Heavy Rain, Fresno
- When
- March 19, 2:30 PM PST to 3:00 PM PST
- Where
- Fresno County, Mendota
- Reported by
- NEWSPAPER
- Coordinates
- 36.758, -119.649 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Debris Flow and Heavy Rain in California, March 19 to 20, 2005
Afternoon thunderstorm activity brought lightning and locally heavy rain across portions of Central California, including Central Fresno County and the foothill areas of Mariposa County. A rock slide triggered by locally heavy rain occurred east of Fresno in the foothills and also in Mariposa County about 4 miles east of Hornitos.
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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- 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.
Afternoon thunderstorm activity brought lightning and locally heavy rain across portions of Central California, including Central Fresno County and the foothill areas of Mariposa County. A rock slide triggered by locally heavy rain occurred east of Fresno in the foothills and also in Mariposa County about 4 miles east of Hornitos. In West Fresno County at Mendota, 0.25" of rain fell in an 8-minute period during the afternoon. In Madera County, Bass Lake reported a 24-hour rainfall total of 1.68" through the 19th.
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 Mar 19, 2:00 PM PST, 30 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Mar 19, 2:00 PM PST, 30 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HANFORD CA
200 PM PST SAT MAR 19 2005
.SHORT TERM...FOR THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA INTERIOR...PRECIP WAS
REDEVELOPING THIS AFTERNOON AS LFQ OF UPPER JET APPROACHES AND
PROVIDES ADDITIONAL LIFT TO MOISTURE-LADEN AIRMASS. UPSTREAM
SHORTWAVE TROUGH WAS ALSO MOVING EAST FROM 35N/135W WITH ASSOCIATED
VORT AXIS EXTENDING SE TO 125W. WAVE AND STRONGER DYNAMICS WILL
MOVE ONSHORE OVER NORCAL TONIGHT...HOWEVER WITH LITTLE CHANGE IN
JET POSITION AND SUSTAINED THOUGH WEAK OROGRAPHICS OVER THE
SOUTHERN SIERRA...WILL MAINTAIN WINTER STORM WARNING NORTH OF KERN
COUNTY OVERNIGHT. WINCE ADDITIONAL ACCUMS OVER THE KERN MTNS WILL
REMAIN BELOW ADVISORY CRITERIA WITH LIGHTER WINDS OVERNIGHT...WILL
CANCEL WINTER WX ADVISORY. SBCAPE REMAINS AROUND 500 J/KG THIS
AFTERNOON WITH SR-HELICITIES NEAR 100 M2/S2 AND AREA OF SFC MSTR
CONVERGENCE MOVING EAST INTO WRN PORTIONS OF FRESNO AND MERCED
COUNTIES. WITH STORM MOTIONS NE AT AROUND 15 KTS...WILL MAINTAIN
THUNDERSTORM THREAT FOR SJ VALLEY AND ADJACENT SIERRA FOOTHILLS
ZONES. POTENTIAL FOR PRECIP WILL CONT THRU TUES AS MOIST W-SW FLOW
ALOFT TRANSPORTS ADDITIONAL SHORTWAVE TROUGHS INLAND.
.LONG TERM...FOR TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY...THERE CONTINUES TO
BE CONSIDERABLE DIFFICULTY IN REACHING A MODEL CONSENSUS WITH
REGARDS TO THE EXTENDED PERIOD. THE 12Z GFS IS MUCH LESS PROGRESSIVE
WITH THE MIDWEEK SYSTEM THAN ITS 00Z EDITION AND OTHER SOLUTIONS.
WILL KEEP CHANCE POPS FOR ALL AREAS THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT, BUT
WILL TREND POPS LOWER THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY AS IT APPEARS THE TREND
IS FOR UPPER RIDGING TO BUILD INTO THE STATE FROM THE EAST PACIFIC.
AT THIS TIME, WILL INDICATE DRY WEATHER FOR ALL ZONES FRIDAY NIGHT
INTO SATURDAY AS CURRENT SOLUTIONS WOULD SUGGEST TRANQUIL AND
WARMER WEATHER WITH RIDGING OVERHEAD.
&&
.HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...WINTER STORM WARNING FOR THE
SOUTHERN SIERRA FROM YOSEMITE PARK TO THE KERN COUNTY LINE
UNTIL 600 AM PST SUNDAY.
&&
WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD /USE ALL LOWER CASE/
JSN/BURGERHazardous weather outlook, Mar 19, 9:30 AM PST, 5 hours before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA 930 AM PST SAT MAR 19 2005 CAZ089>094-201300- EAST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY- MARIPOSA MADERA AND FRESNO COUNTY FOOTHILLS- SOUTHEASTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-SOUTHWESTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY- TULARE COUNTY FOOTHILLS-WEST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY- 930 AM PST SAT MAR 19 2005 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AND ADJACENT FOOTHILLS. .DAY ONE...TODAY THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING ACROSS THE AREA. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED...BUT THE STRONGEST STORMS COULD STILL PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN AND SMALL HAIL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY 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. CAZ095-201300- KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS- 930 AM PST SAT MAR 19 2005 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS. .DAY ONE...TODAY A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE /WWUS46 KHNX/ FOR FURTHER DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY 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. CAZ096-097-201300- SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON-TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS- 930 AM PST SAT MAR 19 2005 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO THE KERN COUNTY LINE. .DAY ONE...TODAY A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM SUNDAY. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE /WWUS46 KHNX/ FOR FURTHER DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THE WINTER STORM WARNING WILL CONTINUE THROUGH 6 AM SUNDAY. AFTER 6 AM SUNDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE PERIOD AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS TO THEIR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE. CAZ098-099-201300- INDIAN WELLS VALLEY-SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT- 930 AM PST SAT MAR 19 2005 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE KERN COUNTY DESERTS. .DAY ONE...TODAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY 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. TLM/JWM
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
3 heavy rain, 1 debris flow. Local standard time, as filed.
Debris Flow, S Sierra Foothills
- When
- March 19, 2:38 PM PST to 6:00 PM PST
- Where
- S Sierra Foothills forecast zone
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
Heavy Rain, Fresno
- When
- March 19, 3:45 PM PST to 6:00 PM PST
- Where
- Fresno County, (Fat) Air Terminal
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 36.758, -119.649 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Rain, Madera
- When
- March 19, 4:00 PM PST to March 20, 4:00 PM PST
- Where
- Madera County, Bass Lake
- Reported by
- NEWSPAPER
- Coordinates
- 37.218, -119.763 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Heavy Rain
- Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.
- Debris Flow
- A fast-moving slurry of mud, rock and debris, usually on a slope soaked by heavy rain or stripped by a fire.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- High Surf in California, March 19, 2005
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, March 19, 2005
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Texas, March 19, 2005
- High Wind in Oregon, March 19 to 20, 2005
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, March 19 to 20, 2005
- Winter Weather in Colorado, March 19 to 21, 2005
- Winter Storm in Wisconsin, March 19, 2005
- Hail in Texas, March 19, 2005
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Texas, March 19, 2005
- Winter Weather in Utah, March 19 to 21, 2005
- Marine Thunderstorm Winds in Gulf of Mexico, March 19, 2005
- Heavy Snow in Michigan, March 19, 2005
More
Every storm in California in 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyWarnings in California, March 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: 5444652, 5444651, 5444650, 5444653.