High Wind in California, February 2 to 3, 1998

Name: High Wind in California, February 2 to 3, 1998
Start: 1998-02-02T11:45
End: 1998-02-03T15:00
Location: California

February 2 to 3, 1998 · NWS HNX · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

High gradient wind caused widespread damage throughout the Southern San Joaquin Valley from the late hours of 2/2/98 until mid-day on 2/3/98. and roof damage to a trailer roof in Southeast Bakersfield at 2230 PST on Monday, 2/2/98.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 1
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS HNX wrote it up.

High gradient wind caused widespread damage throughout the Southern San Joaquin Valley from the late hours of 2/2/98 until mid-day on 2/3/98. A tree was reported uprooted at 2140 PST in Bakersfield by high wind...with numerous other reports of trees and powerlines down by 2225 PST...and roof damage to a trailer roof in Southeast Bakersfield at 2230 PST on Monday, 2/2/98. Roof damage was reported in Wasco and more reports of trees downed in Bakersfield at 0020 PST on 2/3/98; wind at Meadows Field was reported at 42Kts from the southeast with gusts to 50Kts at 0100 PST. Over 15,000 electric utility customers lost their power in the Shafter, Bakersfield, Lamont areas of Kern County by 1530 PST on 2/3/98. In KIngs County just outside of Lemoore a woman was injured when a tree fell on her at 0705 PST. Numerous trees and powerlines were downed within this county. Wind speed was measured at 48 Kts at the Hanford Airport at 0830 PST and shingles peeled off the roof of the NWS Office at 0810 PST. Tulare County also experienced numerous trees downed, including the Metropolitan Visalia area with trees downed at 0658 PST. In the Pixley-Earlimart area many agricultural plantings of trees were damaged or felled. Average wind speeds in the Kern County Mountains were 30-40Kts with one peak at 53Kts at 1145 PST on 2/2/98 at the Mountain Valley Airport. A Glennville spotter reported steady wind between 30-40Kts at 0710 on 2/3/98.

Event by event

2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Kern County Mountains

When: February 2, 11:45 AM PST to February 3, 3:00 PM PST
Where: Kern County Mountains forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)

High Wind, Southern San Joaquin Valley

When: February 2, 9:40 PM PST to February 3, 3:00 PM PST
Where: Southern San Joaquin Valley forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in California in 1998 Every state in 1998 This day in weather history Warnings in California, February 1998

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5638960, 5638959.