Strong Wind and Winter Weather in California, April 3 to 4, 2005

Name: Strong Wind and Winter Weather in California, April 3 to 4, 2005
Start: 2005-04-03T23:00
End: 2005-04-04T14:00
Location: California

April 3 to 4, 2005 · NWS HNX · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

Sierra Nevada very early on the 4th. Gusty frontal and post-frontal wind also occurred in the Kern Mountains and Deserts during the 4th.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $27,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 4

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.

Snowfall totals with this April storm varied from 7 inches at Lower Kibbie Ridge to 11" at Tenaya Lake and West Woodchuck Meadow in the S.Sierra Nevada very early on the 4th. Gusty frontal and post-frontal wind also occurred in the Kern Mountains and Deserts during the 4th. A truck was blown over on Highway 14 approximately 1.5 miles north of Mojave due to the gusting wind.

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 Apr 3, 7:30 PM PST, 3 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 3, 7:30 PM PST, 3 hours 30 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HANFORD CA
830 PM PDT SUN APR 3 2005

.SHORT TERM...FOR THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA INTERIOR...MCQUEEN RIDGE
AND HANFORD RADARS SHOW A CONCISE BAND OF RAIN MOVING INTO WESTERN
AND NORTHERN MERCED COUNTY AS THE COLD FRONT APPROACHES. OVER THE
SIERRA, ECHOES ARE PICKING UP YOSEMITE AREA AS LIFT INCREASES.
EXPECT THE PRECIPITATION TO CONTINUE TO MOVE SLOWLY SOUTHEAST OVER
THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS, REACHING FRESNO TOWARDS MIDNIGHT. WITH THIS
TREND, I WILL NEED TO MAKE AN EVENING WORDING UPDATE TO THE ZONE
FORECASTS FOR AREAS SOUTH OF FRESNO TO INDICATE A LATER ARRIVAL OF
RAIN CHANCES AFTER MIDNIGHT. LATEST PROJECTED QPF AND ASSOCIATED
SNOWFALL PROJECTIONS SUGGEST AROUND 8 INCHES IN THE SIERRA NORTH OF
KINGS CANYON AND THIS MATCHES UP WELL WITH THE SNOW ADVISORY. NO
NEED TO UPDATE THIS. IT STILL APPEARS THAT THE FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL
MOVE EAST OUT OF THE AREA ON MONDAY WITH A DRYING TREND. WILL MAKE
THE ABOVE MENTIONED WORDING UPDATE TO THE ZONES AND LEAVE THE REST
OF THE FORECAST PACKAGE ALONE.

.LONG TERM...FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY...MEDIUM RANGE
MODELS PROG FOR A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM TO MOVE INTO NORTHERN
CALIFORNIA WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND BRING INCREASING MOISTURE
ALONG A COLD FRONT TO THE NORTHERN PORTIONS OF AREA THURSDAY. GFS
MODEL PROGS 850 TEMPERATURE TO DROP 8-10C DEGREES IN THE NORTHERN
PARTS OF THE REGION THURSDAY SO WILL INDICATE A SIGNIFICANT COOLING
TREND ESPECIALLY IN THE SIERRA AND VALLEY. THE FRONT WILL PUSH
SOUTH BUT WEAKEN AS IT MOVES INTO THE SOUTH VALLEY AND TEHACHAPIS
THURSDAY NIGHT. THE 12Z GFS BECOMING MORE PROGRESSIVE AND MOVES THE
UPPER LOW EAST OVER SE CALIFORNIA FRIDAY AFTERNOON. HOWEVER MOST OF
THE OTHER MODELS SHOW A SLOWER TIMING. THUS EXPECT PRECIPITATION TO
TURN MORE INTO SCATTERED SHOWERS FOR FRIDAY. SHORT WAVE RIDGING
SHOULD PROVIDE A DRY A WARMING TREND FOR THE WEEKEND.

&&

.HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...SNOW ADVISORY FROM YOSEMITE
      PARK TO KINGS CANYON TONIGHT.

&&

WWW.WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD /USE ALL LOWER CASE/

DUDLEY/MV

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 3, 1:15 PM PST, 9 hours 45 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
215 PM PDT SUN APR 3 2005

CAZ096-041200-
SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON-
215 PM PDT SUN APR 3 2005

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA
FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON.

.DAY ONE...TODAY

A SNOW ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM TONIGHT UNTIL 6 AM PDT
MONDAY. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
/WWUS46 KHNX/ FOR FURTHER DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

THE SNOW ADVISORY EXTENDS UNTIL 6 AM MONDAY. OTHERWISE...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.

CAZ089>095-097>099-041200-
EAST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-INDIAN WELLS VALLEY-
KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS-MARIPOSA MADERA AND FRESNO COUNTY FOOTHILLS-
SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT-SOUTHEASTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-
SOUTHWESTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-TULARE COUNTY FOOTHILLS-
TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS-WEST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-
215 PM PDT SUN APR 3 2005

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SAN
JOAQUIN VALLEY AND ADJACENT FOOTHILLS....THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA
FROM KINGS CANYON TO THE KERN COUNTY LINE...AND THE KERN COUNTY
MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

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.

JWM

Event by event

3 strong wind, 1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, S Sierra Mtns

When: April 3, 11:00 PM PST to April 4, 3:00 AM PST
Where: S Sierra Mtns forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Strong Wind, Kern Cty Mtns

When: April 4, 4:14 AM PST to 2:00 PM PST
Where: Kern Cty Mtns forecast zone
Measured: 53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Strong Wind, Indian Wells Vly

When: April 4, 5:30 AM PST to 2:00 PM PST
Where: Indian Wells Vly forecast zone
Measured: 44 kt (51 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Strong Wind, Se Kern Cty Desert

When: April 4, 8:00 AM PST to 2:00 PM PST
Where: Se Kern Cty Desert forecast zone
Measured: 41 kt (47 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

What these are

Winter Weather: Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.
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 2005 Every state in 2005 This day in weather history Warnings in California, April 2005

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: 5446567, 5446568, 5446653, 5446652.