California, 2003

Dust Storm and Strong Wind in California, February 7, 2003

February 7, 2003 · NWS HNX · 2 events in 1 county or zone

Winds generally in the 40-50 MPH range but with some gusts measured to 60 MPH led to a trailer being towed overturning at the base of the Tehachapi Mountains as well as a gravel truck being overturned southeast of Bakersfield early on the morning of the 7th. Areas of near-zero visibility on Highway 223 south-southeast of Bakersfield were also reported due to blowing dust during the same time…

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$50,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

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.

Winds generally in the 40-50 MPH range but with some gusts measured to 60 MPH led to a trailer being towed overturning at the base of the Tehachapi Mountains as well as a gravel truck being overturned southeast of Bakersfield early on the morning of the 7th. Areas of near-zero visibility on Highway 223 south-southeast of Bakersfield were also reported due to blowing dust during the same time period. Power outages occurred in Maricopa, Arvin, and Bakersfield as the result of the strong wind on the South Valley floor.

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 Feb 7, 3:30 AM PST, 25 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 7, 3:30 AM PST, 25 minutes before
INTERIOR CENTRAL CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HANFORD CA
330 AM PST FRI FEB 7 2003

A VERY DRY AND COOL AIRMASS CONTINUES ACROSS THE REGION. A WEAK
UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE TROF WILL SLOWLY MOVE SOUTH ACROSS THE AREA
TODAY. THIS TROF WILL MOVE INTO SOCAL TONITE AND SAT. VERY LITTLE
MOISTURE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH THE TROF. A WEAK DEFORMATION ZONE ON
THE BACK SIDE OF THE TROF WILL BRING SOME HIGH/THIN CLDS TO THE AREA
TODAY. LOWER CLOUDS EAST OF THE SIERRA CREST MAY PRODUCE A FEW
FLURRIES TODAY...BUT ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN EAST OF THE CREST.
DECIDED TO TAKE POPS OUT OF ALL MTN/DESERT ZONES DUE TO DRYNESS OF
ATMO AND LACK OF ANY SIGNIFICANT OMEGA. ONLY THING TROF WILL DO IS
REINFORCE THE COLD AIRMASS ALREADY IN PLACE. THUS...A COUPLE MORE
FROSTY NITES IN THE VALLEY. UPPER TROF ALSO HELPING TO KICK UP SOME
LOCALLY GUSTY EAST WINDS IN THE SOUTH END OF THE VALLEY AND ACROSS
HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE TEHACHAPIS. WIND IN THE SOUTH END SHOULD
DIMINISH DURING THE MORNING...BUT REMAIN LOCALLY GUSTY TEHACHAPIS
THROUGH TONIGHT.  BINGHAM

FOR THE EXTENDED PERIOD (MON THRU THU)...MEDIUM RANGE GUIDANCE
GENERALLY IN GOOD AGREEMENT. MODELS INDICATE A REX BLOCK PATTERN
DEVELOPING AS AN UPPER LEVEL LOW MOVES SOUTHEAST...SOUTH OF AN UPPER
RIDGE ALONG THE EASTERN PACIFIC SUNDAY. THIS STALE PATTERN WILL
ALLOW THE AIRMASS TO MODERATE BRINGING MILDER TEMPERATURES AND END
TO THE THREAT OF FROST TO THE VALLEY. HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT SHOULD
ALSO PROVIDE MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES ALLOWING FOR THE RETURN OF NIGHTTIME
AND EARLY MORNING FOG IN THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY THROUGH TUESDAY.
MODELS INDICATE THE UPPER LOW WILL DIG WELL SOUTH WITH LOW CENTERED
NEAR 30N AND 130W TUESDAY MORNING. THIS POSITION SHOULD ALLOW FOR
THE SYSTEM TO TAP INTO SUBTROPICAL MOISTURE AS IT MOVES SLOWLY NE
TOWARD THE SOCAL COAST TUESDAY. LATEST MODELS HAVE WEAKEN AND SLOWED
THE SYSTEM A BIT. SO WILL DELAY THE ONSET OF PRECIPITATION UNTIL
TUESDAY NIGHT. MV

.HNX...FROST ADVISORY TONIGHT FOR THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN
       SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY.
Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 6, 5:30 AM PST, 22 hours 25 minutes before
CAZ089>099-071400-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
530 AM PST THU FEB 6 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
INTERIOR.

.DAY ONE...TODAY

A FROST ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL AND
SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY FOR TONIGHT (WWUS76 KHNX).
NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED ELSEWHERE AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

SCATTERED FROST IS EXPECTED DURING THE LATE NIGHT AND EARLY MORNING
HOURS FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING FOR THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED DURING THE
REMAINDER OF THE PERIOD OR ELSEWHERE AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS TO THEIR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE.

Event by event

1 dust storm, 1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Dust Storm, Se S.J. Valley

When
February 7, 3:55 AM PST to 8:00 AM PST
Where
Se S.J. Valley forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT

Strong Wind, Se S.J. Valley

When
February 7, 3:55 AM PST to 8:00 AM PST
Where
Se S.J. Valley forecast zone
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Property damage
$50,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT

What these are

Dust Storm
Blowing dust that reduced visibility to a quarter mile or less.
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

More

Every storm in California in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in California, February 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: 5342630, 5342631.