Winter Storm, S Sierra Mtns
- When
- December 14, 4:00 AM PST to 11:38 AM PST
- Where
- S Sierra Mtns forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Winter Storm and Strong Wind in California, December 14, 2003
In the Southern Sierra and Tulare County Mountains at the higher elevations substantial snow fell primarily during the morning of the 14th. Estimated amounts included Chilkoot Meadow 15 inches of new snow, Volcanic Knob 13", Beach Meadow 22", and Lodgepole 15".
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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $2,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 5
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 Southern Sierra and Tulare County Mountains at the higher elevations substantial snow fell primarily during the morning of the 14th. Estimated amounts included Chilkoot Meadow 15 inches of new snow, Volcanic Knob 13", Beach Meadow 22", and Lodgepole 15". Pre-frontal wind was also present as the foothill areas reported southeast wind gusts to 35 MPH at Catheys Valley. Post-frontal conditions later in the day had north winds sustained at 41 MPH in the Indian Wells Valley area with a gust to 64 MPH. Jawbone RAWS had northwest wind gusts to 58 MPH. Locally heavy rain occurred on the San Joaquin Valley floor with the city of Lemoore reporting street flooding in the late morning hours from 0.41" of rain in that short period.
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 Dec 14, 4:00 AM PST, 0 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Dec 14, 4:00 AM PST, 0 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
400 AM PST SUN DEC 14 2003
.SHORT TERM...FOR THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA INTERIOR...PACIFIC FRONTAL
SYSTEM IS TRACKING STEADILY EAST...NOW CURRENTLY PUSHING ONSHORE IN
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA WITH ASSOCIATED PRECIPITATION AREA NEARING THE
NORTHERN BORDER OF THE DISTRICT. THE SYSTEM WILL MOVE QUICKLY
SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE AREA BRINGING RAIN AND HIGHER ELEVATION SNOW
TO THE ENTIRE AREA TODAY...ENDING BY LATE AFTERNOON OVER THE VALLEY
AND LINGERING INTO THE EVENING ELSEWHERE...MAINLY OVER THE KERN
MOUNTAINS WHICH WILL BE OROGRAPHICALLY FAVORABLE IN THE NORTHWEST
FLOW BEHIND THE FRONT. COULD SEE SOME ACCOMPANYING THUNDERSTORMS AS
COOLER AIR ALOFT HELPS TO DESTABILIZE THE AIRMASS. THE COOLER AIR
WILL ALSO LOWER SNOW LEVELS...STILL PROGGED TO DROP TO NEAR 3000 FT
IN THE NORTH AND AROUND 4500 FT IN KERN COUNTY. CURRENT PROJECTED
TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS LOOK ON TRACK...WITH UP TO 15 INCHES OVER
NORTHERN AREAS...DOWN TO NEAR 4 INCHES IN KERN COUNTY. SOUTHEAST
WINDS ARE INCREASING OVER NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA NEAR THE
APPROACHING FRONT. WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH NEAR ADVISORY
CRITERIA IN THE VALLEY AHEAD OF AND JUST BEHIND THE FRONT...AND
GUSTING TO NEAR HIGH WIND WARNING VALUES IN THE KERN DESERT. ALL
CURRENT WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES WILL CONTINUE.
THE UPPER PACIFIC RIDGE WILL REBUILD OVER THE AREA BEGINNING SUNDAY
NIGHT...BRINGING AN END TO THE WET WEATHER...WITH COOL AND CLEAR
NIGHTS BRINGING INCREASING AREAS OF FOG AND SOME PATCHY FROST IN THE
VALLEY THROUGH TUESDAY. HIGHER ELEVATIONS WILL SEE WARMING
TEMPERATURES WITH LITTLE CHANGE SEEN IN THE VALLEY.
.LONG TERM...FOR WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...MEDIUM RANGE MODELS
REMAIN IN GOOD CONSISTENCY IN PROGGING A RIDGE PATTERN OVER THE
DISTRICT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE EXTENDED. THE RIDGE PATTERN WILL BE
AT ITS TAIL END WITH A CHANGE IN THE WEATHER EXPECTED BY THE END OF
THE WEEK. IN ADDITION...MODELS SHOW 700MB HEIGHTS RISING ABOVE 3100
METERS OVER CENTRAL CALIFORNIA BEFORE THE EXTENDED PERIOD STARTS.
AND WITH THE RECENT PRECIP...DENSE FOG CAN BE EXPECTED BY TUESDAY
NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING. THESE CONDITIONS MAY PERSIST INTO
WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY MORNING...BUT A BIT MORE PATCHY AS A
CHANGE IN THE WEATHER WILL BE EXPECTED. THE NEXT IN A SERIES OF
DISTURBANCE WILL BE TIMED TO START ENTERING THE REGION BY LATE
THURSDAY WITH AN INCREASE IN CLOUD COVER.
MODELS ARE SHOWING SOME DISAGREEMENT WITH THE NEXT DISTURBANCE...YET
THE CONSENSUS IS TO INTRODUCE A TROF OVER THE DISTRICT BY EARLY
FRIDAY. THIS CONSENSUS IS AMONG THE GFS/ECMWF AND CANADIAN. NOGAPS
ATTEMPTS TO MAINTAIN THE RIDGE PATTERN DURING THIS TIME FRAME WITH
THE UKMET DEVELOPING A CUT OFF LOW OFF THE WEST COAST. YET...EVEN
WITH THE NOGAPS RIDGE PATTERN...IT STILL RESOLVES A RATHER WEAK TROF
PUSHING THROUGH THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. THEREFORE...WITH GO WITH A
TROF PATTERN BASED ON MODEL SOLUTIONS. ALONG WITH MOST OF THE MODELS
SHOWING A WEDGE OF DEEP MOISTURE PUSHING THROUGH ON FRIDAY/SATURDAY
...WILL EXPECT THIS TIME FRAME TO REMAIN UNSETTLE WITH PRECIP
POTENTIAL RISING TO SLIGHT CHANCE/LOW CHANCE LEVELS. BASED ON
OBSERVED GUIDANCE...WILL NOT MAKE ANY CHANGES TO THE TEMPERATURE AT
THIS TIME.
&&
.HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...WINTER STORM WARNING TODAY FOR
THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO THE KERN COUNTY
LINE.
...WINTER STORM WARNING TODAY AND THIS EVENING FOR THE KERN
COUNTY MOUNTAINS.
...HIGH WIND WARNING THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT FOR THE
KERN COUNTY DESERTS.
...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY TODAY FOR THE SIERRA NEVADA
FOOTHILLS ABOVE 3500 FEET NORTH OF KERN COUNTY.
...WIND ADVISORY TODAY FOR THE SIERRA NEVADA FOOTHILLS BELOW
3500 FEET NORTH OF KERN COUNTY.
&&
JEB/MOLINAHazardous weather outlook, Dec 13, 9:30 PM PST, 6 hours 30 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA 930 PM PST SAT DEC 13 2003 CAZ096-097-141300- SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON-TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS- 930 PM PST SAT DEC 13 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO THE KERN COUNTY LINE. .DAY ONE...TODAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR SUNDAY. REFER TO THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE /WWUS46 KHNX/ FOR DETAILS. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS TO THEIR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE. CAZ095-141300- KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS- 930 PM PST SAT DEC 13 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS. .DAY ONE...TODAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR SUNDAY AND SUNDAY EVENING. REFER TO THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE /WWUS46 KHNX/ FOR DETAILS. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS TO THEIR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE. CAZ093-094-141300- MARIPOSA MADERA AND FRESNO COUNTY FOOTHILLS-TULARE COUNTY FOOTHILLS- 930 PM PST SAT DEC 13 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE SIERRA NEVADA FOOTHILLS. .DAY ONE...TODAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR AREAS ABOVE 3500 FEET FOR SUNDAY. A WIND ADVISORY IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR AREAS BELOW 3500 FEET SUNDAY. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE /WWUS46 KHNX/ AND THE LATEST NON-PRECIPITATION WEATHER MESSAGE/WWUS76 KHNX/ FOR DETAILS. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS TO THEIR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE. CAZ098-099-141300- INDIAN WELLS VALLEY-SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT- 930 PM PST SAT DEC 13 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE KERN COUNTY DESERTS. DAY ONE...TODAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND SUNDAY NIGHT. REFER TO THE LATEST NON-PRECIPITATION WEATHER MESSAGE /WWUS76 KHNX/ FOR DETAILS. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS TO THEIR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE. CAZ089>092-141300- EAST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-SOUTHEASTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY- SOUTHWESTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-WEST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY- 930 PM PST SAT DEC 13 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY. DAY ONE...TODAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS TO THEIR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE. JSN
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
2 winter storm, 2 strong wind, 1 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy Rain, Kings
- When
- December 14, 9:30 AM PST to 12:00 PM PST
- Where
- Kings County, Lemoore
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 36.075, -119.815 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Tulare Cty Mtns
- When
- December 14, 10:00 AM PST to 3:00 PM PST
- Where
- Tulare Cty Mtns forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Strong Wind, Indian Wells Vly
- When
- December 14, 1:13 PM PST
- Where
- Indian Wells Vly forecast zone
- Measured
- 56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
- Property damage
- $1,000
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Strong Wind, Se Kern Cty Desert
- When
- December 14, 1:53 PM PST
- Where
- Se Kern Cty Desert forecast zone
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
- Property damage
- $1,000
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
What these are
- Winter Storm
- A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
- Heavy Rain
- Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.
- Strong Wind
- Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Winter Weather in Virginia, December 14, 2003
- Heavy Snow in New York, December 14 to 15, 2003
- Heavy Snow in New York, December 14, 2003
- Heavy Snow in Pennsylvania, December 14 to 15, 2003
- Winter Storm in New York, December 14 to 15, 2003
- Winter Storm in New York, December 14 to 15, 2003
- Winter Storm in New York, December 14 to 15, 2003
- Winter Storm in Vermont, December 14 to 15, 2003
- Heavy Snow in Maine, December 14 to 15, 2003
- Winter Storm in Virginia, December 14, 2003
- Heavy Snow in Pennsylvania, December 14 to 15, 2003
- Heavy Snow in Pennsylvania, December 14, 2003
More
Every storm in California in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in California, December 2003
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: 5330703, 5330707, 5330704, 5330705, 5330706.