Heavy Rain, Kings
- When
- May 21, 1:50 PM PST to 2:50 PM PST
- Where
- Kings County, Avenal
- Reported by
- AIRPLANE PILOT
- Coordinates
- 36.075, -119.815 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Rain in California, May 21, 2006
As the transition from near record high temperatures, a vigorous frontal passage swept over Interior Central California from the southwest starting at mid-afternoon of the 21st bringing substantial cooling and rainfall. Through the course of the afternoon heavy rain generated north-to-south along an eastward moving rain band.
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
- 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.
As the transition from near record high temperatures, a vigorous frontal passage swept over Interior Central California from the southwest starting at mid-afternoon of the 21st bringing substantial cooling and rainfall. Through the course of the afternoon heavy rain generated north-to-south along an eastward moving rain band. Much of the heavy rain fell in less than a couple of hours. Avenal in Western Kings County had 1" of rain in about an hour. Other reports of rainfall on the Central and northern portion of the Southern San Joaquin Valley included 1.59" at Spanish Lake near Coalinga, 1.26" at Tranquility, 1.43" at Madera, 1.95" at Chowchilla, and 1.07" at Merced.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
3 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy Rain, Fresno
- When
- May 21, 2:00 PM PST to 3:00 PM PST
- Where
- Fresno County, Helm
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 36.758, -119.649 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Rain, Madera
- When
- May 21, 3:00 PM PST to 5:00 PM PST
- Where
- Madera County, Chowchilla
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- 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
- Strong Wind in Arizona, May 21, 2006
- Tornado in New Hampshire, May 21, 2006
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Massachusetts, May 21, 2006
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Massachusetts, May 21, 2006
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, May 21, 2006
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Kansas, May 21, 2006
- Strong Wind in West Virginia, May 21, 2006
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Connecticut, May 21, 2006
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Connecticut, May 21, 2006
- Strong Wind in Maryland, May 21, 2006
- Damaging Winds in Texas, May 21, 2006
- Hail and Damaging Winds in South Carolina, May 21, 2006
More
Every storm in California in 2006Every state in 2006This day in weather historyWarnings in California, May 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5509832, 5509833, 5509834.