California, 2005

Lightning Strikes in California, October 24 to 25, 2005

October 24 to 25, 2005 · NWS HNX · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

An upper air disturbance moving inland over South-Central California developed evening thunderstorms on the 24th and brought widespread lightning over portions of Kings, Tulare, Fresno, Madera, and Mariposa Counties. While the South San Joaquin Valley lightning diminished just before 2200 PST, numerous lightning strikes were noted until just before dawn in the foothill and mountain locations of…

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
5

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.

An upper air disturbance moving inland over South-Central California developed evening thunderstorms on the 24th and brought widespread lightning over portions of Kings, Tulare, Fresno, Madera, and Mariposa Counties. While the South San Joaquin Valley lightning diminished just before 2200 PST, numerous lightning strikes were noted until just before dawn in the foothill and mountain locations of Mariposa, Madera, Fresno, and especially Tulare Counties. Brief, locally heavy thundershowers accompanied the lightning. Yosemite reported 0.41" of rain in one such thundershower.

The radar

The San Joaquin Valley radar (KHNX), 31 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:45 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Lightning, Kings

When
October 24, 6:45 PM PST to 9:45 PM PST
Where
Kings County, Countywide
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
36.075, -119.815 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning, Tulare

When
October 24, 6:45 PM PST to October 25, 4:30 AM PST
Where
Tulare County, Countywide
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
36.220, -118.800 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning, Fresno

When
October 24, 7:15 PM PST to October 25, 4:00 AM PST
Where
Fresno County, Countywide
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
36.758, -119.649 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning, Madera

When
October 24, 7:30 PM PST to October 25, 3:00 AM PST
Where
Madera County, Countywide
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
37.218, -119.763 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning, Mariposa

When
October 24, 7:30 PM PST to October 25, 3:00 AM PST
Where
Mariposa County, Countywide
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
37.582, -119.905 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Lightning
A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in California in 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyWarnings in California, October 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5479173, 5479174, 5479175, 5479176, 5479177.