Hail, Kern
- When
- February 22, 12:46 PM PST to 1:00 PM PST
- Where
- Kern County, Arvin
- Measured
- 0.88 in hail
- Reported by
- Public
- Coordinates
- 35.200, -118.830
Nickel sized hail was reported by the public in Arvin.
Winter Storm and Flood in California, February 22 to 24, 2008
A major Pacific storm, the last in a series of winter storms to impact central California, arrived late on the 22nd and lingered well through the 24th. This storm brought very heavy snow to the Southern Sierra Nevada, plus much needed rains to portions of the San Joaquin Valley, as well as severe thunderstorms during the afternoon of the 22rd.
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
- $15,000
- Crop damage
- $22,000
- Events
- 11
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.
A major Pacific storm, the last in a series of winter storms to impact central California, arrived late on the 22nd and lingered well through the 24th.
This storm brought very heavy snow to the Southern Sierra Nevada, plus much needed rains to portions of the San Joaquin Valley, as well as severe thunderstorms during the afternoon of the 22rd.
This storm brought snowfall totals between 2 to 5 feet to the Southern Sierra Nevada.
A severe thunderstorm developed near Arvin at 1246 PST on February 22nd, with nickel-size hail reported. Thunderstorms continued over the central and southern San Joaquin Valley through the afternoon of the 22nd, but these storms remained below severe levels.
This storm brought gusty winds to the central and southern San Joaquin Valley on the 23rd and 24th, with a gust to 53 mph recorded at Meadows Field, Bakersfield. Winds gusted to 60 mph at Panorama Bluffs in Bakersfield around 645 pm on the 23rd. Wind gusts were estimated up to 70 mph over the far south end of the San Joaquin Valley, as southeast to south winds funneled through the Tehachapi Pass and the Grapevine onto the Valley floor south of Bakersfield. Gusts to 36 mph were measured as far north as Castle Airport at Atwater, in Merced County.
There was strong rain-shadowing over the southern San Joaquin Valley, as southwest winds aloft carried the storms through central California. Fresno had a five-day storm total of 1.45 inch, 68 percent of the total rainfall for February of 2.12 inches. Bakersfield received only 0.22 inch of rain for the five-day period, and only trace amounts fell at Meadows Field on February 21st and 23rd(Fresno’s rainfall for the month matched its 30-year normal rainfall for February of 2.12 inches. Bakersfield had a monthly total of 0.82 inch, 67.8 percent of its normal of 1.21 inch).
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 Feb 22, 9:10 AM PST, 3 hours 36 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Feb 22, 9:10 AM PST, 3 hours 36 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA 910 AM PST FRI FEB 22 2008 .UPDATE...SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE MOVING ACROSS THE HANFORD WARNING/ FORECAST AREA THIS MORNING...BUT ARE STAYING MOSTLY NORTH OF KERN COUNTY. THE UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH MOVING OVER THE STATE...WITH THE TROUGH AXIS OVER THE HANFORD WARNING/FORECAST AREA BETWEEN 18-24Z. THE IMMEDIATE FORECAST CONCERN THIS MORNING IS THE POTENTIAL FOR CONVECTION. SATELLITE LOOPS SHOW AN UPPER-LEVEL VORTICITY DROPPING DOWN THE BACK SIDE OF THE TROUGH INTO THE BAY AREA AT THIS TIME. THIS VORTICITY WILL HELP DESTABILIZE THE ATMOSPHERE OVER CENTRAL CALIFORNIA BY MIDDAY. THE 12Z NAM-12 HAS SURFACE COMPUTED CAPES OF 400 JOULES/KG OVER MERCED COUNTY...AND AN ISOLATED 300 JOULES/KG AS FAR SOUTH AS VISALIA. SURFACE COMPUTED LIFTED INDEXES OVER THE REGION ARE MOSTLY NEUTRAL TO POSITIVE...EXCEPT -1 OVER MERCED AND WESTERN MARIPOSA COUNTIES. AT 500-MB...A 140+ KT JET MAX AT 300 MB ENTERS WESTERN KINGS COUNTY AT 18Z...PLACING MUCH OF FRESNO... MADERA...MARIPOSA...MERCED AND WESTERN TULARE COUNTIES IN THE LEFT FRONT QUADRANT. 500-MB TEMPERATURES FALL TO -27 C OVER YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK AT 18Z...AND TO -25 C DOWN TO THE MADERA/FRESNO COUNTY LINE. SPC HAS THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE HANFORD WARNING/ FORECAST AREA UNDER A GENERAL RISK OF THUNDERSTORMS...SO THE CURRENT FORECAST LOOKS ON TRACK. NO UPDATES PLANNED AT THIS TIME. && .DISCUSSION...COMPLICATED PATTERN FOR THE NEXT 24-35 HRS. UPPER TROF ACROSS THE REGION STILL PRODUCING SOME SCT SHWRS...MAINLY OVER MTNS. UPPER VORT CENTER NEAR 125W WILL MOVE INLAND TODAY. THIS WILL ENHANCE SHOWER ACTIVITY A BIT. QPF VALUES NOT TOO HIGH SO ALLOWED SNOW ADVISORY FOR THE SIERRA NORTH OF KERN LINE TO EXPIRE. ATMO MAY BECOME UNSTABLE ENOUGH IN THE VALLEY AND FOOTHILL AREAS FOR SOME ISOLD AFTERNOON THUNDER AS WELL...THOUGH ALREADY SEEING SOME LIGHTNING STRIKES IN THE FOOTHILLS AROUND MARIPOSA. THIS TROF WILL MOVE EAST OF THE AREA EARLY THIS EVE...AND BE REPLACED BY SHORTWAVE RIDGE THROUGH MUCH OF THE DAY SAT. THIS SHOULD END MOST PRECIP FOR A TIME. THIS DUE MAINLY TO A DRIER SOUTHERLY FLOW THAT DEVELOPS IN THE LOWER LEVELS...ESPECIALLY H7 AND BELOW. THIS COMPLICATES SATURDAYS FCST QUITE A BIT. A STRONG SOUTHERLY FLOW USUALLY INHIBITS PRECIP. WHILE KEEPING POPS MANY AREAS SAT...HAVE KEPT MENTION OF PRECIP CONFINED TO AFTERNOON HOURS. SOUTHERLY FLOW MAKES TEMPS FCSTS TRICKY AS WELL. INCREASING SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL BRING WARMING SAT TO MUCH OF THE REGION. FCST PROBLEM IS HOW MUCH. WHILE NOT GOING TOO FAR OUT ON A LIMB...WE COULD SEE SOME VALLEY TEMPS INTO THE LOWER 70S A FEW PLACES IN THE SOUTH END. BY SAT EVE...A STORM...CURRENTLY DEVELOPING IN THE VICINITY OF 155W/35N WILL MOVE TOWARD THE COAST. MODELS SHOW A RATHER DEEP SURFACE LOW (983 MBS OR SO) APPROACHING THE NORCAL COAST SAT EVE. THIS WILL BRING INCREASING WINDS TO THE CENTRAL SJV. JUST HOW STRONG A LITTLE IN QUESTION YET...BUT COULD SEE SOME LOCAL SUSTAINED WINDS OF 40 MPH OR SO FOR A WHILE SAT NITE AND EARLY SUN. LOCAL GUSTS COULD REACH OR EXCEED 55 MPH AT TIMES. BEST CHANCES FOR HIGH WINDS WILL BE IN MERCED COUNTY NORTHWARD. SNOW LEVELS IN THE SRN SIERRA AND TEHACHAPIS WILL BE ABOUT 5500 FEET OR SO TODAY RISING TO 7-8K SAT IN WARM ADVECTION AHEAD OF APPROACHING STORM. SNOW LEVELS WILL FALL BACK TO NEAR 4500-5000 FEET SUN MORNING. STILL QUESTIONABLE WHETHER SNOW WILL REACH PASS LEVEL IN THE TEHACHAPIS SUN...BUT IT WILL BE CLOSE. THE PRECIPITATION WILL BE GRADUALLY BE TAPERING OFF DURING THE DAY SUNDAY AS THE SFC AND UPPER LEVEL LOW WEAKENS RAPIDLY DURING THE DAY AND PUSHES EAST OF THE REGION SUN EVENING. EXCEPT FOR SOME LINGERING SHOWERS IN THE MTNS...REMAINDER OF THE AREA SHOULD SEE PRECIP END EARLY SUN EVENING. FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FCST...LONGWAVE RIDGE WILL BUILD IN QUICKLY MON ALONG THE WEST COAST. AND EXCEPT FOR A SHORTWAVE TROF MID-WEEK THAT WEAKENS THE RIDGE BRIEFLY...IT WILL REMAIN THE DOMINANT FEATURE. TEMPS ARE EXPECTED TO CLIMB TO SEVERAL DEGS ABOVE NORMAL BY NEXT WED. && .AVIATION...ANOTHER WEATHER DISTURBANCE MOVING THROUGH THE REGION TODAY WILL BRING SCATTERED SHOWERS ACROSS CENTRAL CALIFORNIA. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY FROM ABOUT HANFORD AND VISALIA NORTHWARD FROM 20Z TODAY TO 00Z SATURDAY. CIGS AND VSBYS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN GENERALLY VFR IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY THROUGH 18Z SATURDAY WITH LOCAL MVFR IN SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. AREAS OF MVFR AND MOUNTAIN OBSCURATIONS WILL CONTINUE IN SHOWERS OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS OF INTERIOR CENTRAL CALIFORNIA THROUGH 06Z SATURDAY. && .AIR QUALITY ISSUES... NONE. && .HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WATCH FROM SATURDAY EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING FOR THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA...FROM YOSEMITE TO THE KERN COUNTY LINE /CAZ096-097/. HIGH WIND WATCH FROM SATURDAY EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING FOR THE CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY /CAZ089-090/. && UPDATE...SANGER/MV PREVIOUS...BINGHAM/BEAN WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD
Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 22, 4:57 AM PST, 7 hours 49 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA 457 AM PST FRI FEB 22 2008 CAZ089-090-231200- WEST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-EAST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY- 457 AM PST FRI FEB 22 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE FORECAST THIS AFTERNOON. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...SMALL HAIL...GUSTY WINDS AND BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS THAT CAN QUICKLY REDUCE VISIBILITY FOR TRAVELERS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY A HIGH WIND WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST NON PRECIPITATION WARNING FROM HANFORD AT /WW US76 KHAN/ OR /SFONPWHNX/ FOR DETAILS. .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 CAZ096-097-231200- SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON- TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS- 457 AM PST FRI FEB 22 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY A WINTER STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST WINTER STORM WARNING AT /WWUS46 KHNX/ OR /SFOWSWHNX/ FOR DETAILS. .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 CAZ091-092-231200- SOUTHWESTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-SOUTHEASTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY- 457 AM PST FRI FEB 22 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT ISOLATED AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS ARE FORECAST THIS AFTERNOON. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...SMALL HAIL...GUSTY WINDS AND BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS THAT CAN QUICKLY REDUCE VISIBILITY FOR TRAVELERS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY 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
Local storm report, Feb 22, 9:17 AM PST, 3 hours 29 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY CA
917 AM PST FRI FEB 22 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0900 AM SNOW TUOLUMNE CITY 37.96N 120.24W
02/22/2008 E0.0 INCH TUOLUMNE CA TRAINED SPOTTER
12 INCHES REPORTED BY TRAINED SPOTTER.
&&
PETERSONLocal storm report, Feb 22, 9:56 AM PST, 2 hours 50 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY CA
956 AM PST FRI FEB 22 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0900 AM SNOW TUOLUMNE MEADOWS 37.87N 119.36W
02/22/2008 M12.0 INCH TUOLUMNE CA TRAINED SPOTTER
12 INCHES REPORTED BY TRAINED SPOTTER.
&&
PETERSONThe radar
The Los Angeles radar (KVTX), 93 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:46 UTC.
Event by event
4 strong wind, 2 funnel cloud, 2 winter storm, 1 hail, 1 flood, 1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Funnel Cloud, Kings
- When
- February 22, 1:30 PM PST
- Where
- Kings County, 3.96 mi E of Hanford Muni Arpt
- Reported by
- NWS Employee
- Coordinates
- 36.330, -119.560
A funnel cloud was observed by 2 NWS employees.
Funnel Cloud, Madera
- When
- February 22, 1:55 PM PST
- Where
- Madera County, 3.83 mi SSE of Indian Spgs
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 37.000, -119.700
A funnel cloud was reported by a trained spotter.
Flood, Fresno
- When
- February 22, 3:45 PM PST to 5:45 PM PST
- Where
- Fresno County, 1.49 mi SSW of Fig Garden to 1.84 mi E of Pinedale
- Cause
- Heavy Rain
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Reported by
- NWS Employee
- Coordinates
- 36.810, -119.830
Heavy rain caused a few poor drainage roads to be flooded with several inches of water covering the roads in northwest Fresno, including North Figarden at North Gates, as well as North Golden State Blvd near Ashlan Ave.
Strong Wind, S Sierra Foothills
- When
- February 23, 11:00 AM PST to 4:00 PM PST
- Where
- S Sierra Foothills forecast zone
- Measured
- 46 kt (53 mph) measured gust
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Reported by
- Mesonet
Strong Wind, W Central S.J. Valley
- When
- February 23, 12:02 PM PST to February 24, 12:01 AM PST
- Where
- W Central S.J. Valley forecast zone
- Measured
- 39 kt (45 mph) measured gust
- Crop damage
- $10,000
- Reported by
- Mesonet
Strong Wind, E Central S.J. Valley
- When
- February 23, 12:02 PM PST to February 24, 12:01 AM PST
- Where
- E Central S.J. Valley forecast zone
- Measured
- 31 kt (36 mph) measured gust
- Crop damage
- $2,000
- Reported by
- Mesonet
Strong Wind, Sw S.J. Valley
- When
- February 23, 12:02 PM PST to February 24, 12:01 AM PST
- Where
- Sw S.J. Valley forecast zone
- Measured
- 40 kt (46 mph) measured gust
- Crop damage
- $5,000
- Reported by
- Mesonet
High Wind, Se S.J. Valley
- When
- February 23, 5:51 PM PST to 11:04 PM PST
- Where
- Se S.J. Valley forecast zone
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Crop damage
- $5,000
- Reported by
- Mesonet
Winter Storm, S Sierra Mtns
- When
- February 23, 6:00 PM PST to February 24, 10:00 PM PST
- Where
- S Sierra Mtns forecast zone
- Reported by
- Park/Forest Service
Winter Storm, Tulare Cty Mtns
- When
- February 23, 6:00 PM PST to February 24, 10:00 PM PST
- Where
- Tulare Cty Mtns forecast zone
- Reported by
- Park/Forest Service
What these are
- Hail
- Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
- Funnel Cloud
- A rotating column of cloud extending from a thunderstorm that did not reach the ground.
- Flood
- Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.
- Strong Wind
- Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.
- High Wind
- Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
- Winter Storm
- A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in New York, February 22, 2008
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in New Jersey, February 22, 2008
- Heavy Snow in Massachusetts, February 22 to 23, 2008
- Heavy Snow in New York, February 22, 2008
- Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Maryland, February 22, 2008
- Winter Weather in Virginia, February 22, 2008
- Winter Weather in Colorado, February 22 to 23, 2008
- Heavy Snow in New Jersey, February 22, 2008
- Damaging Winds and Heavy Rain in Georgia, February 22, 2008
- Winter Weather in Maryland, February 22, 2008
- Winter Weather in Delaware, February 22, 2008
- Heavy Snow in Connecticut, February 22, 2008
More
Every storm in California in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in California, February 2008
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: 84982, 84979, 84980, 84978, 84972, 84963, 84964, 84965, 84967, 84959, 84961.