Heavy Rain in California, September 4, 1998

Sub-tropical moisture had provided high humidities in combination with much above normal temperatures for the San Joaquin Valley for the first three (3) days in September. The remnants of East Pacific Hurricane Isis sheared northeastward from the Gulf of California by September 3rd but due to the southeast flow aloft around a weak low circulation off the Southern California Coast, the moisture was brought back to the northwest over the NWS San Joaquin Valley CWFA. With the moist sub-tropical airmass, steady rain with some embedded thunderstorms brought rainfall to the seasonally dry San Joaquin Valley. Agriculture, especially vintners and raisin growers, took monetary loss either directly due to rain or indirectly due to the additional steps to treat the increase in fungus activity on produce. While not "heavy" but "infrequent", this rain led Bakersfield to a one-day rainfall record on September 4th with 0.27" in 24-hours (old mark of 0.17" set in 1963). In the neighboring Kern Mountains, Tehachapi received 0.94 inches during the day. Rain was a little less steady northward through the CWFA counties but was showery. Other valley reports: Fresno...trace, Madera...trace, Merced...trace, Lemoore...0.05", Porterville...0.01", Kettleman...0.04", Taft...0.29". Edwards AFB...0.64", Mojave...0.50", Yosemite...0.03", LodgePole...0.48", Wishon...0.27", Frazier Park...1.53".