Tornado Warning 1, NWS Hanford, CA

Issued

May 20, 2002, 4:01 PM PDT (23:01 UTC)

Expired

May 20, 2002, 4:45 PM PDT

In force

44 min

Issued by

NWS Hanford, CA

Area

Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Madera County, CA, Mariposa County, CA, Merced County, CA

The San Joaquin Valley radar (KHNX), 102 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:05 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this tornado warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

000 
WFUS56 KHNX 202301
TORFAT
CAC039-043-047-202345-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY CA
400 PM PDT MON MAY 20 2002

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HANFORD CA HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  WEST CENTRAL MADERA COUNTY IN CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
  SOUTH CENTRAL MARIPOSA COUNTY IN CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
  EAST CENTRAL MERCED COUNTY IN CENTRAL CALIFORNIA

* UNTIL 445 PM PDT

* AT 350 PM PDT...LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS REPORTED A TORNADO 8
  MILES SOUTH OF CHOWCHILLA...OR ABOUT 13 MILES WEST OF MADERA...
  MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

* THE TORNADO IS EXPECTED TO BE...
  NEAR CHOWCHILLA BY 410 PM PDT

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.

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN
INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO
COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE
NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

LAT...LON 3706 12039 3693 12023 3719 11989 3733 12006

DS

NWS Hanford, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at May 20, 3:05 PM PDT, 56 minutes earlier.

INTERIOR CENTRAL CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
305 PM PDT MON MAY 20 2002

WATER VAPOR IMAGES SHOW A LARGE CUTOFF UPPER LEVEL LOW CENTER OFF
THE NORTH CALIFORNIA COAST. COLDER MORE UNSTABLE AIR OVER
NORTHWESTERN CA. A FEW SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AFFECTED THE
CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AND YOSEMITE OVERNIGHT. THE THREAT OF
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE HIGH TODAY AS THE UPPER LOW MOVES
EAST ACROSS CALIFORNIA. THE COLDER AIR ALOFT WILL FURTHER
DESTABILIZE THE ATMOSPHERE AND THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY WILL BE UNDER
THE FAVORABLE LEFT FRONT QUAD OF A STRONG 130 KNOT JET. HODOGRAPH
SHOWS STRONG STRAIGHT LINE SHEAR FAVORABLE FOR RIGHT SPLITTING
CELLS. LOW WETBULB ZERO TEMPERATURE INDICATES STORMS MAY BE
ACCOMPANIED WITH SMALL HAIL. SOUTHWEST MID LEVEL WIND AT 40-50 MPH
WILL PROVIDE FAVORABLE OROGRAPHIC LIFT OVER THE SIERRA. WILL POST A
WINTER STORM WARNING FOR THE SIERRA NORTH OF KINGS CANYON FOR
POSSIBLE SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 6-12 INCHES...AND A WINTER WEATHER
ADVISORY FOR THE TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS FOR SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF
3-8 INCHES. ALSO WILL HOIST A WIND ADVISORY FOR KERN COUNTY
MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WITH UPPER JET
MOVING OVER THE TEHACHAPI MNTS AND MODELS PROG LOCAL PRESSURE
GRADIENTS TO INCREASE 10-12MB. BEST DYNAMICS WILL BE ACROSS THE
CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AND SIERRA AND WILL CARRY
LIKELY-CATEGORICAL POPS AND CHANCE IN THE SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN AND
KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS. WIND FLOW TURNS NORTHWEST AS THROUGH AXIS
MOVES THROUGH AROUND 06Z MONDAY NIGHT. EXPECT LOTS OF LOW LEVEL
CLOUDINESS TUESDAY MORNING WITH SOME LINGERING SHOWERS ALONG THE
MOUNTAINS WITH NW LOW LEVEL FLOW MAY BANKING MOISTURE ALONG
FOOTHILLS AND SOUTH SIDE OF THE VALLEY. 500MB HEIGHTS RISE BY 50M
AND TEMPERATURES SHOULD RECOVER WEDNESDAY. A HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE
BUILDS OVER THE AREA FOR THE EXTENDED PERIOD AND WARM DRY WEATHER
SHOULD RETURN CA.

.HNX...WINTER STORM WATCH MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT FOR THE SOUTHERN
       SIERRA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON.
    ...WIND ADVISORY FOR KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS AND
       DESERTS THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH 9:00 PM...

MV

Tornado Warnings in California, 2002Every tornado warning in 2002Tornadoes in 2002

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.