High Wind in California, February 7, 2001

Name: High Wind in California, February 7, 2001
Start: 2001-02-07T09:35
End: 2001-02-07T16:00
Location: California

February 7, 2001 · NWS STO · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

South winds exceeded 40 mph and were responsible for blowing down an illuminated Taco Bell sign and fence in Willows.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $15,000
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 STO wrote it up.

South winds exceeded 40 mph and were responsible for blowing down an illuminated Taco Bell sign and fence in Willows.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Sacramento, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 7, 9:00 AM PST, 35 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 7, 9:00 AM PST, 35 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA
900 AM PST WED FEB 07 2001

UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OVER CENTRAL CA FORECAST TO MOVE EAST WITH A VORT
MAX MOVING SOUTH AROUND THE BASE. 120 KNOT JET MAX DIGGING THE TROUGH
AND UPPER LOW INTO SOCAL TONIGHT AND INTO THE SOUTHERN PLANES STATES
FRIDAY. SUBSIDENCE BEHIND THE SHORT WAVE HAS BROUGHT CLEAR SKIES THIS
MORNING OVER THE CWA AND SHOULD ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO CLIMB INTO THE
50S THROUGHOUT THE VALLEYS. ALTHOUGH THE SURFACE LOW WEAKENS OVER THE
CENTRAL ROCKIES...THE APPROACHING PACIFIC HIGH MAINTAINS A TIGHT
GRADIENT OVER NORCAL DURING THE DAY...10 MB FROM STOCKTON TO THE OR
BORDER. STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS CONTINUE OVER THE CWA MAINLY WESTERN
PORTION OF THE VALLEY WITH VACAVILLE REPORTING 26G34 KNOTS AND
SEVERAL OTHER STATIONS ARE JUST BELOW ADVISORY CRITERIA. NO UPDATE
THIS MORNING UNLESS STRONG WINDS BECOME MORE WIDE SPREAD. COLD AIR
HAS FILTERED OVER THE CW-A WITH TEMPERATURES UP TO 5 DEGREES COOLER
THAN 24 HOURS EARLIER. OVERNIGHT LOWS EXPECTED TO BE AT OR A LITTLE
COOLER THAN LAST NIGHT AS WINDS DECREASE WITH A RELAXED PRESSURE
GRADIENT. PFJ

.STO...NONE

Event by event

3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Central Sacramento Valley

When: February 7, 9:35 AM PST to 4:00 PM PST
Where: Central Sacramento Valley forecast zone
Measured: 36 kt (41 mph)
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, Northern Sacramento Valley

When: February 7, 9:35 AM PST to 4:00 PM PST
Where: Northern Sacramento Valley forecast zone
Measured: 41 kt (47 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, Carquinez Strait and Delta

When: February 7, 9:35 AM PST to 4:00 PM PST
Where: Carquinez Strait and Delta forecast zone
Measured: 40 kt (46 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

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 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in California, February 2001

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: 5231119, 5231120, 5231121.