California, 2001

Drought in California, June 30, 2001

June 30, 2001 · NWS HNX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Despite Fresno and Bakersfield (in the San Joaquin Valley) having water years (July 1st to June 30th) apparently reflecting near normal conditions, below normal snowpack occurred throughout the state. 23" of rain had fallen early in September and October and did not significantly contribute to the snowpack.

The toll

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

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.

Despite Fresno and Bakersfield (in the San Joaquin Valley) having water years (July 1st to June 30th) apparently reflecting near normal conditions, below normal snowpack occurred throughout the state. This was especially true in Interior Central California as 2.23" of rain had fallen early in September and October and did not significantly contribute to the snowpack. State Water Project allocations were only at 30% which is the result of the 8-Station NorCal Precipitation Index being approximately 65% of average and snow water content at 60% of average.

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 Hanford, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 29, 7:45 PM PST, 4 hours 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 29, 7:45 PM PST, 4 hours 15 minutes before
INTERIOR CENTRAL CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
845 PM PDT FRI JUN 29 2001

NO UPDATES PLANNED THIS EVENING. WARMING TREND CONTINUES AS FORECAST
AREA MAXES RAN AROUND 5-8 DEGREES WARMER AT MOST LOCATIONS. SATELLITE
IMAGERY SHOWS SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT AND A FEW PATCHES OF CIRRUS. WINDS
OVER THE KERN DESERTS ARE ALREADY SLACKING OFF WITH CALIFORNIA CITY APRS
SHOWING A FEW GUSTS TO 15 MPH. CURRENT FORECAST OF MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES
SEEMS FINE. SATELLITE TRENDS INDICATE THE CIRRUS CURRENTLY AFFECT THE
AREA WILL SHIFT TO THE NORTH OF THE AREA AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS
WESTWARD FROM ARIZONA. IN ADDITION...PROGGED 850 MB TEMPERATURES RISE 2-
3 DEGREES CELSIUS FOR SATURDAY AND THIS SHOULD ALLOW FOR ANOTHER 3-5
DEGREES F OF WARMING ON SATURDAY WITH ANOTHER DEGREE OR SO ON SUNDAY.

MODELS DO INDEED PROG A STRENTHENING OF THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OVER THE
WEEKEND WITH FLOW ALOFT BECOMING MORE SOUTHERLY...THEN SOUTHEAST BY
EARLY NEXT WEEK. THIS SHOULD USHER IN SOME MOISTURE FROM THE SOUTHEAST
FOR THE BEGINNING OF A DAILY SIERRA AND KERN DESERT THUNDERSTORM THREAT
BY TUESDAY. JUST HOW MUCH MOISTURE THAT MAKES IT INTO CENTRAL SCALIFORNIA
AND THE TIMING WILL BE TRICKY...HOWEVER CURRENT FORECAST HAS THE TREND
HANDLED WELL.

.HNX...NONE.

DUDLEY

Event by event

1 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, S Sierra Mtns

When
June 30, 12:00 AM PST to 11:59 PM PST
Where
S Sierra Mtns forecast zone
Reported by
GOVT OFFICIAL

What these are

Drought
A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in California in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in California, June 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: 5245734.