California, 1998

Tornado and Damaging Wind in California, March 24, 1998

March 24, 1998 · NWS HNX · 2 events in 1 county or zone

1 tornado, 1 thunderstorm wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$17,000
Crop damage
$30,000
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.

The radar

The San Joaquin Valley radar (KHNX), 107 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:43 UTC.

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Event by event

1 tornado, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Madera

When
March 24, 1:46 PM PST to 1:56 PM PST
Where
Madera County, Chowchilla to 5 mi WSW of Chowchilla
Rating
F0
Path length
2 mi
Path width
25 yd
Property damage
$15,000
Crop damage
$30,000
Coordinates
37.080, -120.350

Initial part of this severe storm was 2 miles in length with trees damaged in the Maddalena Orchard south of Highway 152 and east of Road 10. No other damage seen immediately to the northeast except phone line damage immediately along Highway 152 through the rural area. A spotter observed the tornado path. While not seen directly by any witnesses there was some damage to an orchard at Ave 251/2 and Road 14 located just south and west 2 miles from Chowchilla and some building damage 2 miles due west of Chowchilla that would be the same line and direction as the observed tornado...but 4 miles farther to the northeast!

Thunderstorm Wind, Madera

When
March 24, 1:55 PM PST
Where
Madera County, 5 mi WSW of Chowchilla
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Property damage
$2,000
Coordinates
37.080, -120.350

Strong wind from a severe thunderstorm pushed a trailer house off of its foundation as well as damaging some dairy, calf sheds in an area 1/2 mile north of the storm's tornado track.

What these are

Tornado
A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.
Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in California in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for California, 1998Warnings in California, March 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: 5637604, 5637605.