High Wind in California, February 6, 1998

Name: High Wind in California, February 6, 1998
Start: 1998-02-06T06:00
End: 1998-02-06T17:00
Location: California

February 6, 1998 · NWS HNX · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

Mariposa County wind was reported at 40 MPH during the day. over 1800 electric utility customers were still without power in the Oakhurst area by the morning of the 7th.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 3

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.

A Coarsegold spotter in Madera County reported 56Kt wind at 1120 AM...Mariposa County wind was reported at 40 MPH during the day. Wind in the Madera County mountains began as early as 1745 PST 2/5/98 and peaking on the 6th...over 1800 electric utility customers were still without power in the Oakhurst area by the morning of the 7th. Strong southeast wind felled a tree into a house in the Caruthers area of Fresno County around 1000 PST on 2/6/98. Over 32,000 electric utility customers were without power in Merced, Madera, Fresno, Tulare, and Kings Counties. Strong southeast gradient wind again brought damage to Southern San Joaquin Valley locations beginning around 0600 PST. Powerlines and trees felled led to the loss of power to over 32,000 customers in the Kings, Tulare, and Fresno County areas, including 2000 in the Lemoore area of Kings County and 3500 in Dinuba in Tulare County.

Event by event

3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Southern San Joaquin Valley

When: February 6, 6:00 AM PST to 5:00 PM PST
Where: Southern San Joaquin Valley forecast zone
Measured: 40 kt (46 mph)

High Wind, Southern Sierra Nevada-Yosemite National Park to Kings Canyon

When: February 6, 10:00 AM PST to 5:00 PM PST
Where: Southern Sierra Nevada-Yosemite National Park to Kings Canyon forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph)

High Wind, Central San Joaquin Valley

When: February 6, 10:00 AM PST to 5:00 PM PST
Where: Central San Joaquin Valley forecast zone
Measured: 40 kt (46 mph)

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: 5638971, 5638679, 5638972.