California, 2002

High Wind in California, May 19, 2002

May 19, 2002 · NWS HNX · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

Ahead of an approaching winter storm, winds in the Kern County Mountains and Deserts became gusty. Indian Wells Canyon reported gusts to 51 MPH in the evening of the 19th; Laural Mountain had a peak gust of 43 MPH; and, Government Peak reaching 61 MPH midday on the 10th.

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.

Ahead of an approaching winter storm, winds in the Kern County Mountains and Deserts became gusty. Indian Wells Canyon reported gusts to 51 MPH in the evening of the 19th; Laural Mountain had a peak gust of 43 MPH; and, Government Peak reaching 61 MPH midday on the 10th.

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 19, 8:00 AM PST, 1 hour 24 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 19, 8:00 AM PST, 1 hour 24 minutes before
INTERIOR CENTRAL CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
900 AM PDT SUN MAY 19 2002

UNSEASONABLY COLD UPPER LOW OFF THE WEST COAST...IS FCST TO TRACK
INLAND MON-MON NITE. NEW ETA QPF FCST SHOWING ABOUT AN INCH AT
YOSEMITE...AND 6 TENTHS FOR KFAT. AMOUNTS FALL OFF SHARPLY FARTHER
SOUTH...WITH JUST A TENTH OF AN INCH AT KBFL. NEW MESO SHOWS SOME
IMPRESSIVE DYNAMICS FOR CONVECTION MON AFTERNOON...WITH 5H TEMPS -25
OR LOWER...CAPES 300+ J/KG...AND LI/S -1 TO -3. WILL ADDRESS THIS
MORE THIS AFTERNOON. CURRENT TIMING OF POPS LOOKS PRETTY GOOD AND NO
UPDATES NEEDED THIS MORNING.   BINGHAM

.HNX...WIND ADVISORY TODAY KERN MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS.
       WINTER STORM WATCH SOUTHERN SIERRA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS
       CANYON MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT.

Event by event

3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Se Kern Cty Desert

When
May 19, 9:24 AM PST to 7:20 PM PST
Where
Se Kern Cty Desert forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, Indian Wells Vly

When
May 19, 12:12 PM PST to 4:12 PM PST
Where
Indian Wells Vly forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, Kern Cty Mtns

When
May 19, 2:13 PM PST to 5:13 PM PST
Where
Kern Cty Mtns forecast zone
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, May 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: 5291621, 5291620, 5291619.