California, 2003

Lightning Strikes in California, May 14, 2003

May 14, 2003 · NWS HNX · 3 events in 1 county or zone

Lightning, strong wind, and pea-sized hail accompanied convective activity that spread over the South-Central part of the San Joaquin Valley in the afternoon of the 14th. Newspaper reports noted several lightning strikes in and around the city of Visalia.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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
$3,000
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.

Lightning, strong wind, and pea-sized hail accompanied convective activity that spread over the South-Central part of the San Joaquin Valley in the afternoon of the 14th. Newspaper reports noted several lightning strikes in and around the city of Visalia.

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 14, 7:45 AM PST, 5 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 14, 7:45 AM PST, 5 hours before
INTERIOR CENTRAL CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SERVICE HANFORD CA
845 AM PDT WED MAY 14 2003

SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS THAT THE MAIN FETCH OF UPPER LEVEL
SUBTROPICAL MOISTURE IS BEING SHUNTED TO THE EAST OF THE DISTRICT.
HOWEVER...THE UPPER LOW NOW MOVING INTO THE SOUTH LAND IS WRAPPING
SOME MOISTURE BACK INTO THE CWFA. THIS MAY BE SUFFICIENT TO INDUCE A
FEW SHOWERS OVER THE MOUNTAINS DURING THE PEAK HEATING
TIME...ESPECIALLY AS MORE OPAQUE MOISTURE DEPARTS DURING THE
AFTERNOON.

ANOTHER POINT OF CONTENTION INVOLVES THE CURRENT MARINE INFLUX.
TRAVIS AFB REPORTS SW WIND SUSTAINED AT 25 KT...AND WITH THE COASTAL
FORT ORD PROFILER INDICATING A MARINE INVERSION BETTER THAN 3K FEET
ALONG WITH A 2.7 MB ONSHORE SURFACE GRADIENT SFO-SAC...VALLEY
TEMPERATURES WILL BE A FEW DEGREES COOLER TODAY. THIS DESPITE FRESNO
PIBAL AND VALLEY PROFILERS SUGGESTING TEMPERATURES ABOVE THE GROUND
AT OR SLIGHTLY ABOVE THOSE FROM YESTERDAY.

CURRENT PACKAGE HAS THESE IDEAS WELL PLAYED OUT AND THUS WILL NOT
UPDATE ATTM.

.HNX...NONE.

BURGER
Hazardous weather outlook, May 14, 4:30 AM PST, 8 hours 15 minutes before
CAZ089>099-151130-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
530 AM PDT WED MAY 14 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
INTERIOR.

.DAY ONE...TODAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

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.

The radar

The San Joaquin Valley radar (KHNX), 75 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:43 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Lightning, Tulare

When
May 14, 12:45 PM PST
Where
Tulare County, 2 mi S of Goshen
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
36.220, -118.800 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning, Tulare

When
May 14, 12:45 PM PST
Where
Tulare County, 1 mi SE of Visalia Arpt
Property damage
$3,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
36.220, -118.800 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning, Tulare

When
May 14, 2:05 PM PST
Where
Tulare County, 10 mi W of Tipton
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
36.220, -118.800 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Lightning
A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.

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, May 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: 5354654, 5354655, 5354653.