Alert archive / California / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2000

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 23, NWS Hanford, CA

October 29, 2000Madera County, Merced County, California

NWS Hanford, CA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Oct 29, 2000, 6:35 PM PST for Madera County, Merced County, California. It was in force for 45 min. 2 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline the Iowa Environmental Mesonet reconstructed for it; the warning itself named whole counties, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Oct 29, 2000, 6:35 PM PST (02:35 UTC)
Expired
Oct 29, 2000, 7:20 PM PST
In force
45 min
Issued by
NWS Hanford, CA
Area
Whole counties; the outline is the Mesonet’s reconstruction

Counties Madera County, CA, Merced County, CA

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Oct 29, 6:50 PM PSTHail 1Merced Arpt, CA
Oct 29, 7:10 PM PSTHail 0.75Chowchilla, 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

Oakland, CA (KOAK), launched 00:00Z, 2.6 hours before the alert went out and 174 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.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Oakland, CA at 00:00Z on 2000-10-30Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 59 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Oakland, CA at 00:00Z on 2000-10-30The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 41 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
59 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-10 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1236 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
14 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
41 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
50 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS56 KHNX 300238
SVRFAT
CAC039-047-300315-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY CA
635 PM PST SUN OCT 29 2000

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HANFORD CA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHWEST MADERA COUNTY IN CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
  NORTHEAST MERCED COUNTY IN CENTRAL CALIFORNIA

* UNTIL 720 PM PST

* AT 629 PM PST...RADAR SHOWED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 11 MILES WEST OF
  CHOWCHILLA...OR ABOUT 13 MILES SOUTH OF MERCED...MOVING SOUTHEAST
  AT 10 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE...
  5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CHOWCHILLA BY 650 PM PST

VERY LARGE HAIL IS POSSIBLE WITH THIS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM. IF YOU ARE
IN THE PATH OF THE STORM...PUT YOUR CAR IN A GARAGE AND MOVE TO A
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER.

REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. THEY
WILL RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST
OFFICE IN HANFORD CA.

LAT...LON 3713 12060 3692 12030 3706 12008 3726 12039

86

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Hanford, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Oct 29, 3:00 PM PST, 3 hours 35 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 29, 3:00 PM PST, 3 hours 35 minutes before
INTERIOR CENTRAL CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
300 PM PST SUN OCT 29 2000

THE MAIN LOW CENTER IS MOVING SOUTHEAST NEAR THE OREGON COAST WHILE A
STRONG JET DIGS SOUTH ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE TROF. SATELLITE ALSO
SHOWS A JET SEGMENT CURRENTLY IN THE BASE OF THE TROF OVER THE
FORECAST AREA AND LIFTING NORTHEAST. MAIN FEATURE OF CONCERN IN THE
NEAR TERM IS THE VORT CENTER APPROACHING THE CENTRAL COAST JUST WEST
OF MRY. THIS VORT CENTER IS ON TRACK TO MOVE ASHORE AND ACROSS THE
FORECAST AREA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS COLDER AIR ALOFT
SPREADS OVER THE AREA. LATEST GOES DERIVED PRODUCTS SHOW NEGATIVE
LI/S OVER THE AREA. CONDITIONS WILL BECOME MORE UNSTABLE THROUGH THE
AFTERNOON AND WE SHOULD SEE A GOOD ROUND OF SHOWERS AND SOME
THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH THE EVENING. GOOD OROGRAPHIC
ENHANCEMENT WILL CONTINUE INTO TONIGHT IN THE SIERRA AND MESO ETA
SHOWS GOOD UVV ALONG THE WEST SLOPES. WITH THIS IN MIND WILL EXTEND
THE WINTER STORM WARNING FOR THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA INTO
TONIGHT.

THE WEST COAST TROF IS FORECAST TO MOVE INLAND OVER THE GREAT BASIN
MONDAY WHILE ENERGY CONSOLIDATES IN THE BASE OF THE TROF OVER
SOUTHERN NEVADA. CYCLONIC FLOW PROGGED OVER THE AREA MONDAY WITH
MOIST LOW LEVELS. THIS COUPLED WITH WEAK LOW LEVEL UVV MAY BE
ENOUGH TO PRODUCE SCATTERED SHOWERS ACROSS THE VALLEY AND
SIERRA MONDAY...MAINLY IN THE MORNING AS SUBSIDENCE IS FORECAST TO
TAKE HOLD IN THE AFTERNOON. WILL KEEP CHANCE POPS IN THE DESERT
DESERT ZONES MONDAY WITH THE UPPER LOW IN THE VICINITY. TROF THEN
MOVES EAST OVER THE ROCKIES TUESDAY WHILE A SHORTWAVE RIDGE MOVES
OVER CALIFORNIA. THIS BRINGS DRIER CONDITIONS TO THE FORECAST AREA
MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY AND SHOULD ALLOW FOR SOME TEMPERATURE
RECOVERY TUESDAY.

EXTENDED MODELS AGREE FAIRLY WELL THAT A CLOSED LOW WILL DEVELOP
OVER SOCAL THURSDAY SETTING UP AN OFFSHORE FLOW ACROSS THE FORECAST
AREA. WILL INCLUDE A CHANCE OF SHOWERS FOR THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS
OF THE SIERRA NEVADA WHILE THE REST OF THE FORECAST AREA SHOULD BE
UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DOWNWARD MOTION BRINGING WARMER TEMPERATURES
TO THE AREA. WILL MENTION BREEZY TO LOCALLY WINDY CONDITIONS IN THE
EXTENDED.

.HNX...WINTER STORM WARNING TONIGHT ABOVE 6000 FEET FOR THE SOUTHERN
       SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO THE KERN COUNTY LINE.
    ...URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOOD ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT FOR THE
       SOUTHEASTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY

FAT EB 047/058 043/064 045 97630
BFL EE 049/057 045/060 047 97630
YNP WB 034/042 035/052 035 97740

LINDQUIST

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Oct 29, 12:52 PM PST, 5 hours 43 minutes before
CAZ089>094-300200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT-CONVECTIVE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
1250 PM PDT SUN OCT 29 2000

...RISK OF ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AND ADJACENT FOOTHILLS THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY
THIS EVENING...

A DEEP UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE ALONG THE WEST COAST
WILL MOVE INLAND THIS AFTERNOON AND HELP TO TRIGGER SHOWERS AND
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS INTERIOR CALIFORNIA THROUGH THIS
EVENING.

THE COMBINATION OF A VERY COLD POCKET OF AIR ALOFT...AN UPPER LEVEL
DISTURBANCE...AND WARMING OF THE ATMOSPHERE IN THE LOW LEVELS...WILL
CAUSE ISOLATED STRONG TO LOCALLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN THE CENTRAL
AND SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AND ADJACENT FOOTHILLS THIS AFTERNOON.
IN ADDITION TO DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...A FEW THUNDERSTORMS
MAY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL AND WINDS GUSTS TO 58 MPH OR HIGHER. HEAVY RAIN
ACCOMPANYING ANY THUNDERSTORM CAN CAUSE LOCALIZED FLOODING OF STREETS...
HIGHWAYS...AND SMALL STREAMS.

RESIDENTS IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY SHOULD KEEP
A WATCHFUL EYE ON THE SKY THIS AFTERNOON AND BE PREPARED TO SEEK
SHELTER INDOORS AS SOON AS THE WEATHER BECOMES THREATENING. MOTORISTS
SHOULD PULL OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD DURING HEAVY RAIN AND MAKE NO
ATTEMPT TO DRIVE ACROSS ROADS WHERE WATER HAS PONDED.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADRIO...OR YOUR FAVORITE NEWS SOURCE...
FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS ON THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.
INFORMATION CAN ALSO BE FOUND ON OUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE
AT WWW.WRH.NOAA.GOV/HANFORD.

DURFEE

N
Special weather statement, Oct 29, 12:57 PM PST, 5 hours 38 minutes before
CAZ089>094-300200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT-CONVECTIVE WEATHER OUTLOOK (CORRECTION)
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
1255 PM PDT SUN OCT 29 2000

...RISK OF ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AND ADJACENT FOOTHILLS THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY
THIS EVENING...

A DEEP UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE ALONG THE WEST COAST
WILL MOVE INLAND THIS AFTERNOON AND HELP TO TRIGGER SHOWERS AND
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS INTERIOR CALIFORNIA THROUGH THIS
EVENING.

THE COMBINATION OF A VERY COLD POCKET OF AIR ALOFT...AN UPPER LEVEL
DISTURBANCE...AND WARMING OF THE ATMOSPHERE IN THE LOW LEVELS...WILL
CAUSE ISOLATED STRONG TO LOCALLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN THE CENTRAL
AND SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AND ADJACENT FOOTHILLS THIS AFTERNOON.
IN ADDITION TO DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...A FEW THUNDERSTORMS
MAY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL AND WINDS GUSTS TO 58 MPH OR HIGHER. HEAVY RAIN
ACCOMPANYING ANY THUNDERSTORM CAN CAUSE LOCALIZED FLOODING OF STREETS...
HIGHWAYS...AND SMALL STREAMS.

RESIDENTS IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY...AS WELL AS
THE ADJACENT FOOTHILLS...SHOULD KEEP A WATCHFUL EYE ON THE SKY THIS
AFTERNOON AND BE PREPARED TO SEEK SHELTER INDOORS AS SOON AS THE WEATHER
BECOMES THREATENING. MOTORISTS SHOULD PULL OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD
DURING HEAVY RAIN AND MAKE NO ATTEMPT TO DRIVE ACROSS ROADS WHERE WATER
HAS PONDED.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR YOUR FAVORITE NEWS SOURCE...
FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS ON THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.
INFORMATION CAN ALSO BE FOUND ON OUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE
AT WWW.WRH.NOAA.GOV/HANFORD.

DURFEE

N

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in California, 2000Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2000

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.