Alert archive / California / Tornado Warnings in 1996

Tornado Warning 4, NWS Hanford, CA

March 12, 1996Tulare County, California

NWS Hanford, CA issued this tornado warning at Mar 12, 1996, 4:06 PM PST for Tulare County, California. It was in force for 39 min. 2 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, 4:06 PM PST (00:06 UTC)
Expired
Mar 12, 1996, 4:45 PM PST
In force
39 min
Issued by
NWS Hanford, CA
Area
Whole counties

County Tulare County, CA

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Mar 12, 4:30 PM PSTHail 0.75Visalia, CA
Mar 12, 4:50 PM PSTHail 0.75Visalia, 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 text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KFAT 130008
TORFAT
CAC107-130045-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY HANFORD CA
406 PM PST TUE MAR 12 1996
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY HANFORD HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  445 PM PST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION.......
 
IN  CALIFORNIA
 
   ...NORTHWESTERN TULARE COUNTY
 
AT 4 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A POSSIBLE TORNADO 3
MILES SOUTH OF VISALIA...IN TULARE COUNTY. MOVEMENT WAS NORTH AT 15 MPH.
THE TOWNS OF DINUBA AND CUTLER ARE ALSO IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM.
PERSONS IN VISALIA...DINUBA AND CUTLER SHOULD SEEK SHELTER NOW.
 
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A
BASEMENT.  GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM
SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR.  USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY.  AVOID WINDOWS.
 
 
BEAN

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, 12:35 PM PST, 3 hours 31 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, 3 hours 27 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

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.