Hail and Damaging Wind in California, March 14 to 17, 2008

Name: Hail and Damaging Wind in California, March 14 to 17, 2008
Start: 2008-03-14T14:06
End: 2008-03-17T08:15
Location: California

March 14 to 17, 2008 · NWS HNX · 11 events in 7 counties and zones

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $15,000
Crop damage: $61,000
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 strong weather system arrived on the 15th, which brought colder air to the region. Gusty winds to around 50mph continued over the mountains and deserts, and gusts even developed over parts of the San Joaquin Valley (where gusts to 37 mph were reported). The main impact of the trough was precipitation, as measurable snow fell as low as 3500 feet on the Grapevine, and thunderstorms developed over the west side of the San Joaquin Valley during the afternoon of the 15th. One thunderstorm, near Mendota, reached severe levels and produced -inch hail and damaging winds. Other thunderstorms generated hail that ranged from pea-size to -inch in diameter. These storms extended south along the Interstate 5 corridor to near Taft, and as far east as Visalia and Arvin (where the -inch hail fell and knocked out power to part of the town when a transformer insulator hub was shattered). A thunderstorm near Maricopa during the late afternoon approached severe criteria, prompting the second Severe Thunderstorm Warning of the day, but the storm weakened before becoming severe.

Up to 4 inches of snow fell on the Frazier Park area, with 4-6 inches falling above 6500 feet in the western Tehachapi Mountains. In the Southern Sierra Nevada, snow amounts ranged from 5 inches at Ponderosa to one-inch accumulations at Lodgepole and Tuolumne Meadows. Other snow reports included 1.5 inches at Bear Valley Springs and Hume Lake, and 2 inches at Grant Grove.

A cold, dry airmass moved into the central California interior with the trough. Several Valley sites reached freezing the morning of the 16th and the 17th, causing frost to form in a few areas.

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 14, 8:59 AM PST, 5 hours 7 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 14, 8:59 AM PST, 5 hours 7 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
959 AM PDT FRI MAR 14 2008

.UPDATE... LOTS OF CLOUDS ALONG THE FOOTHILLS AND MUCH OF KERN
COUNTY DUE TO UPSLOPE FLOW. OTHERWISE MOSTLY CLEAR. A BOUNDARY
STRETCHING FROM MONTERREY NE TO BLUE CANYON WILL MOVE SE TODAY
INTO THE CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY...BRINGING A THREAT OF
ISOLATED SHOWERS. COOLER DAY TODAY WITH 24 HOUR TEMPERATURE
CHANGES AT OAKLAND SOUNDING ATMOSPHERE HAS COOLED 5-7C DEGREES AND
TEMPERATURE TRENDS RUNNING 5-6 DEGREES AND MOST STATIONS IN THE
MOUNTAINS 8-12 COOLER. WILL LET THE HIGH WIND WARNING EXPIRE THIS
MORNING BUT EXPECT WINDY CONDITIONS TO CONTINUE IN THE KERN COUNTY
MOUNTAINS AND DESERT UNTIL SATURDAY MORNING. NO CHANGES TO CURRENT
FORECAST.

.PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...
STRONG UPPER JET IS SLOWLY DRIFTING SOUTH ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA
TONIGHT AND IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN TO BUCKLE AS A STRONG UPPER LEVEL
DISTURBANCE DROPS IN FROM THE GULF OF AK. VERY COLD AIR ALOFT
COMBINED WITH STRONG UPPER DYNAMICS WILL SUPPORT UPSLOPE SHOWERS
IN THE MOUNTAINS ON FRIDAY AND WINDY CONDITIONS IN THE KERN COUNTY
MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS. WILL EXPIRE THE HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE
KERN CO MOUNTAINS AT AROUND 10 AM...AS WINDS WILL DROP TO ADV
CRITERIA AND CONTINUE INTO THIS EVENING. WINDS WILL THEN REMAIN
BELOW ADV CRITERIA TONIGHT BEFORE INCREASING AGAIN ON SATURDAY AS
THE SFC LOW DEEPENS AND PRESSURE GRADIENTS INCREASE.

WITH THE UPPER LOW DROPPING IN ON SATURDAY...THE THREAT OF SCT
THUNDERSTORMS IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY IS A REAL POSSIBILITY. THE BEST
DYNAMICS REMAIN ALONG THE WEST SIDE AND ALONG THE I-5 CORRIDOR. THE
COLDEST TEMPS ALOFT GET DOWN TO NEARLY -33 DEGREES CELSIUS AT THE 500
MB HEIGHT. WITH SPRING SUN...WE COULD SEE SOME ACTIVE STORMS ON
SATURDAY AFTERNOON. THE CLOUD COVER AND ANY EARLY MORNING PRECIP
WILL DICTATE WHAT HAPPENS IN THE AFTERNOON. BEST INSTABILITY APPEARS
TO BE OVER WESTERN MERCED AND FRESNO COUNTIES...WITH LIS 0 TO -3
AND CAPES AROUND 300 TO 800 J/KG. TOTAL TOTALS ARE FROM 50 TO 55
MAINLY NORTH OF FRESNO COUNTY. DO NOT EXPECT TO SEE MUCH IN THE
WAY OF THUNDER IN THE SOUTH END OF VALLEY WHERE UPSLOPE CLOUDS
WILL BANK UP AND THE ATMOSPHERE WILL BE MORE STABLE.

AS THE LOW MOVES BY SATURDAY NIGHT...SNOW LEVELS WILL DROP OVER
THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS TO NEAR THE PASS LEVEL. SOME SNOW IS
POSSIBLE BELOW 3500 FEET AND COULD BE ENOUGH TO CREATE TRAVEL
PROBLEMS ACROSS THE GRAPEVINE AND TEHACHAPI PASSES. EVENTHOUGH
ONLY AN INCH OR TWO IS EXPECTED AND WILL NOT BE ENOUGH TO WARRANT
AN ADVISORY...IT WILL STILL BE ENOUGH TO CREATE TRAVEL PROBLEMS
THROUGH THE PASSES.

AS THE UPPER LEVEL COLD LOW EXITS THE FORECAST AREA ON SUNDAY...
GRADUAL CLEARING AND WARMING CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED FOR MONDAY
THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THE 00Z RUN OF THE GFS IS BRINGING ANOTHER
TROUGH THROUGH HERE WED PM AND THURSDAY. I HAVE INCREASED POPS IN
THE YOSEMITE AREA AND WILL CONTINUE TO WATCH THE TRENDS. ZONAL
FLOW SETS UP AND SEASONAL TEMPS WITH DRY CONDITIONS AREA EXPECTED
FROM THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY OF NEXT WEEK

&&

.AVIATION...THE EFFECT OF A WEATHER DISTURBANCE THAT MOVED THROUGH
THE DISTRICT ON THURSDAY WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE MVFR CEILINGS...
MAINLY OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE SIERRA NEVADA AND TEHACHAPI
RANGES. IN ADDITION...STRONG WINDS WILL CONTINUE OVER KERN COUNTY
THIS MORNING WITH LOCAL GUSTS REACHING 40-50KTS. THESE WINDS ARE
EXPECTED TO DIMINISH LATER TODAY AS THE ASSOCIATED WEATHER
DISTURBANCE PUSHES OUT OF THE REGION. WILL EXPECT VFR CONDITIONS
WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA INTERIOR THROUGH 12Z
SATURDAY ONCE THE CLOUD BANKS ON THE SOUTH END AND EAST SIDE OF THE
VALLEY DISSIPATE.

&&

.AIR QUALITY ISSUES...
NONE

&&

.HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 10 AM PDT THIS MORNING FOR CAZ095.

WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR CAZ095.

WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR CAZ098-099.

&&

PUBLIC...MV
AVN/FW...MOLINA

WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD

Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 14, 8:44 AM PST, 5 hours 22 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
944 AM PDT FRI MAR 14 2008

CAZ089>094-150000-
WEST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-EAST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-
SOUTHWESTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-SOUTHEASTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-
MARIPOSA MADERA AND FRESNO COUNTY FOOTHILLS-
TULARE COUNTY FOOTHILLS-
944 AM PDT FRI MAR 14 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AND THE ADJACENT FOOTHILLS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE HANFORD HAS ISSUED A SPECIAL
WEATHER STATEMENT TODAY INDICATING THE CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS FOR SATURDAY. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION REFER TO THE
LATEST SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT /WWUS86 KHNX/ OR /SFOSPSHNX/.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

RAIN AND HIGHER ELEVATION SNOW CAN BE EXPECTED BY SATURDAY MORNING
TURNING TO THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IN THE VALLEY BY THE AFTERNOON.
BEYOND SATURDAY NIGHT NO FURTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

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

WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD

CAZ095-098-099-150000-
KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS-INDIAN WELLS VALLEY-
SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT-
944 AM PDT FRI MAR 14 2008

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR THE
KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS WHILE THE WIND ADVISORY FOR THE KERN COUNTY
DESERTS REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM PDT THIS EVENING. PLEASE
REFER TO THE LATEST NON PRECIPITATION WARNING ISSUED BY THE NWS AT
HANFORD /WWUS76 KHNX/ OR SFONPWHNX/

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

WINDS MAY PICK BACK UP AGAIN TO ADVISORY LEVEL BY SATURDAY AFTER A
SHORT LULL TONIGHT. ISSUANCE OF ANOTHER NON PRECIPITATION WARNING
MAY BE NECESSARY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

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

PETERSON

WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Mar 14, 9:38 AM PST, 4 hours 28 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
1038 AM PDT FRI MAR 14 2008

CAZ089>092-142345-
WEST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-EAST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-
SOUTHWESTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-SOUTHEASTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-
1038 AM PDT FRI MAR 14 2008

A COLD UPPER LOW WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION ON SATURDAY. THUNDERSTORMS
PRODUCING SOME SMALL HAIL AND LOCALLY GUSTY WINDS ARE POSSIBLE...MAINLY
IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. THE STORMS WILL BE MAINLY
ALONG THE WEST SIDE OF THE VALLEY AND WILL BE A TRAVEL CONCERN
ALONG THE I-5 CORRIDOR.

CAZ093-094-142345-
MARIPOSA MADERA AND FRESNO COUNTY FOOTHILLS-
TULARE COUNTY FOOTHILLS-
1038 AM PDT FRI MAR 14 2008

A COLD UPPER LOW WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION ON SATURDAY. THUNDERSTORMS
PRODUCING SOME SMALL HAIL AND LOCALLY GUSTY WINDS ARE POSSIBLE...MAINLY
IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. THE STORMS WILL BE MAINLY
ALONG THE WEST SIDE OF THE VALLEY AND WILL BE A TRAVEL CONCERN
ALONG THE I-5 CORRIDOR.

SNOW LEVELS WILL DROP TO AROUND 3000 FEET AND COULD GIVE SOME OF
THE FOOTHILL LOCATIONS A DUSTING OF SNOW SATURDAY NIGHT.
EVEN THOUGH SNOW AMOUNTS WILL BE LIGHT TRAVEL COULD BECOME
DANGEROUS IF NOT PREPARED FOR ICY ROADS.

CAZ095-142345-
KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS-
1038 AM PDT FRI MAR 14 2008

NORTHWEST TO WEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED AT 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUST TO
50 MPH THROUGH THE PASSES AND OVER THE CRESTS THROUGH TONIGHT.

A COLD UPPER LOW IS EXPECTED TO CROSS THE AREA ON SATURDAY NIGHT
AND POTENTIALLY DROP SNOW LEVELS BELOW PASS LEVEL. THIS COULD
IMPACT TRAVEL THROUGH THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAIN PASSES SATURDAY
NIGHT...INCLUDING INTERSTATE 5 THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE AREA AND THE
HIGHWAY 58 NEAR TEHACHAPI.

PEOPLE PLANNING TRAVEL ACROSS THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA INTERIOR
SHOULD MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER
RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE NEWS SOURCE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.

WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD

The radar

The San Joaquin Valley radar (KHNX), 86 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:25 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 strong wind, 3 frost/freeze, 1 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Strong Wind, Se Kern Cty Desert

When: March 14, 2:06 PM PST to March 15, 8:00 PM PST
Where: Se Kern Cty Desert forecast zone
Measured: 37 kt (43 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: Mesonet

Strong Wind, Indian Wells Vly

When: March 15, 12:00 PM PST to 8:00 PM PST
Where: Indian Wells Vly forecast zone
Measured: 37 kt (43 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: Mesonet

Strong Wind, Kern Cty Mtns

When: March 15, 1:00 PM PST to 8:00 PM PST
Where: Kern Cty Mtns forecast zone
Measured: 36 kt (41 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: Mesonet

Hail, Fresno

When: March 15, 4:25 PM PST to 4:27 PM PST
Where: Fresno County, Arbios
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Storm Chaser
Coordinates: 36.780, -120.400

Penny sized hail was reported near Mendota.

Thunderstorm Wind, Fresno

When: March 15, 4:30 PM PST to 4:32 PM PST
Where: Fresno County, 0.89 mi NW of Mendota
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.760, -120.390

A trained spotter reported damage to his antenna due to thunderstorm winds.

Strong Wind, W Central S.J. Valley

When: March 16, 10:00 AM PST to 5:00 PM PST
Where: W Central S.J. Valley forecast zone
Measured: 32 kt (37 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: Mesonet

Strong Wind, Indian Wells Vly

When: March 16, 1:13 PM PST to 7:00 PM PST
Where: Indian Wells Vly forecast zone
Measured: 44 kt (51 mph) measured gust
Crop damage: $1,000
Reported by: Mesonet

Strong Wind, Sw S.J. Valley

When: March 16, 1:50 PM PST to 5:00 PM PST
Where: Sw S.J. Valley forecast zone
Measured: 36 kt (41 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: Mesonet

Frost/Freeze, W Central S.J. Valley

When: March 17, 3:45 AM PST to 8:15 AM PST
Where: W Central S.J. Valley forecast zone
Crop damage: $20,000
Reported by: Mesonet

Frost/Freeze, Sw S.J. Valley

When: March 17, 3:45 AM PST to 8:15 AM PST
Where: Sw S.J. Valley forecast zone
Crop damage: $20,000
Reported by: Mesonet

Frost/Freeze, Se S.J. Valley

When: March 17, 3:45 AM PST to 8:15 AM PST
Where: Se S.J. Valley forecast zone
Crop damage: $20,000
Reported by: Mesonet

What these are

Strong Wind: Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.
Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Frost/Freeze: Frost or temperatures at or below freezing during the growing season, usually filed for crop damage.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in California in 2008 Every state in 2008 This day in weather history Warnings in California, March 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: 91527, 91525, 91524, 91519, 91520, 91528, 91531, 91529, 91534, 91535, 91536.