Heavy Snow and Strong Wind in California, April 14 to 15, 2007

Name: Heavy Snow and Strong Wind in California, April 14 to 15, 2007
Start: 2007-04-14T07:00
End: 2007-04-15T17:00
Location: California

April 14 to 15, 2007 · NWS HNX · 4 events in 3 counties and zones

A Pacific storm system brought strong winds that gusted as high as 52 mph to the Kern County Mountains and Desert from the morning of the 14th to early in the morning on the 15th. Strong winds that gusted as high as 35 mph developed in the West Central San Joaquin Valley behind this system from the morning of the 15th until early in the evening.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $3,000
Crop damage: None recorded
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.

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 Apr 14, 2:20 AM PST, 4 hours 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 14, 2:20 AM PST, 4 hours 40 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
320 AM PDT SAT APR 14 2007

.DISCUSSION...INCOMING FRONTAL SYSTEM IS SHOWING UP ON MONTEREY
RADAR WITH THE FIRST ECHOES MOVING INTO THE NORTH BAY. THE LATEST
SATELLITE IMAGERY INDICATES THE PRECIPITATION WILL REACH THE
NORTHERN PART OF THE FORECAST AREA BY MID MORNING AND FORECAST
MODELS AGREE. THIS SYSTEM DOESNT LOOK LIKE A MAJOR PRECIPITATION
PRODUCER, WITH QPF SUGGESTING A FEW INCHES OF SNOW IN THE SIERRA.
OVER THE KERN COUNTY AREA, IT LOOKS LIKE PRECIPITATION WILL ARRIVE
LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. AMOUNTS HERE SHOULD BE LIGHT
WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE FRAZIER PARK AREA AND GRAPEVINE. IN
COLLABORATION WITH NWS OXNARD I HAVE UPPED THE POPS TO LIKELY
CATEGORY IN AND ALONG THE GRAPEVINE FOR TONIGHT. THE SNOW LEVEL
SHOULD LOWER TO AROUND 5000 FEET BY SUNDAY MORNING AND THIS SHOULD
KEEP ACCUMULATING SNOW OFF OF I-5. IN THE FRAZIER PARK AND CUDDY
VALLEY AREAS HOWEVER A FEW INCHES OF SNOW IS CERTAINLY POSSIBLE
ABOVE 5500 FEET. WINDS WILL BE A CONCERN OVER THE KERN COUNTY
MOUNTAINS AND DESERT, HOWEVER A REPEAT OF THURSDAYS WIND STORM IS
NOT EXPECTED. WIND ADVISORIES MAY BE NEEDED HOWEVER. BY LATE
SUNDAY AND MONDAY, FORECAST MODELS EJECT THIS LOW INTO ARIZONA
WITH RIDGING FOR TUESDAY. IN THE WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY TIME
FRAME MEDIUM RANGE MODELS DIG A BROAD TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE
ACROSS THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. SOME UNCERTAINTY AS TO WHETHER THIS
TROUGH WILL BE DEEP ENOUGH FOR PRECIPITATION TO REACH CENTRAL
CALIFORNIA ON WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. BY FRIDAY, A DEEPER LOW IS
PROJECTED BY BOTH THE GFS AND ECMWF MODELS TO MOVE INTO NORTHERN
CALIFORNIA AND THIS WILL BRING SOME CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION TO THE
AREA. DAY SHIFT MAY NEED TO BRING SOME POPS TO THE NORTH.

&&

.AVIATION...VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL THROUGH MIDDAY TODAY. AREAS
OF MVFR WILL DEVELOP FROM FRESNO COUNTY NORTH THIS AFTERNOON AS
PRECIPITATION MOVES INTO THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA INTERIOR. AREAS OF
MVFR CAN BE EXPECTED GENERALLY NORTH OF KERN COUNTY TONIGHT WITH
LOCAL IFR IN THE FOOTHILLS AND MOUNTAINS. ELSEWHERE...VFR CONDITIONS
WILL PREVAIL THROUGH 12Z SUNDAY. FOR SPECIFIC DETAILS...PLEASE REFER
TO THE TAFS FOR KMCE...KFAT AND KBFL AND TWEB ROUTES 421 AND 423.

&&

.AIR QUALITY ISSUES...
NONE

&&

.HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NONE.
&&

DUDLEY/DUDLEY

WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 14, 4:00 AM PST, 3 hours before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
500 AM PDT SAT APR 14 2007

CAZ089-090-151200-
WEST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-EAST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-
500 AM PDT SAT APR 14 2007

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN
VALLEY.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A STORM SYSTEM WILL WORK ACROSS CENTRAL CALIFORNIA TODAY. BY THIS
AFTERNOON...THE ATMOSPHERE IS EXPECTED TO BECOME UNSTABLE ENOUGH
THAT ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS COULD DEVELOP ACROSS THE CENTRAL SAN
JOAQUIN VALLEY. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL
HAIL...GUSTY WINDS AND LIGHTNING AS WELL AS BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS
THAT CAN QUICKLY REDUCE VISIBILITY FOR TRAVELERS.

WINDS WILL INCREASE TONIGHT IN THE WAKE OF THE ASSOCIATED COLD
FRONT THAT MOVES ACROSS THE AREA TODAY. NORTHWEST WINDS WILL BE
SUSTAINED AT 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS OVER 30 MPH
POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE WEST SIDE OF THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

GUSTY WINDS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE AREA ON SUNDAY. LOCAL GUSTS
OVER 30 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE WEST SIDE OF
THE VALLEY.

OTHERWISE...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED DURING THE FORECAST
PERIOD AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS TO THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
OFFICE.

WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD

CAZ091-092-151200-
SOUTHWESTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-SOUTHEASTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-
500 AM PDT SAT APR 14 2007

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN
VALLEY.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

WINDS WILL INCREASE TONIGHT IN THE WAKE OF THE ASSOCIATED COLD
FRONT THAT MOVES ACROSS THE AREA TODAY. NORTHWEST WINDS WILL BE
SUSTAINED AT 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS OVER 30 MPH
POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE WEST SIDE OF THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

GUSTY WINDS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE AREA ON SUNDAY. LOCAL GUSTS
OVER 30 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE WEST SIDE OF
THE VALLEY.

OTHERWISE...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED DURING THE FORECAST
PERIOD AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS TO THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
OFFICE.

WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD

CAZ095-098-099-151200-
KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS-INDIAN WELLS VALLEY-
SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT-
500 AM PDT SAT APR 14 2007

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

A COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP ACROSS THE AREA THIS EVENING AND EARLY
TONIGHT. WINDS WILL PICK UP BEHIND THE FRONT TOMORROW AND
LOCALIZED GUSTS TO 60 MPH ARE POSSIBLE IN THE KERN COUNTY
MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS. THE THREAT OF LOCALLY GUSTY WINDS WILL
CONTINUE INTO EARLY SUNDAY NIGHT BEFORE DIMINISHING LATER THAT NIGHT.

OTHERWISE...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE AREA AT
THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS TO THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
OFFICE.

WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD

CTS

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 14, 2:03 AM PST, 4 hours 57 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY CA
303 AM PDT SAT APR 14 2007

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1150 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST ROSAMOND                34.86N 118.20W
04/11/2007  M46.00 MPH       KERN               CA   MESONET

0256 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST WALKER PASS RAWS        35.67N 118.06W
04/12/2007  M45.00 MPH       KERN               CA   MESONET

0613 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST INDIAN WELLS CANYON RAW 35.69N 117.89W
04/12/2007  M66.00 MPH       KERN               CA   MESONET

0800 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST RANDSBURG               35.37N 117.66W
04/12/2007  M54.00 MPH       KERN               CA   CO-OP OBSERVER

            RECORDED BY COOPERATIVE OBSERVER RANC1.

0856 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST 2 NE RIDGECREST         35.65N 117.64W
04/12/2007  M52.00 MPH       KERN               CA   ASOS

            MEASURED AT THE CHINA LAKE NAVAL AIR FACILITY /KNID/.

0913 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST LAUREL MOUNTAIN RAWS    35.48N 117.70W
04/12/2007  M62.00 MPH       KERN               CA   MESONET

1000 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST MOJAVE                  35.05N 118.18W
04/12/2007  E60.00 MPH       KERN               CA   BROADCAST MEDIA

            BROADCAST MEDIA VIDEO AND WEBSITE REPORTS FROM
            BAKERSFIELD STATIONS OF SEVERAL BIG RIGS BLOWN OVER ON
            STATE ROUTE 58 AND ON STATE ROUTE 14 AT SILVER QUEEN MINE
            ROAD. TIME ESTIMATED.

1000 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST MOJAVE                  35.05N 118.18W
04/12/2007  E60.00 MPH       KERN               CA   BROADCAST MEDIA

            VIDEO AND WEBSITE REPORT FROM KBAK TELEVISION IN
            BAKERSFIELD OF A BILLBOARD BLOWN OVER AS WELL AS A
            LAMPPOST. TIME ESTIMATED.

1047 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST MOJAVE                  35.05N 118.18W
04/12/2007  M75.00 MPH       KERN               CA   MESONET

            THE MOJAVE FAA SITE RECORDED SUSTAINED WINDS OF 63 MPH
            WITH A GUST TO 75 MPH.

1114 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST LEMOORE                 36.30N 119.79W
04/12/2007  M49.00 MPH       KINGS              CA   ASOS

            MEASURED AT THE LEMOORE NAVAL AIR STATION /KNLC/.

1137 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST MERCED                  37.30N 120.48W
04/12/2007  M40.00 MPH       MERCED             CA   ASOS

1210 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST MADERA                  36.97N 120.08W
04/12/2007  M43.00 MPH       MADERA             CA   ASOS

1227 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST BAKERSFIELD             35.36N 119.00W
04/12/2007  M40.00 MPH       KERN               CA   ASOS

1235 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST MENDOTA                 36.76N 120.38W
04/12/2007  M47.00 MPH       FRESNO             CA   ASOS

1235 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST WASCO                   35.59N 119.34W
04/12/2007  M36.00 MPH       KERN               CA   MESONET

1250 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST HANFORD                 36.33N 119.65W
04/12/2007  M36.00 MPH       KINGS              CA   ASOS

            MEASURED BY THE KHJO ASOS.

1251 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST ROSAMOND                34.86N 118.20W
04/12/2007  M57.00 MPH       KERN               CA   NWS EMPLOYEE

            A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EMPLOYEE/S MOTHER RECORDED A
            GUST OF 57 MPH AT HER HOUSE. ALSO REPORTED NUMEROUS
            SHINGLES BLOWN OFF ROOFS AND PARTS OF FENCES AND TREES
            BLOWN DOWN IN ROSAMOND.

0128 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST FRESNO                  36.78N 119.79W
04/12/2007  M39.00 MPH       FRESNO             CA   ASOS

0250 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST KETTLEMAN HILLS RAWS    36.03N 120.06W
04/12/2007  M49.00 MPH       KINGS              CA   MESONET

0400 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST HANFORD                 36.33N 119.65W
04/12/2007  E40.00 MPH       KINGS              CA   NEWSPAPER

            ABOUT 4500 PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC CUSTOMERS LOST POWER
            IN LEMOORE...COLAINGA...FRESNO...KERMAN...CLOVIS AND
            HANFORD. REPORTED BY THE HANFORD SENTINEL. TIME
            ESTIMATED.

0527 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST EDWARDS AFB             34.91N 117.93W
04/12/2007  M49.00 MPH       KERN               CA   ASOS

0847 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST MOJAVE                  35.05N 118.18W
04/12/2007  M65.00 MPH       KERN               CA   MESONET

            THE MOJAVE NTPS MESONET SITE MEASURED SUSTAINED WINDS OF
            51 MPH WITH A GUST TO 65 MPH.

&&

STACHELSKI

Event by event

3 strong wind, 1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Strong Wind, Kern Cty Mtns

When: April 14, 7:00 AM PST to April 15, 1:00 AM PST
Where: Kern Cty Mtns forecast zone
Measured: 39 kt (45 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: Mesonet

Strong Wind, Indian Wells Vly

When: April 14, 7:00 AM PST to April 15, 1:00 AM PST
Where: Indian Wells Vly forecast zone
Measured: 40 kt (46 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: Mesonet

Heavy Snow, Kern Cty Mtns

When: April 15, 7:00 AM PST to 12:00 PM PST
Where: Kern Cty Mtns forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Strong Wind, W Central S.J. Valley

When: April 15, 8:00 AM PST to 5:00 PM PST
Where: W Central S.J. Valley forecast zone
Measured: 30 kt (35 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: Mesonet

What these are

Strong Wind: Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.
Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in California in 2007 Every state in 2007 This day in weather history Warnings in California, April 2007

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: 19011, 19012, 19014, 19015.