Strong Wind in California, February 25, 2004

Name: Strong Wind in California, February 25, 2004
Start: 2004-02-25T10:04
End: 2004-02-25T18:15
Location: California

February 25, 2004 · NWS HNX · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 1
Property damage: $201,000
Crop damage: $50,000
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.

During the late morning hours in a pre-frontal condition, southeast wind gusted up to 40 knots in the Central San Joaquin Valley. Numerous power lines were downed in Merced, Livingston, and Santa Nella. A downed power line also resulted in an electrocution injury in Santa Nella. In the adjacent foothill locations wind speeds gusted to 41 knots. Accompanying the wind on the San Joaquin Valley floor were rainfall accumulations of up to 1/2-inch on the 25th: Visalia and Bakersfield 0.50", Hanford 0.46", and 0.45" at Merced. Lingering precipitation totals on the 26th added another one to three tenths of rain on the Central and South San Joaquin Valley Floor. Some almond orchard damage resulted from high wind and heavy rain accumulations in the Merced County area.

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 25, 3:30 AM PST, 6 hours 34 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 25, 3:30 AM PST, 6 hours 34 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HANFORD CA
330 AM PST WED FEB 25 2004

LARGE CYCLONE CONTINUES TO MOVE AT A STEADY CLIP TOWARDS THE
FORECAST AREA EARLY THIS MORNING, WITH THE EDGE OF THE BAROCLINIC
ZONE PUSHING INTO THE NORTHERN PART OF THE BAY AREA. IMPRESSIVE
CLOUD TOP COOLING NOTED WITH THE DEVELOPING FRONTAL ZONE STRETCHING
WELL TO THE SOUTHWEST TO OUT NEAR 130W. WATER VAPOR IMAGERY DEPICTS
THE CENTER OF THE LOW NEAR 40/135W AND STILL HEADING EAST. CURRENT
TIMING OF THE STORM INDICATES THE RAIN WILL BEGIN EARLY THIS MORNING
OVER MERCED COUNTY AND SPREAD SOUTHEAST DURING THE MORNING HOURS.
THE TRICKY PART OF THE PRECIPITATION FORECAST WILL BE THE ONSET IN
THE SOUTHERN FORECAST AREA, AS AN ALREADY VERY IMPRESSIVE PRESSURE
GRADIENT OVER NORTHERN CALIFORNIA TRANSLATES SOUTH WITH THE
APPROACHING LOW. STRONG DOWN-SLOPING FLOW FROM THE TEHACHAPI AND
GRAPEVINE AREA MOUNTAINS WILL CERTAINLY DELAY THE ONSET OF RAIN IN
THE BAKERSFIELD AREA BY A FEW HOURS AND WARM UP THINGS
CONSIDERABLY. CURRENT FORECAST HIGHS FOR THE SOUTH VALLEY ARE AROUND
70, HOWEVER THE NGM GUIDANCE SUGGESTS A 78. WILL HAVE TO WATCH THE
MERCURY THIS MORNING AS THE 78 MAY NOT BE OUT OF THE QUESTION IF
THE SKIES STAY MAINLY CLEAR AND THE WIND HOWLS.

AS FOR THE WIND THREAT: ALL MODELS CONTINUE TO ADVERTISE A VERY
STRONG SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT OF AT LEAST 16 MB FROM BAKERSFIELD
TO SAN FRANCISCO LATER THIS MORNING AND IN ADDITION, 850 MB (4500
FOOT LEVEL) WINDS EXCEEDING 55 KNOTS ALOFT ALONG THE WEST SIDE OF
THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY. CURRENT HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE GRAPEVINE
AREA SEEMS FINE. WILL GO AHEAD AND ISSUE A LOCAL HIGH WIND WARNING
FOR THE ADJACENT GRAPEVINE AREA OF THE KERN MOUNTAINS FOR THE SAME
REASON. 50 TO 60 MPH SUSTAINED WINDS AT THE 9000 FOOT LEVEL ARE
PROGGED BY THE MODELS LATER THIS MORNING ALSO IN THE SIERRA FOR
IDEAL OROGRAPHIC ENHANCEMENT OF SNOW POTENTIAL.

FOR THE HEAVY SNOW THREAT: THE VERY STRONG BAROCLINIC ZONE, IDEAL
OROGRAPHICS, AND A DECENT MOISTURE PLUME WILL ALL COMBINE TO
PRODUCE THE PREVIOUSLY FORECAST HEAVY SNOW IN THE SIERRA. LATEST
MODEL PROJECTED PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS ARE STILL RUNNING IN THE 2.6
TO AS HIGH AS 5 AT YOSEMITE VALLEY IN THE NEXT 48 HOURS, THUS THE
CURRENTLY SUGGESTED 4 FEET + OF SNOW IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS SEEMS
ON TRACK. CURRENT WINTER STORM WARNING WILL REMAIN.

CHANGES TO FORECAST: HAVE PUSHED THE PRECIPITATION CHANCES BACK TO
100 PERCENT AT MOST LOCATIONS FOR LATE TODAY AND TONIGHT. HAVE ALSO
INTRODUCED THUNDERSTORMS IN THE SJV AND FOOTHILLS FOR THURSDAY AS
COLD POOL ALOFT (-29C AT 500 MB) IS PROGGED TO SPILL INTO THE AREA.
HAVE ALSO TWEAKED SOME TEMPERATURES BUT MADE NO REAL BIG CHANGES.
MODELS ARE IN NO BIG HURRY TO EJECT THIS VERY DEEP LONG WAVE LOW
PRESSURE SYSTEM, AND HANG THE TROUGH AXIS OVER THE AREA THROUGH
FRIDAY MORNING, BEFORE MOVING IT EAST LATE FRIDAY. EXPECT CONTINUED
SHOWERY AND UNSETTLED WEATHER THROUGH FRIDAY.

FOR FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...AS THE UPPER TROUGH
DEPARTS THE AREA FRIDAY NIGHT...MOIST CYCLONIC FLOW BEHIND IT WILL
KEEP ISOLATED SHOWERS ACROSS THE CENTRAL CA INTERIOR. 00Z AND 06Z
GFS COMING IN LINE WITH THE UKMET/ECMWF/GEM IN BUILDING A RIDGE INTO
CENTRAL CA FROM OFFSHORE OVER THE WEEKEND WHICH WOULD KEEP A COOL
AND DRY NORTHERLY FLOW OVER THE AREA. THE NOGAPS IS MUCH FLATTER
WITH THE RIDGING...BUT HAVE DISCARDED THIS SOLUTION AS THE ODD MODEL
OUT. THE MODEL CONSENSUS BRINGS ANOTHER LOW INTO THE PAC NW ON
SUNDAY WHICH THEN DROPS SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN AS AN
INSIDE SLIDER SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT. THIS WILL BRING
INCREASED MOISTURE TO THE AREA DURING THIS TIME FRAME ALTHOUGH BEST
PRECIPITATION CHANCES SHOULD REMAIN CONFINED TO THE HIGHER
ELEVATIONS OF THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA. GFS INDICATING A HIGH
AMPLITUDE RIDGE BUILDS OFFSHORE BY TUESDAY WHICH WILL KEEP CENTRAL
CA UNDER A COOL AND DRY NORTHERLY FLOW FOR THE MIDDLE PORTION OF
NEXT WEEK.

&&

.HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...WINTER STORM WARNING FOR THE
    SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA...NORTH OF KERN COUNTY...FROM 600 AM
    TODAY THROUGH 600 PM THURSDAY.
...HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE SOUTH END OF THE SAN JOAQUIN...FROM
   1000 AM THIS MORNING THROUGH 600 PM.
...HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE GRAPEVINE AREA OF THE KERN COUNTY
MOUNTAINS...FROM 1000 AM THIS MORNING THROUGH 600 PM.
&&

DUDLEY/SPECTOR

Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 25, 5:00 AM PST, 5 hours 4 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
500 AM PST WED FEB 25 2004

CAZ089-090-093-094-098-099-261300-
WEST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-EAST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-
MARIPOSA MADERA AND FRESNO COUNTY FOOTHILLS-TULARE COUNTY FOOTHILLS-
INDIAN WELLS VALLEY-SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT-
500 AM PST WED FEB 25 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE WEST AND EAST CENTRAL SAN
JOAQUIN VALLEY...THE SIERRA FOOTHILLS...AND THE SOUTHEASTERN KERN
COUNTY DESERT.

.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.

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

CAZ096-097-261300-
SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON-TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS-
500 AM PST WED FEB 25 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS FOR THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA FROM
YOSEMITE PARK TO KINGS CANYON...AND THE TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY

A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHERN SIERRA
NEVADA...FROM YOSEMITE PARK TO THE KERN COUNTY LINE...FROM 600 AM
TODAY THROUGH 600 PM THURSDAY. REFER TO THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER
MESSAGE...SFOWSWHNX OR WWUS46 KHNX.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

THE WINTER STORM WARNING WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHERN
SIERRA NEVADA...FROM YOSEMITE PARK TO THE KERN COUNTY LINE THROUGH
6 PM THURSDAY. REFER TO THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE...
SFOWSWHNX OR WWUS46 KHNX.

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

CAZ091-092-095-261300-
SOUTHWESTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-SOUTHEASTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-
KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS-
500 AM PST WED FEB 25 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE SOUTHWESTERN AND
SOUTHEASTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY...AND THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY

A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT TODAY FROM 400 AM TO 400
PM FOR THE GRAPEVINE AREA AND ADJACENT SOUTHERN AREAS OF THE SAN
JOAQUIN VALLEY. FOR FURTHER DETAILS REFER TO THE WEATHER MESSAGE...
SFONPWHNX OR WWUS76 KHNX.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

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

Event by event

3 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Strong Wind, W Central S.J. Valley

When: February 25, 10:04 AM PST to 6:15 PM PST
Where: W Central S.J. Valley forecast zone
Measured: 36 kt (41 mph) measured gust
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Strong Wind, E Central S.J. Valley

When: February 25, 10:54 AM PST to 3:05 PM PST
Where: E Central S.J. Valley forecast zone
Measured: 40 kt (46 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $150,000
Crop damage: $50,000
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Strong Wind, S Sierra Foothills

When: February 25, 11:03 AM PST to 6:15 PM PST
Where: S Sierra Foothills forecast zone
Measured: 41 kt (47 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

What these are

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

Every storm in California in 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history Warnings in California, February 2004

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: 5384958, 5384959, 5384960.