Strong Wind and Heavy Rain in California, March 22, 2005

Name: Strong Wind and Heavy Rain in California, March 22, 2005
Start: 2005-03-22T14:00
End: 2005-03-22T15:45
Location: California

March 22, 2005 · NWS HNX · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

1" of rain received over the 24-hour period from the afternoon of the 21st through the afternoon of the 22nd. Numerous reports of flooded buildings and homes were received with an awning in downtown Merced collapsing due to ponded water on its roof.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $8,000
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.

Locally heavy rain was reported in downtown Merced with 0.69" of rain in one hour the afternoon of the 22nd with 1.1" of rain received over the 24-hour period from the afternoon of the 21st through the afternoon of the 22nd. Numerous reports of flooded buildings and homes were received with an awning in downtown Merced collapsing due to ponded water on its roof. A pump house and carport lost roofs which subsequently damaged nearby power lines. Local fire department assessed the cause of the damage from a strong southwest wind gust. Radar indicated that the wind was associated from an east moving line of convection in the Los Banos area of West Merced County during the mid-afternoon. With the shower activity over Central California, gusty wind also caused some minor damage in Ridgecrest, Kern County, as a large tree was toppled.

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 22, 8:30 AM PST, 5 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 22, 8:30 AM PST, 5 hours 30 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HANFORD CA
830 AM PST TUE MAR 22 2005

SHORT TERM...FOR THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA INTERIOR...IMMEDIATE
CONCERNS ARE WIND AND THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL LATER THIS MORNING INTO
THE AFTERNOON. MSAS SURFACE PRESSURE ANALYSIS PRETTY CONSISTENT
WITH THAT FORECASTED BY THE NAM, WHICH WOULD INDICATE THAT THE
STRONGEST SOUTHERLY FLOW IN THE VALLEY IS OCCURRING NOW. HOWEVER, AS
THE SURFACE GRADIENT BECOMES ORIENTED MORE SW TO NE LATE THIS
AFTERNOON, WHICH IS WELL ALIGNED WITH THE UPPER FLOW, EXPECT THAT
WINDS WILL INCREASE A BIT IN THE DESERTS AND IN THE KERN MOUNTAINS.
AS FOR THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL, SPC KEEPS THE ENTIRE AREA IN THE
GENERAL THUNDERSTORM CATEGORY TODAY. BOTH THE RUC AND NAM INDICATE
ELEVATED CAPES OVER THE VALLEY AND ADJACENT FOOTHILLS THIS
AFTERNOON, WITH A MAXIMA LOCATED BETWEEN MADERA AND MERCED. THE VAD
WIND PROFILE SHOWS GOOD DIRECTIONAL SHEER IN THE LOWEST 4 MILES,
HOWEVER LOW TO MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES PER THE KOAK AND KVBG SOUNDING
ARE ONLY CONDITIONALLY UNSTABLE AT BEST. THIS MORNINGS OAKLAND
SOUNDING EVEN SHOWS A WEAK CAP AT AROUND 750 MB. THE LARGE AMOUNT
OF MOISTURE THROUGH 12K FEET AND AMOUNT OF MOISTURE UPSTREAM MAY
ALSO PLAY A LIMITING ROLE IN STRONG CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT THIS
AFTERNOON. THINK THAT AS THE UPPER JET SAGS SOUTH THIS EVENING AND
THE DISTRICT LIES UNDERNEATH THE LFQ, PRECIPITATION WILL LIKELY BE
SUSTAINED THROUGH AROUND MIDNIGHT THEN SLOWLY DIMINISH. THUS, MAY
NEED TO EXTEND THE WSW A BIT LONGER THAN CURRENTLY INDICATED.  THE
CHOWCHILLA PROFILER CURRENTLY PEGS SNOW LEVELS AT AROUND 8000 FEET,
ALTHOUGH THIS SEEMS TO BE A LITTLE HIGH BASED ON CURRENT OBS IN THE
SIERRA. IN ANY EVENT, WOULD EXPECT SNOW LEVELS TO DROP A BIT LATER
TODAY AS THE TROUGH SHIFTS INLAND. ADDITIONAL UPSTREAM IMPULSES
MOVING TOWARDS THE AREA NECESSITATE SOME MENTION OF PRECIPITATION
GOING THROUGH FRIDAY, ALTHOUGH AMOUNTS AFTER TONIGHT SHOULD BE
CONSIDERABLY LOWER. CURRENT FORECAST LOOKS GOOD AND THUS NO UPDATES
AT THIS TIME.

.LONG TERM...PREVIOUS DISCUSSION FOR THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH
MONDAY...MODELS INDICATE THAT THE UPPER TROUGH WILL LINGER OVER THE
REGION THURSDAY NIGHT FOR SCATTERED SHOWERS. THE GFS AND CANADIAN
GLOBAL SOLUTIONS HOLD THE TROUGH BACK ACROSS CA INTO FRIDAY
AFTERNOON WHILE THE UKMET AND ECMWF BEGIN BUILDING THE UPPER LEVEL
RIDGE EASTWARD FROM THE PACIFIC. PREFER TO REMAIN CAUTIOUS AND
CONTINUE THE SLIGHT CHC POPS IN OUR ZONES FRIDAY...ESPECIALLY OVER
THE MOUNTAINS. UPPER RIDGE BUILDS INLAND SATURDAY WITH DRY AND
WARMER CONDITIONS FOR THE WEEKEND. THE RIDGE FLATTENS MONDAY AS
ANOTHER SHORTWAVE MOVES INTO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. MODELS STILL
INCONSISTENT WITH THE TIMING AND STRENGTH OF THIS SYSTEM. BEST
MOISTURE AND DYNAMICS WILL STAY TO THE NORTH OF THE CWFA...BUT COULD
SEE SOME LIGHT PRECIP NEAR YOSEMITE MONDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT...SO
WILL ADD A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR THAT AREA.

&&

.HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...WINTER STORM WARNING FOR THE
      SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE PARK TO THE KERN
      COUNTY LINE THROUGH 600 PM.

&&

WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD /USE ALL LOWER CASE/

BURGER/BEAN

Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 22, 5:00 AM PST, 9 hours before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
500 AM PST TUE MAR 22 2005

CAZ089>094-231300-
WEST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-EAST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-
SOUTHWESTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-SOUTHEASTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-
MARIPOSA MADERA AND FRESNO COUNTY FOOTHILLS-TULARE COUNTY FOOTHILLS-
500 AM PST TUE MAR 22 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. SOME STORMS COULD PRODUCE FREQUENT LIGHTNING...LOCALLY HEAVY
RAINFALL...GUSTY WINDS...AND SMALL HAIL.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

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.

CAZ096-097-231300-
SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON-TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS-
500 AM PST TUE MAR 22 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 THROUGH 6 PM THIS EVENING.
PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE /WWUS46 KHNX/
FOR FURTHER DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

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.

CAZ095-098-099-231300-
KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS-INDIAN WELLS VALLEY-
SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT-
500 AM PST TUE MAR 22 2005

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS
AND DESERTS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

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.

DCH

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 strong wind, 1 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Rain, Merced

When: March 22, 2:00 PM PST to 3:00 PM PST
Where: Merced County, Merced Arpt
Measured: 0.69
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 37.192, -120.718 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, W Central S.J. Valley

When: March 22, 2:00 PM PST to 2:10 PM PST
Where: W Central S.J. Valley forecast zone
Measured: 40 kt (46 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: FIRE DEPT/RESCUE SQUAD

Strong Wind, Indian Wells Vly

When: March 22, 3:45 PM PST
Where: Indian Wells Vly forecast zone
Measured: 35 kt (40 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $3,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER

What these are

Heavy Rain: Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.
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, 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: 5444634, 5444635, 5444636.