Strong Wind in California, February 25, 2004

Name: Strong Wind in California, February 25, 2004
Start: 2004-02-25T12:04
End: 2004-02-25T21:08
Location: California

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

Pre-frontal wind from the SSE on the 25th caused damage to power transmission poles west of Bakersfield. Consistent wind gusts in excess of 30 MPH occurred through the South and Central San Joaquin Valley.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $17,000
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.

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, 10:20 AM PST, 1 hour 44 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 25, 10:20 AM PST, 1 hour 44 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
1020 AM PST WED FEB 25 2004

.SHORT TERM...FOR THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA INTERIOR...ACTIVE WEATHER
PATTERN DEVELOPING AS THE FRONTAL BAND DROPS INTO THE CENTRAL
CALIFORNIA INTERIOR. WINDS ALREADY HAVE FLIRTED WITH ADVISORY
CRITERIA AT MADERA...AND WITH THE STRONG GUSTS REPORTED AT STOCKTON
AND TRAVIS AFB...HAVE ISSUED A WIND ADVISORY FOR THE CENTRAL AND
SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY NORTH OF HIGHWAY 223 FOR TODAY AS THE
COLD FRONT PUSHES THROUGH. A HIGH WIND WARNING WAS ISSUED EARLIER
FOR THE SOUTH END OF THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY...SOUTH OF HIGHWAY
223...FOR TODAY.

SPOTTERS REPORT SNOW HAS BEGUN IN THE YOSEMITE AREA...SO TIMING OF
THE STORM CONTINUES ON TRACK. THE 12Z MODELS CONTINUE TO FORECAST A
VERY COLD AIRMASS WITH THE TROUGH...WITH 500-MB TEMPERATURES FALLING
TO -32 C OVER THE HANFORD WARNING/FORECAST AREA FRIDAY. THIS WILL
KEEP A THREAT OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE REGION THE NEXT TWO DAYS.

.LONG TERM...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...FROM
                                   YOSEMITE TO THE KERN COUNTY
                                   LINE...THROUGH 600 PM THURSDAY.
                                ...HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE SOUTHERN
                                   SAN JOAQUIN...SOUTH OF HIGHWAY
                                   223...THROUGH 600 PM TODAY.
                                ...HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE
                                   GRAPEVINE AREA OF THE KERN COUNTY
                                   MOUNTAINS...THROUGH 600 PM TODAY.
                                ...WIND ADVISORY FOR THE CENTRAL AND
                                   SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY...
                                   NORTH OF HIGHWAY 223...THROUGH
                                   600 PM TODAY.
&&

SANGER/SPECTOR

Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 25, 11:00 AM PST, 1 hour 4 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
1100 AM PST WED FEB 25 2004

CAZ093-094-098-099-261300-
MARIPOSA MADERA AND FRESNO COUNTY FOOTHILLS-TULARE COUNTY FOOTHILLS-
INDIAN WELLS VALLEY-SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT-
1100 AM PST WED FEB 25 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR 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-
1100 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-
1100 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...

CAZ089-090-261300-
WEST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-EAST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-
1100 AM PST WED FEB 25 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY.

.DAY ONE...TODAY

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A WIND ADVISORY FOR THE
CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY THROUGH 400 PM TODAY. 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.

Event by event

3 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Strong Wind, Se S.J. Valley

When: February 25, 12:04 PM PST to 6:15 PM PST
Where: Se S.J. Valley forecast zone
Measured: 42 kt (48 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Strong Wind, Sw S.J. Valley

When: February 25, 12:09 PM PST to 6:15 PM PST
Where: Sw S.J. Valley forecast zone
Measured: 33 kt (38 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Strong Wind, Kern Cty Mtns

When: February 25, 2:00 PM PST to 9:08 PM PST
Where: Kern Cty Mtns forecast zone
Measured: 39 kt (45 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

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: 5384962, 5384961, 5384963.