Strong Wind, E Central S.J. Valley
- When
- March 3, 5:30 AM PST to 6:30 AM PST
- Where
- E Central S.J. Valley forecast zone
- Measured
- 35 kt (40 mph) estimated gust
- Property damage
- $60,000
- Reported by
- NEWSPAPER
Strong Wind and Heavy Rain in California, March 3, 2006
Strong northwest wind associated with a vigorous cold frontal passage led to damage on 15 units in a Selma mobile home park with trees and power poles downed around the Fresno County area in the early morning hours of the 3rd. In Visalia a large oak tree was felled in the north side of town by the strong wind.
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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $65,000
- 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.
Strong northwest wind associated with a vigorous cold frontal passage led to damage on 15 units in a Selma mobile home park with trees and power poles downed around the Fresno County area in the early morning hours of the 3rd. In Visalia a large oak tree was felled in the north side of town by the strong wind. Rainfall that occurred with this cold front was intense. Madera reported street flooding in the downtown area with 1.56" received from the day's rain. On the west side of the San Joaquin Valley Coalinga in Fresno County reported 0.68" of rain with the system.
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 3, 3:00 AM PST, 2 hours 30 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Mar 3, 3:00 AM PST, 2 hours 30 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HANFORD CA
300 AM PST FRI MAR 3 2006
.SHORT TERM...COLD UPPER LOW IS APPROACHING THE COAST THIS MORNING.
THE SFC LOW WAS JUST OFF THE NORCAL COAST...WITH BAROCLINIC BAND OF
ENHANCED CLOUD TOPS AND HEAVIER PRECIP EXTENDING SOUTH TO THE
CENTRAL CA COAST. THIS FEATURE WAS BECOMING SOMEWHAT NEGATIVE
TILT...AND THIS WILL ENHANCE PRECIP ACROSS THE CENTRAL CA INTERIOR
DURING THE MORNING HOURS. IN ADDITION...SNOW LEVELS WILL LOWER
SIGNIFICANTLY...RANGING FROM 2500 FEET IN THE FOOTHILLS NEAR
YOSEMITE PARK...TO 3500 FEET IN THE TEHACHAPIS. BY THIS AFTERNOON
AS THE UPPER LOW MOVES INLAND...PRECIP MOST AREAS WILL BECOME MORE
SHOWERY. WHILE LIFTED INDEX IS MARGINALLY UNSTABLE...SBCAPES AROUND
400 J/KG WARRANT CONTINUED MENTION OF ISOLD TSTMS IN THE SJV AND
ADJACENT SIERRA FOOTHILLS THIS AFTERNOON. UPPER TROF MOVES OFF TO
THE EAST THIS EVENING...AND PRECIP CHANCES SHOULD END BY MIDNIGHT.
FLAT SHORTWAVE RIDGING MOVES IN LATER TONITE AND SAT FOR DRY WX.
DURING THE DAY SAT...ANOTHER DEEP COLD LOW WILL DIVE OUT OF THE GLF
AK BETWEEN 130W AND 140W. THE ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO
NORCAL SUN...WITH PRECIP EXTENDING DOWN THE COAST TO NEAR MONTEREY
BAY BY AFTERNOON...AND PRECIP CHANCES FROM FRESNO CO NORTH WILL BE
ON THE INCREASE. TEMPS TODAY WILL BE SOME 8-10 DEGS BELOW NORMAL.
SOME SLIGHT RECOVERY IS EXPECTED SAT...THEN MORE WARMING SUN IN
INCREASING SOUTHERLY FLOW.
.LONG TERM...FOR SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY...MEDIUM RANGE
MODELS IN GENERAL AGREEMENT THAT A COLD PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM WILL
AFFECT THE REGION SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY. PRECIPITATION WILL
BECOME MORE LIKELY SUNDAY NIGHT WHEN UPPER LEVEL ENERGY AND DEEPER
MOISTURE REACH CENTRAL CALIFORNIA. THE GFS IS MORE PROGRESSIVE AND
DEEPER WITH THIS SYSTEM THAN OTHER MODELS AS WELL AS THE NEXT STORM
REACHING THE AREA THURSDAY. THUS THE SLOWER TIMING AND STRENGTH OF
THE EURO IS PROFFERED. THE PRECIPITATION WILL TURN MORE SHOWERY
TUESDAY AS THE MAIN TROUGH AXIS AND UPPER COLD POOL CROSS CENTRAL
CALIFORNIA. SHORTWAVE RIDGING ON WEDNESDAY WILL BRING A BRIEF
RESPITE ON WEDNESDAY WITH DRY WEATHER PREVAILING. HOWEVER...THE
PATTERN IN THE EAST PACIFIC REMAINS PROGRESSIVE AND MODELS ARE
COMING INTO BETTER AGREEMENT THAT ANOTHER COLD UPPER LOW WILL
SPREAD MOISTURE INTO OUR AREA ON THURSDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL DROP TO
BELOW SEASONAL NORMALS TUESDAY AND REMAIN ON THE COOL SIDE FOR
THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK.
&&
.AVIATION...A PACIFIC STORM WILL PROVIDE SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS MUCH OF THE REGION UNTIL 00Z
SATURDAY. AREAS OF MVFR CONDITIONS IN THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AND
KERN DESERTS TIL 00Z SATURDAY...THEN CONDITIONS IMPROVING TO VFR
THEREAFTER. MAINLY IFR CONDITIONS IN THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA AND
TEHACHAPI MOUNTAINS THROUGH 04Z SATURDAY AS A RESULT OF MOUNTAIN
OBSCURATIONS AND LOCALLY HEAVY SNOW SHOWERS...THEREAFTER IMPROVING
CONDITIONS TO MVFR DUE TO CLOUD COVER OVER THE MOUNTAINS. FOR MORE
SPECIFIC INFORMATION...PLEASE REFER TO TAFS FOR KMCE...KFAT AND KBFL.
&&
.HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...WINTER STORM WARNING FOR THE
SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA...FROM YOSEMITE PARK TO THE KERN
COUNTY LINE...THROUGH 4 PM.
...SNOW ADVISORY FOR THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA FOOTHILLS AND
THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS THROUGH 4 PM.
&&
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD /USE ALL LOWER CASE/
BINGHAM/MVHazardous weather outlook, Mar 2, 8:00 PM PST, 9 hours 30 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA 800 PM PST THU MAR 2 2006 CAZ096-097-031300- SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON-TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS- 800 PM PST THU MAR 2 2006 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO THE KERN COUNTY LINE. .DAY ONE...TODAY A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT THROUGH 4 PM PST FRIDAY. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE /WWUS46 KHNX...SFOWSWHNX/ FOR FURTHER DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THE WINTER STORM WARNING WILL CONTINUE UNTIL 4 PM PST FRIDAY. AFTER 4 PM FRIDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS TO THEIR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE. CAZ089>092-031300- WEST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-EAST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY- SOUTHWESTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-SOUTHEASTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY- 800 PM PST THU MAR 2 2006 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY. .DAY ONE...TODAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THERE IS A CHANCE FOR ISOLATED AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY. OTHERWISE...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS TO THEIR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE. CAZ093>095-031300- MARIPOSA MADERA AND FRESNO COUNTY FOOTHILLS-TULARE COUNTY FOOTHILLS- KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS- 800 PM PST THU MAR 2 2006 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE SIERRA NEVADA FOOTHILLS AND THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS. .DAY ONE...TODAY A SNOW ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM THROUGH 4 PM PST FRIDAY. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE /WWUS46 KHNX ...SFOWSWHNX/ FOR FURTHER DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THE SNOW ADVISORY WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM PST FRIDAY. AFTER 4 PM PST FRIDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS TO THEIR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE. CAZ098-099-031300- INDIAN WELLS VALLEY-SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT- 800 PM PST THU MAR 2 2006 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE KERN COUNTY DESERT. .DAY ONE...TODAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS TO THEIR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE. MYERS
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
2 strong wind, 1 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong Wind, Se S.J. Valley
- When
- March 3, 5:45 AM PST to 6:45 AM PST
- Where
- Se S.J. Valley forecast zone
- Measured
- 35 kt (40 mph) estimated gust
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Reported by
- NEWSPAPER
Heavy Rain, Madera
- When
- March 3, 1:45 PM PST to 3:00 PM PST
- Where
- Madera County, Madera Muni Arpt
- Reported by
- NEWSPAPER
- Coordinates
- 37.218, -119.763 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Strong Wind
- Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.
- 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
More
Every storm in California in 2006Every state in 2006This day in weather historyWarnings in California, March 2006
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: 5496344, 5496346, 5496345.