California, 2001

Damaging Wind in California, May 22, 2001

May 22, 2001 · NWS HNX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

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

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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
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 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 May 22, 1:15 PM PST, 1 hour 29 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 22, 1:15 PM PST, 1 hour 29 minutes before
INTERIOR CENTRAL CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
215 PM PDT TUE MAY 22 2001

AS EXPECTED ANOTHER HOT DAY IS IN PROGRESS OVER THE FORECAST AREA WITH
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY LOCATIONS ALL POISED TO REACH OVER 100 DEGREES.
FRESNO SHOULD TIE THE MAY RECORD FOR MOST 100 DEGREE DAYS AT 5. OVER
THE FOOTHILLS...SIERRA AND THE KERN DESERTS...TEMPERATURES ARE ALSO
RUNNING WARMER THAN YESTERDAY.  OVER THE SIERRA AND KERN MOUNTAINS...
CUMULUS HAVE POPPED UP AND THE FIRST THUNDER HAS POPPED OVER THE
SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK. THESE LOCATIONS TO SEE ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS IN
THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. DURING THE NEXT TWO DAYS I DON'T EXPECT MUCH
COOLING AT ALL AS THE SHORT RANGE MODELS VERY SLOWLY SHIFT THE CENTER OF
THE HIGH WHICH IS CURRENTLY SOUTHEAST OF MONTEREY TO A POSITION NEAR LAS
VEGAS BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON. MODEL 850 MB TEMPERATURES REMAIN STEADY ON
WEDNESDAY AND FALL JUST SLIGHTLY BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON. MODEL
INSTABILITY FORECASTS SUGGEST THE CONVECTIVE THREAT IN THE SIERRA TO
REMAIN THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. AS THE UPPER LEVEL WINDS SHIFT TO
THE SOUTHWEST ON THURSDAY IT LOOKS LIKE THE THREAT WILL SHIFT TO THE
EAST OF THE CREST AND WILL NOT INCLUDE THUNDERSTORMS.

IN THE EXTENDED FORECAST...ON FRIDAY THE AVN AND OTHER MEDIUM RANGE
MODELS KEEP THE HIGH CENTERED OVER SOUTH CENTRAL NEVADA AND 850 MB
TEMPERATURES DON'T FALL MUCH AT ALL. CLOSED UPPER LOW IS AGAIN PROGGED
TO MOVE FROM NEAR 130W TO A POSITION ABOUT 400 WEST OF POINT CONCEPTION
WHILE LOWERING HEIGHTS 20 TO 30 METERS. THIS TREND CONTINUES INTO EARLY
SUNDAY WITH FURTHER HEIGHT FALLS. OF COURSE THIS IS ALL BASED ON THE
MODEL FORECAST BEING CORRECT AND WITH THE DOWNSTREAM MAJOR LOW OVER THE
OHIO VALLEY REMAINING IN PLACE...THUS EVEN FURTHER SLOWING OF THE
SHIFT FROM RIDGE TO LOW MAY OCCUR. WILL COOL THINGS SLIGHTLY ON
FRIDAY AND CONTINUE TO COOL THINGS OFF OVER THE MEMORIAL DAY gWEEKEND.
WITH CURRENT PROGGED POSITIONING OF THE LOW...EXPECT ENOUGH SOUTHWEST
FLOW TO PRECLUDE THUNDERSTORMS.

.HNX...NONE.
DUDLEY

The radar

The San Joaquin Valley radar (KHNX), 75 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:45 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Tulare

When
May 22, 2:44 PM PST to 3:15 PM PST
Where
Tulare County, 20 mi SE of Lodgepole
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
36.220, -118.800 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A severe thunderstorm warning was issued on the basis of a radar signature in a remote, high elevation of Tulare County within Sequoia National Park. No confirmation of severe weather was received from this stationary cell that reached 56 dbz with a high probability of large hail and tops in excess of 30K feet.

What these are

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 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in California, May 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: 5244151.