Winter Storm, S Sierra Mtns
- When
- December 18, 6:00 AM PST to December 19, 4:11 AM PST
- Where
- S Sierra Mtns forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
Winter Storm and Flooding in California, December 18 to 20, 2007
An area of high pressure developed in the eastern Pacific around mid December, centered near Hawaii. This high pressure feature caused a series of major Pacific storms to ride over the high pressure and into California, carried by very strong upper-atmosphere winds (jet stream winds).
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it. 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
- $190,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 10
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 area of high pressure developed in the eastern Pacific around mid December, centered near Hawaii. This high pressure feature caused a series of major Pacific storms to ride over the high pressure and into California, carried by very strong upper-atmosphere winds (jet stream winds). While the first storm brought only light rain to the San Joaquin Valley, and a few inches of snow to the higher elevations of the Southern Sierra Nevada, the main impact was to weaken the high pressure and allow a stronger and more potent storm to reach central California beginning the night of December 17th-18th.
This second storm brought over a half-inch of rain to parts of the San Joaquin Valley floor. Flooding was reported in the Fresno metropolitan area, mainly due to the combination of locally heavy rains and poor drainage areas within the urban and suburban land.
Very cold air accompanied the storm, settling into Yosemite Valley and resulting in over 4 inches of new snow to the Yosemite Valley floor at an elevation of 4000 feet. In the high country, between 2 and 3 feet of new snow fell, spreading as far south as the Tulare County mountains, where Lodgepole measured 28 inches of new snow. Further south, as much as 6 inches of snow fell near the crest of the Tehachapi Mountains, at Mount Pinos.
The third storm reached interior central California during the night of December 19th. This storm brought up to a foot of snow to the high country of the Southern Sierra Nevada north of Kings Canyon, and gusty winds to the Kern County mountains and the Indian Wells Valley. Gusts as strong as 64 mph were recorded in the Piutes (at the south end of the Sierra Nevada range), and there were several reports of gusts up to 55 mph in the Tehachapi Mountains and the Kern County Desert.
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 Dec 18, 4:47 AM PST, 1 hour 13 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Dec 18, 4:47 AM PST, 1 hour 13 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA 447 AM PST TUE DEC 18 2007 .DISCUSSION...A PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM IS NEARING THE WEST COAST WITH A STREAM OF MOISTURE BEING LIFTED ACROSS CENTRAL CALIFORNIA. THIS HAS BROUGHT PERIODS OF MAINLY LIGHT RAIN ACROSS MOST OF THE DISTRICT NORTH OF KERN COUNTY OVERNIGHT. THIS SYSTEM LOOKS ON TRACK TO BRING HEAVY SNOW TO THE SOUTHERN SIERRA TODAY AND TONIGHT AND THE WINTER STORM WARNING FOR THERE REMAINS IN EFFECT. LESSER AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED OVER THE MOUNTAINS OF KERN COUNTY WHERE A SNOW ADVISORY FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT STILL LOOKS GOOD. MODELS SUGGEST A BREAK WEDNESDAY...WITH JUST A FEW LINGERING SHOWERS POSSIBLE AHEAD OF THE NEXT APPROACHING SYSTEM...WHICH WILL PUSH THROUGH THE REGION THURSDAY. THE BULK OF THIS NEXT SYSTEM IS PROGGED TO TRACK FARTHER TO THE NORTH AND EAST...BRINGING LOWER QPF AMOUNTS TO THE DISTRICT. THEN EXPECT GENERAL RIDGING OVERHEAD THROUGH SUNDAY...AHEAD OF ANOTHER APPROACHING TROUGH. MODELS HAVE DIFFERENCES IN THE TIMING AND STRENGTH OF THIS NEXT SYSTEM. FOR NOW IT LOOKS SUFFICIENT FOR A SLIGHT CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION OVER THE SIERRA MONDAY. TEMPERATURES SHOULD NOT STRAY TOO FAR FROM AROUND CLIMO THROUGH THE PERIOD. && .AVIATION...SCATTERED RAIN SHOWERS WILL PROVIDE LCL MVFR CONDITIONS IN THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS RESULTING IN MOUNTAIN OBSCURATIONS OVER THE SIERRA AND TEHACHAPIS. PRECIPITATION WILL BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD AFTER DAYBREAK TODAY AS A PACIFIC STORM REACHES CENTRAL CALIFORNIA. AREAS OF MVFR/LOCAL IFR CONDITIONS WILL BE MORE PREVALENT WITH MOUNTAIN OBSCURATIONS OVER MOST OF THE DISTRICT THROUGH 12Z WEDNESDAY. && .AIR QUALITY ISSUES... NONE && .HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 AM PST WEDNESDAY FOR CAZ097. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL MIDNIGHT PST TONIGHT FOR CAZ096. SNOW ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM PST WEDNESDAY FOR CAZ095. && JEB/MOLINA WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD
Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 18, 4:40 AM PST, 1 hour 20 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA 440 AM PST TUE DEC 18 2007 CAZ096-191300- SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON- 440 AM PST TUE DEC 18 2007 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT PST TONIGHT. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE /WWUS46 KHNX/ OR /SFOWSWHNX/ FOR DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS TO THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE. SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD CAZ097-191300- TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS- 440 AM PST TUE DEC 18 2007 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT PST TONIGHT. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE /WWUS46 KHNX/ OR /SFOWSWHNX/ FOR DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY AFTER 6 AM WEDNESDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS TO THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE. SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD CAZ095-191300- KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS- 440 AM PST TUE DEC 18 2007 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A SNOW ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM PST WEDNESDAY. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE.../WWUS46 KHNX/ OR /SFOWSWHNX/ FOR DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THE SNOW ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM WEDNESDAY... OTHERWISE NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS TO THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE. SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD CAZ098-099-191300- INDIAN WELLS VALLEY-SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT- 440 AM PST TUE DEC 18 2007 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE KERN COUNTY DESERTS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY ANOTHER PACIFIC STORM WILL MOVE ACROSS CENTRAL CALIFORNIA THURSDAY INTO THURSDAY NIGHT. WINDS ACROSS THE KERN COUNTY DESERT WILL INCREASE OUT AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM DURING THE DAY ON THURSDAY WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 50 MPH POSSIBLE ESPECIALLY IN WIND FAVORED AREAS...OTHERWISE NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS TO THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE. SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Dec 18, 3:45 AM PST, 2 hours 15 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA 345 AM PST TUE DEC 18 2007 CAZ096-097-182330- SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON- TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS- 345 AM PST TUE DEC 18 2007 ...ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM ON THE WAY FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY FOR THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA... YET ANOTHER PACIFIC STORM WILL MOVE ACROSS CENTRAL CALIFORNIA LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY. ENOUGH MOISTURE AND COLD AIR WILL BE PRESENT TO RESULT IN ANOTHER ROUND OF SNOW FOR ELEVATIONS IN THE SIERRA NEVADA AT OR ABOVE 6000 FEET INITIALLY BUT AS THE STORM SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH THE REGION...SNOW LEVELS WILL LOWER TO BETWEEN 4500 AND 5000 FEET. TOTAL SNOWFALL FROM THIS SYSTEM WILL BE ON THE ORDER OF 6 TO 12 INCHES AT OR ABOVE 5000 FEET BEFORE THE SYSTEM FINALLY DEPARTS THE AREA. IN ADDITION TO THE SNOW...GUSTY WINDS WILL DEVELOP ESPECIALLY ALONG THE RIDGE TOPS. WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 60 MPH WILL CAUSE REDUCED VISIBILITY AS WELL AS DRIFTING OF ANY SNOW. IF YOU ARE PLANNING ANY TRAVEL TO THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS THIS WEEK...BE PREPARED FOR WINTRY CONDITIONS. KEEP A WINTER SURVIVAL KIT ON HAND...WHICH SHOULD AT LEAST INCLUDE CHAINS...FOOD AND WATER AND DRY CLOTHES AND A BLANKET. LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR YOUR FAVORITE NEWS SOURCE...FOR UPDATES ON THIS SITUATION. CAZ098-099-182330- INDIAN WELLS VALLEY-SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT- 345 AM PST TUE DEC 18 2007 ...ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING GUSTY WINDS TO THE KERN COUNTY DESERT THURSDAY... YET ANOTHER PACIFIC STORM WILL MOVE ACROSS CENTRAL CALIFORNIA THURSDAY INTO THURSDAY NIGHT. WINDS ACROSS THE KERN COUNTY DESERT WILL INCREASE OUT AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM DURING THE DAY ON THURSDAY WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 50 MPH POSSIBLE ESPECIALLY IN WIND FAVORED AREAS. GUSTY WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO BLOW AS THE SYSTEM WORKS ACROSS THE AREA INTO EARLY THURSDAY NIGHT. WIND GUSTS ONCE AGAIN IN WIND FAVORED AREAS...ESPECIALLY BELOW CANYONS...COULD REACH AS HIGH AS 50 MPH. WINDS WILL BEGIN TO SLACKEN OFF LATER THURSDAY NIGHT AS THE SYSTEM FINALLY DEPARTS FROM THE AREA. MOTORISTS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR STRONG WINDS THAT CAN DRIVING DIFFICULT...ESPECIALLY IN HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. BE ALERT FOR STRONG CROSSWINDS THAT CAN MAKE DRIVING DANGEROUS. LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR YOUR FAVORITE NEWS SOURCE...FOR UPDATES ON THIS SITUATION. JEB WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
3 heavy rain, 2 winter storm, 2 flood, 2 strong wind, 1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Winter Storm, Tulare Cty Mtns
- When
- December 18, 6:00 AM PST to December 19, 4:11 AM PST
- Where
- Tulare Cty Mtns forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
Winter Weather, Kern Cty Mtns
- When
- December 18, 3:00 PM PST to December 19, 4:11 AM PST
- Where
- Kern Cty Mtns forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
Flood, Fresno
- When
- December 18, 11:40 PM PST to December 19, 1:10 AM PST
- Where
- Fresno County, 0.89 mi NW of Hammond to 1.15 mi WSW of Fresno
- Cause
- Heavy Rain
- Property damage
- $25,000
- Reported by
- Law Enforcement
- Coordinates
- 36.780, -119.790
A home located near the intersection of Hampton and Buckingham was flooded, due a combination of persistent heavy rain and poor water drainage.
Heavy Rain, Fresno
- When
- December 19, 12:00 AM PST to 9:00 AM PST
- Where
- Fresno County, 1.49 mi SSW of Fig Garden
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Reported by
- NWS Employee
- Coordinates
- 36.810, -119.830
An employee of the NWS measured 1.44 inches of storm total rainfall in the New Fig Garden section.
Flood, Fresno
- When
- December 19, 12:30 AM PST to 2:00 AM PST
- Where
- Fresno County, 1.74 mi S of Hammond to 1.27 mi WNW of (Fch) Chandler Af
- Cause
- Heavy Rain
- Property damage
- $150,000
- Reported by
- Law Enforcement
- Coordinates
- 36.745, -119.777
Local law enforcement reported street flooding along Olive Avenue just east of CA Highway 99. Several other reports of flooded city streets were received during this time frame as well. Media reports indicated some homes were reported flooded in the southwest section of the Fig Garden Village area. Some of this flooding was due to the combination of heavy rain, and poor drainage partially caused by power outages at an important pumping station.
Heavy Rain, Fresno
- When
- December 19, 1:11 AM PST to 2:45 AM PST
- Where
- Fresno County, Clovis to 1.34 mi NE of Pinedale
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 36.820, -119.700
A trained weather spotter reported storm total rainfall of 0.75 inches in only 90 minutes.
Heavy Rain, Fresno
- When
- December 19, 6:58 AM PST to 9:00 AM PST
- Where
- Fresno County, 0.89 mi NE of Clovis
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 36.830, -119.690
A trained weather spotter reported a storm total since the 18th of 2 inches.
Strong Wind, Kern Cty Mtns
- When
- December 20, 10:00 AM PST to 9:00 PM PST
- Where
- Kern Cty Mtns forecast zone
- Measured
- 49 kt (56 mph) measured gust
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Reported by
- Mesonet
Strong Wind, Indian Wells Vly
- When
- December 20, 10:00 AM PST to 9:00 PM PST
- Where
- Indian Wells Vly forecast zone
- Measured
- 49 kt (56 mph) measured gust
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Reported by
- Mesonet
What these are
- Winter Storm
- A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
- Winter Weather
- Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.
- Flood
- Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.
- Heavy Rain
- Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.
- Strong Wind
- Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Avalanche in Washington, December 18, 2007
- Heavy Snow in Washington, December 18, 2007
- Heavy Snow in Idaho, December 18 to 19, 2007
- Heavy Snow in Washington, December 18 to 20, 2007
- Heavy Snow in California, December 18, 2007
- Heavy Snow in Idaho, December 18, 2007
- Heavy Snow in California, December 18, 2007
- Heavy Snow in Nevada, December 18, 2007
- Heavy Snow in Idaho, December 18 to 19, 2007
More
Every storm in California in 2007Every state in 2007This day in weather historyWarnings in California, December 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: 73297, 73298, 73299, 73291, 73296, 73292, 73293, 73295, 73300, 73301.