORE NEAR THE MONTEREY BAY THIS MORNING AND WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE SLOWLY SOUTHEAST TODAY. IN ADDITION TO THE SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS...SHOWERS... AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE IN THE VALLEY TODAY. SOME OF THE SHOWERS WILL HAVE LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN. . THIS WEATHER SYSTEM WAS ALSO BRINGING LOW CLOUDS AND LOCALLY DENSE FOG TO THE TEHACHAPIS. AT 930 AM...VISIBILITY AT SANDBURG WAS LESS THAN ONE-QUARTER MILE. REDUCED VISIBILITIES WILL LIKELY CONTINUE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON OVER THE GRAPEVINE AND THE TEHACHAPI PASS. SHOWERS ARE ALSO EXPECTED IN THE TEHACHAPI MOUNTAINS TODAY WITH THE SNOW LEVEL 5000 TO 6000 FEET. DRIVERS INTO THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR WINTER DRIVING CONDITIONS TODAY. CARRY CHAINS...WARM CLOTHING AND BLANKETS... WATER AND NONPERISHABLE FOOD. BE PREPARED FOR DELAYS AND ROAD CLOSURES. CHECK THE LATEST WEATHER AND ROAD REPORTS BEFORE DEPARTING AND WHILE ENROUTE. ROAD CONDITIONS ARE AVAILABLE FROM CALTRANS AT 1-800-427-7623. DRIVERS ON INTERSTATE 5 OVER THE GRAPEVINE AND HIGHWAY 58 THROUGH THE TEHACHAPI PASS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR AREAS OF DENSE FOG. VISIBILITIES IN DENSE FOG PATCHES CAN CHANGE ABRUPTLY...DROPPING TO NEAR ZERO IN A MATTER OF SECONDS. IF YOU APPROACH OR ENCOUNTER DENSE FOG...SLOW DOWN... PUT YOUR HEADLIGHTS ON LOW BEAM...AND LEAVE PLENTY OF ROOM BETWEEN YOU AND THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF YOU. BEAN
Special weather statement, Mar 12, 12:35 PM PST, 1 hour 28 minutes before
CAZ005-010-013-132200- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA 1235 PM PST TUE MAR 12 1996 ...LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING IN THE CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY... AT 1230 PM HANFORD DOPPLER RADAR DETECTED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM 5 MILES SOUTH OF LEMOORE NORTHEAST TO 10 MILES WEST OF FRESNO. THE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR. THESE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE FRESNO METRO AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 20 MINUTES. THESE STORMS MAY CONTAIN DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND SMALL HAIL. BRIEF GUSTY WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN WILL OCCUR AS THEY MOVE THROUGH THE AREA RESULTING IN SOME LOCAL STREET FLOODING. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO OR TELEVISION STATION FOR FURTHER UPDATES. . ADAMS/BEAN
Special weather statement, Mar 12, 12:39 PM PST, 1 hour 24 minutes before
CAZ005-010-013-132200- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA 1235 PM PST TUE MAR 12 1996 ...LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING IN THE CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY... AT 1230 PM HANFORD DOPPLER RADAR DETECTED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM 5 MILES SOUTH OF LEMOORE NORTHEAST TO 10 MILES WEST OF FRESNO. THE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR. THESE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE FRESNO METRO AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 20 MINUTES. THESE STORMS MAY CONTAIN DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND SMALL HAIL. BRIEF GUSTY WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN WILL OCCUR AS THEY MOVE THROUGH THE AREA RESULTING IN SOME LOCAL STREET FLOODING. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO OR TELEVISION STATION FOR FURTHER UPDATES. . ADAMS/BEAN
The office that day
Everything else NWS Hanford, CA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 12, 1:31 PM PST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HNX | Fresno | 59 min |
| Mar 12, 1:49 PM PST | Tornado Warning | HNX | Fresno | 26 min |
| Mar 12, 2:46 PM PST | Tornado Warning | HNX | Kings, Tulare | 29 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in California, 1996Every tornado warning in 1996Tornadoes in 1996
Sources
The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.