California, 2002

High Wind in California, March 13, 2002

March 13, 2002 · NWS HNX · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

In the Tehachapi Mountains northwest wind provided sustained 10-minute wind speeds of 73 MPH with a peak gust of 93 MPH. In the Kern Deserts widespread wind gusts in excess of 50 MPH were reported with peak gusts in and around Government Peak of 96 MPH.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
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 HNX wrote it up.

In the Tehachapi Mountains northwest wind provided sustained 10-minute wind speeds of 73 MPH with a peak gust of 93 MPH. In the Kern Deserts widespread wind gusts in excess of 50 MPH were reported with peak gusts in and around Government Peak of 96 MPH. Inyokern Airport reported gusts to 45Kts and Mojave Airport gusting to 50Kts.

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 Mar 13, 3:30 AM PST, 6 hours 26 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 13, 3:30 AM PST, 6 hours 26 minutes before
INTERIOR CENTRAL CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HANFORD CA
330 AM PST WED MAR 13 2002

WIND CONTINUES TO BE THE MAIN PROBLEM OF THE DAY. THE COLD FRONT
THAT HAS BEEN STUCK IN THE WESTERLY FLOW OVER NRN CA FOR THE PAST
COUPLE OF DAYS WILL MOVE SOUTH THROUGH CENTRAL CA TODAY AS A
SHORTWAVE DROPS INTO NRN CA. THIS WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY A STRONG
JET...STRONG COLD ADVECTION AND SUBSIDENCE. SURFACE PRESSURE
GRADIENT BETWEEN SFO AND LAS HAS ALREADY INCREASED TO 18 MB AND
FORECAST TO CONTINUE INCREASING TO ABOUT 21 MB THIS AFTERNOON. SO
STAGE IS SET FOR SIGNIFICANT WINDS OVER THE CWA TODAY. HIGH WIND
WARNINGS ALREADY IN EFFECT FOR THE KERN MTNS AND DESERT AND WILL
ISSUE A WIND ADVISORY FOR THE WEST SIDE OF THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY.
WINDS WILL INCREASE ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE VALLEY AND IN THE SIERRA
ZONES AS WELL...BUT LIKEY WILL REMAIN BELOW ADVISORY CRITERIA.

THE COLD FRONT WILL BE MAINLY DRY AS IT MOVES THROUGH THE CWA
TODAY...WITH JUST A SLIGHT CHC OF PRECIP NEAR YOSEMITE. ENOUGH
MOISURE IN PLACE FOR UPSLOPE CLOUDS ALONG THE SRN SIERRA AND
TEHACHAPI MTNS SPREADING ACROSS THE SOUTH END OF THE VALLEY. COULD
SQUEEZE OUT SOME LIGHT PRECIP OUT OF THIS CLOUDINESS...ESPECIALLY
TONIGHT/EARLY THURSDAY MORNING AS ANOTHER VORTMAX SLIDES THROUGH.
SHOULD BE SPOTTY AND DO NOT EXPECT ANYTHING MEASURABLE ATTM SO HAVE
OPTED TO LEAVE OUT OF ZONE FORECAST ATTM.

PRESSURE GRADIENTS WILL GRADUALLY RELAX THIS EVENING AND WINDS WILL
DIMINISH AS THE SURFACE DECOUPLES FROM THE UPPER LEVELS. SECOND
VORTMAX DROPPING THROUGH THE REGION TONIGHT AND THURSDAY WILL KEEP
WINDS UP OVER THE CWA...BUT NOT NEARLY AS STRONG AS TODAY. ANOTHER
THE OTHER CONCERN...AFTER THE WIND DIMINISHES...WILL BE THE THREAT
OF NEAR FREEZING TEMPS IN THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY. ENOUGH CLOUD COVER
REMAINING ALONG WITH ENOUGH MIXING OF THE ATMOSPHERE FOR ANY
SIGNIFICANT FROST CONCERN TONIGHT. BUT WITH CLEARING SKIES AND COLD
AIR IN PLACE FOR THURSDAY NIGHT...MIN TEMPS EARLY FRI AM WILL BE
MORE CRITICAL. THIS ALREADY COVERED IN THE FORECAST.

IN THE EXTENDED...ANOTHER SHORTWAVE WILL BRING A CHANCE OF PRECIP TO
THE SIERRA NEAR YOSEMITE FRIDAY. WILL KEEP CHANCE OF PRECIP FOR
SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY AS THE TROUGH DROPS SOUTH...BUT BEST CHANCE
LOOKS LIKE SUNDAY.

.HNX...HIGH WIND WARNING THROUGH 9 PM FOR THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS
       AND KERN COUNTY DESERTS.
    ...WIND ADVISORY THROUGH 9 PM FOR WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST SAN
       JOAQUIN VALLEY.

BEAN

Event by event

3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Kern Cty Mtns

When
March 13, 9:56 AM PST to 9:00 PM PST
Where
Kern Cty Mtns forecast zone
Measured
81 kt (93 mph)
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, Indian Wells Vly

When
March 13, 12:28 PM PST to 6:47 PM PST
Where
Indian Wells Vly forecast zone
Measured
83 kt (96 mph)
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, Se Kern Cty Desert

When
March 13, 12:28 PM PST to 6:47 PM PST
Where
Se Kern Cty Desert forecast zone
Measured
83 kt (96 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

More

Every storm in California in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in California, March 2002

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: 5287212, 5287213, 5287214.