Heavy Rain, Fresno
- When
- May 8, 5:00 PM PST to May 9, 8:00 PM PST
- Where
- Fresno County, Central Portion
- Crop damage
- $22 million
- Reported by
- GOVT OFFICIAL
- Coordinates
- 36.758, -119.649 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Rain in California, May 8 to 9, 2005
A series of three unseasonably heavy rain events, accompanied by hail at times, adversely impacted Interior Central California agriculture. Rain and large hail events around April 28th, and rain and small hail around May 5th, and again around May 9th caused extensive problems in the local cherry crop.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 4 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
- $35 million
- 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.
A series of three unseasonably heavy rain events, accompanied by hail at times, adversely impacted Interior Central California agriculture. Rain and large hail events around April 28th, and rain and small hail around May 5th, and again around May 9th caused extensive problems in the local cherry crop. Other crops negatively impacted from the rain included alfalfa, apricots, table grapes, nectarines, peaches, strawberries, cotton, and tomatoes.
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 May 8, 4:15 PM PST, 45 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 8, 4:15 PM PST, 45 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HANFORD CA
515 PM PDT SUN MAY 8 2005
.UPDATE...RADAR SHOWS ECHOES CONFINED TO FRESNO COUNTY NORTH, AND
THIS TREND IS LIKELY TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS.
SO FAR, MONTEREY RADAR IS NOT SHOWING ANY LARGE, ORGANIZED AREAS OF
PRECIPITATION TO MOVE SOUTHEAST INTO THE FORECAST AREA. SATELLITE
IMAGERY CONFIRMS THIS AS CLOUD TOPS ARE NOT THAT COOL ON THE IR
IMAGERY. WILL OPT TO UPDATE THE GRIDS TO REMOVE ANY POPS SOUTH OF
KINGS AND TULARE COUNTIES UNTIL AFTER MIDNIGHT. THIS INCLUDES THE
KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS.
.SHORT TERM...FOR THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA INTERIOR...PRECIPITATION
BAND HAS REMAINED MAINLY OVER MERCED AND MARIPOSA COUNTIES THROUGH
MUCH OF THE DAY...BUT RAINFALL AMOUNTS HAVE MAINLY BEEN A TRACE TO A
COUPLE OF HUNDREDTHS OF AN INCH. THE PRECIPITATION HAS BEGUN MOVING
INTO NORTHWESTERN FRESNO AND MADERA COUNTIES...AND IS ON TRACK TO
REACH FRESNO BY 00Z MONDAY. RADAR LOOPS OF THE PRECIPITATION BAND
HAVE LOOKED MORE IMPRESSIVE THAN GROUND TRUTH INDICATES...BUT AS
THE LOWER LEVELS OF THE AIRMASS CONTINUE TO MOISTEN...EXPECT
APPRECIABLE RAIN /AND MOUNTAIN SNOW/ TO BEGIN REACHING THE SURFACE
THIS EVENING.
MODEL...AND HPC...QPF/S CONTINUE TO DIFFER...WITH THE WS-ETA WETTER
THAN EITHER THE NAM OR THE GFS...AND WETTER THAN THE HPC FORECAST AS
WELL. FOR THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA...QPF/S RANGE FROM 1.30-1.85
INCHES AT YOSEMITE TO 0.35-1.71 INCHES AT GIANT FOREST. SINCE 18+
INCHES OF SNOW IN 24 HOURS ABOVE 7000 FEET IS NEEDED TO VERIFY A
WINTER STORM WARNING...WILL ISSUE A SNOW ADVISORY FOR MY SOUTHERN
SIERRA NEVADA ZONES...NORTH OF KERN COUNTY...FROM 04Z MONDAY THROUGH
05Z TUESDAY.
THE 12Z MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH THE LOW OFF THE OREGON
COAST AND THE UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH AXIS MOVING TOWARD THE CALIFORNIA
COAST. THE TROUGH AXIS IS FORECAST TO REACH THE COAST AROUND 12Z
MONDAY...THEN MOVE ACROSS THE STATE DURING THE DAY AS THE LOW MOVES
INTO SOUTHERN OREGON.
THE 12Z WS-ETA HAS THE STRONGEST COMPUTED SURFACE CAPES OVER THE
EAST SIDE OF THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY...AND THE ADJACENT
FOOTHILLS...FROM MID MORNING MONDAY THROUGH THE AFTERNOON.
HOWEVER...MAXIMUM CAPES ARE ONLY AROUND 500 JOULES/KG...AND THE
STRONGEST NEGATIVE LIFTED INDEXES /-3/ ARE FORECAST TO BE NORTH OF
THE HANFORD WARNING/FORECAST AREA. ALTHOUGH SPC AS MOST OF THE
REGION IN A GENERAL RISK FOR THUNDERSTORMS MONDAY...BELIEVE MOST
WILL REMAIN MODERATE WITH ONLY AN ISOLATED STRONG THUNDERSTORM OR
TWO.
A SERIES OF VORTICITIES ROTATING AROUND THE LOW WILL KEEP THE
TROUGH OVER CALIFORNIA AND NEVADA THROUGH TUESDAY WITH SLIGHT
CHANCES OF SHOWERS PERSISTING THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. THE LOW IS
FORECAST TO MOVE INTO UTAH WEDNESDAY...WITH AN UPPER-LEVEL RIDGE
BEGINNING TO BUILD ONTO THE COAST FOR A RETURN TO DRY AND WARMER
WEATHER.
.LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY...HE 12Z GFS HAS COME
MORE IN LINE WITH THE OTHER MEDIUM RANGE MODELS IN SHIFTING THE
UPPER LOW EASTWARD THURSDAY AND ALLOWING THE EASTERN PACIFIC RIDGE
TO BUILD INLAND. UPPER RIDGE SHOULD REMAIN OVER THE REGION THROUGH
NEXT WEEKEND WITH TEMPERATURES WARMING TO SEASONAL NORMALS FOR
FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. ALTHOUGH THE GFS INDICATES SOME WEAK IMPULSES
MOVING THROUGH THE RIDGE...EXPECT NOTHING MORE THAN SOME HIGH CLOUDS.
&&
.HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 9 PM
TONIGHT THROUGH 10 PM MONDAY FOR THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA
NORTH OF KERN COUNTY.
&&
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD /USE ALL LOWER CASE/
DUDLEY/SANGER/BEANHazardous weather outlook, May 8, 3:31 PM PST, 1 hour 29 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA 431 PM PDT SUN MAY 8 2005 CAZ096-097-091230- SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON-TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS- 431 PM PDT SUN MAY 8 2005 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA...AND THE TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS. .DAY ONE...TODAY A SNOW ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 9 PM TONIGHT THROUGH 10 PM MONDAY NIGHT. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE /WWUS46 KHNX/ FOR FURTHER DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY A SNOW ADVISORY WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT THROUGH 10 PM MONDAY NIGHT. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE /WWUS46 KHNX/ FOR FURTHER DETAILS. OTHERWISE...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. CAZ089>094-091230- 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- 431 PM PDT SUN MAY 8 2005 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY...AND THE ADJACENT FOOTHILLS. .DAY ONE...SUNDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS MONDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SOME STORMS MAY PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL...GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND HAIL. OTHERWISE...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. CAZ095-098-099-091230- KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS-INDIAN WELLS VALLEY- SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT- 431 PM PDT SUN MAY 8 2005 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS...THE INDIAN WELLS VALLEY...AND THE SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT. .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. DCH
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
4 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy Rain, Kings
- When
- May 8, 5:00 PM PST to May 9, 8:00 PM PST
- Where
- Kings County, Countywide
- Crop damage
- $671,000
- Reported by
- GOVT OFFICIAL
- Coordinates
- 36.075, -119.815 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Rain, Tulare
- When
- May 8, 5:00 PM PST to May 9, 8:00 PM PST
- Where
- Tulare County, Countywide
- Crop damage
- $8.6 million
- Reported by
- GOVT OFFICIAL
- Coordinates
- 36.220, -118.800 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Rain, Madera
- When
- May 8, 5:00 PM PST to May 9, 8:00 PM PST
- Where
- Madera County, Countywide
- Crop damage
- $4.0 million
- Reported by
- GOVT OFFICIAL
- 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.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Flash Flood in Idaho, May 8, 2005
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, May 8, 2005
- Flood in California, May 8 to 10, 2005
- Hail in Texas, May 8, 2005
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, May 8, 2005
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Iowa, May 8, 2005
- Tornadoes and Hail in Minnesota, May 8, 2005
- Tornado and Flooding in Kansas, May 8, 2005
- Marine Thunderstorm Winds in Gulf of Mexico, May 8, 2005
- Tornado and Flash Flood in North Dakota, May 8 to 9, 2005
- Hail in South Dakota, May 8, 2005
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, May 8, 2005
More
Every storm in California in 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyWarnings in California, May 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: 5449176, 5449177, 5449178, 5449179.