Strong Wind, W Central S.J. Valley
- When
- April 7, 7:05 AM PST to 5:00 PM PST
- Where
- W Central S.J. Valley forecast zone
- Measured
- 37 kt (43 mph) measured gust
- Property damage
- $500
- Reported by
- Mesonet
Strong Wind and Winter Weather in California, April 7 to 8, 2009
A late-season winter storm reached interior central California on April 7th, bringing rain to the region and up to 19 inches of snow to the high country of the Southern Sierra Nevada (above 7000 feet). A narrow band of showers and thunderstorms developed over the San Joaquin Valley on the 7th and continuing into the 8th.
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $1,000
- 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.
A late-season winter storm reached interior central California on April 7th, bringing rain to the region and up to 19 inches of snow to the high country of the Southern Sierra Nevada (above 7000 feet). A narrow band of showers and thunderstorms developed over the San Joaquin Valley on the 7th and continuing into the 8th. Fresno received all of its measurable rain during this two day period, recording 0.72 inch of rain. As a measure of how narrow this precipitation band was, Madera (to the north of Fresno) and Hanford (to the south) only received a few hundredths of an inch of rain.
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 7, 5:29 AM PST, 1 hour 36 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Apr 7, 5:29 AM PST, 1 hour 36 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA 629 AM PDT TUE APR 7 2009 .DISCUSSION...AFTER SOME UNSEASONABLY WARM CONDITIONS DURING THE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS...AN APPROACHING STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING COOLER UNSETTLED WEATHER TO THE DISTRICT. THE INITIAL PRECIP BAND IS CURRENTLY NEARING THE CALIFORNIA COAST AND SHOULD BEGIN AFFECTING INTERIOR CENTRAL CALIFORNIA BY AROUND NOON. AS THE STORM CONTINUES TO TRACK INLAND...MODERATE TO LOCALLY HEAVY SNOWFALL WILL ACCUMULATE OVER THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE SIERRA NEVADA THIS EVENING AND INTO TOMORROW MORNING. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE EXPECTED SNOWFALL. THE SYSTEM WILL BRING RAINFALL TO THE REMAINDER OF THE DISTRICT AND IS EXPECTED TO PROVIDE ENOUGH INSTABILITY FOR SOME THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT IN THE VALLEY AND FOOTHILLS TODAY. GUSTY WINDS WILL ALSO ACCOMPANY THE PASSING STORM BUT EXPECTED TO REMAIN MAINLY BELOW ADVISORY CRITERIA. PRECIPITATION WILL TAPER OFF DURING THE AFTERNOON WEDNESDAY AS THE SYSTEM CONTINUES TO MOVE EAST...WITH A FEW THUNDERSTORMS REMAINING POSSIBLE AS THE UPPER LOW TRACKS ACROSS THE REGION. SEASONABLY MILD CONDITIONS WILL RETURN BRIEFLY THURSDAY UNDER SHORTWAVE RIDGING AHEAD OF THE NEXT APPROACHING SYSTEM. THIS STORM SYSTEM WILL RETURN PRECIPITATION CHANCES AND COOLER CONDITIONS TO THE REGION BY THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY AS IT DROPS SOUTH ALONG THE COAST AND SWINGS INLAND NEAR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. DRY AND WARMING CONDITIONS WILL THEN BE IN STORE INTO THE FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK AS AN UPPER RIDGE REBUILDS OVER THE REGION. TEMPERATURES WILL CLIMB BACK TO A FEW TO SEVERAL DEGREES ABOVE SEASONAL AVERAGES. && .AVIATION...VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA INTERIOR THROUGH ABOUT 20Z...AT WHICH TIME CONDITIONS WILL BEGIN TO SLOWLY DETERIORATE...AS A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM APPROACHES THE CENTRAL CA COAST. BETWEEN 20-02Z THIS AFTERNOON...SCATTERED SHOWERS WILL BEGIN TO AFFECT THE TERMINAL SITES. STRONG WINDS WILL ALSO BE A CONSIDERATION...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE CREST OF THE COASTAL AND SIERRA NEVADA RANGES. ANY THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOP LATE THIS AFTERNOON WILL BE CAPABLE OF TRANSPORTING GUSTY WINDS TO THE SFC. HAVE INDICATED TEMPO GROUPS WITH TSTM AND VRB WIND GUST TO 35KT. TEMPORARY MVFR CONDITIONS ARE ALSO INDICATED AT ALL TAF SITES THROUGH 12Z WEDNESDAY. && .AIR QUALITY ISSUES... NONE && .HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && PUBLIC...JEB AVN/FW...BROTHERTON WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD
Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 7, 3:52 AM PST, 3 hours 13 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA 452 AM PDT TUE APR 7 2009 CAZ089>094-081200- 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- 452 AM PDT TUE APR 7 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AND THE ADJACENT FOOTHILLS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED DURING THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AND THE ADJACENT FOOTHILLS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY SIGNIFICANT OR UNUSUAL CONDITIONS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD CAZ096-097-081200- SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON- TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS- 452 AM PDT TUE APR 7 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOWFALL IN THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM PDT THIS EVENING UNTIL 11 AM PDT WEDNESDAY MORNING. FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HANFORD /SFOWSWHNX/ OR /WWUS46 KHNX/. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM PDT WEDNESDAY. OTHERWISE NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY SIGNIFICANT OR UNUSUAL CONDITIONS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. BSO WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Apr 7, 3:09 AM PST, 3 hours 56 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA 409 AM PDT TUE APR 7 2009 CAZ089>094-071830- 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- 409 AM PDT TUE APR 7 2009 ...BLUSTERY AND SHOWERY WEATHER HEADED FOR INLAND CENTRAL CALIFORNIA... A PACIFIC STORM WILL APPROACH THE CENTRAL COAST TODAY...SPREADING SCATTERED SHOWERS ACROSS THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AND ADJACENT SIERRA FOOTHILLS DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE WITH THE THREAT FOR SMALL HAIL...LIGHTNING...AND BRIEF DOWNPOURS. GUSTY WINDS OF AROUND 35 MPH ARE ALSO EXPECTED...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE WEST SIDE OF THE VALLEY INCLUDING INTERSTATE 5...AND THROUGH THE COASTAL MOUNTAIN PASSES SUCH AS ALONG HIGHWAYS 152...198...41...46...AND 166 THROUGH WESTERN KERN COUNTY. RAIN SHOWERS AND GUSTY WINDS WILL CONTINUE AT TIMES OVERNIGHT AND ON WEDNESDAY AS A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVES INTO CENTRAL CALIFORNIA. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE AGAIN BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. IN ADDITION...TEMPERATURES WILL DROP UP TO 20 DEGREES WITH THIS STORM MAKING FOR BLUSTERY CONDITIONS. CAZ095-098-099-071830- KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS-INDIAN WELLS VALLEY- SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT- 409 AM PDT TUE APR 7 2009 ...BLUSTERY AND SHOWERY WEATHER HEADED FOR THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS... A PACIFIC STORM WILL APPROACH THE CENTRAL COAST TODAY...SPREADING SCATTERED SHOWERS ACROSS THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS AND A FEW SHOWERS BY LATE EVENING INTO THE DESERT AREAS. SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE AT TIMES OVERNIGHT AND ON WEDNESDAY. SNOW LEVELS WILL LOWER TO ABOUT 5000 FEET OVERNIGHT AND INTO THE DAY WEDNESDAY...KEEPING SNOW ABOVE MAJOR PASS LEVELS. GUSTY WINDS ARE ALSO EXPECTED OF UP TO 40 MPH...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE PASSES AND EAST FACING SLOPES...AND INTO THE DESERTS. BLOWING DUST OR SAND COULD OCCUR ALONG MAJOR HIGHWAYS SUCH AS 58 AND 395. JMB WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD
Special weather statement, Apr 7, 3:14 AM PST, 3 hours 51 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA 414 AM PDT TUE APR 7 2009 CAZ089>094-071830- 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- 414 AM PDT TUE APR 7 2009 ...BLUSTERY AND SHOWERY WEATHER HEADED FOR INLAND CENTRAL CALIFORNIA... A PACIFIC STORM WILL APPROACH THE CENTRAL COAST TODAY...SPREADING SCATTERED SHOWERS ACROSS THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AND ADJACENT SIERRA FOOTHILLS DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE WITH THE THREAT FOR SMALL HAIL...LIGHTNING...AND BRIEF DOWNPOURS. GUSTY WINDS OF AROUND 35 MPH ARE ALSO EXPECTED...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE WEST SIDE OF THE VALLEY INCLUDING INTERSTATE 5...AND THROUGH THE COASTAL MOUNTAIN PASSES SUCH AS ALONG HIGHWAYS 152...198...41...46...AND 166 THROUGH WESTERN KERN COUNTY. RAIN SHOWERS AND GUSTY WINDS WILL CONTINUE AT TIMES OVERNIGHT AND ON WEDNESDAY AS A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVES INTO CENTRAL CALIFORNIA. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE AGAIN BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. IN ADDITION...TEMPERATURES WILL DROP UP TO 20 DEGREES WITH THIS STORM MAKING FOR BLUSTERY CONDITIONS. ANOTHER STORM IS EXPECTED TO IMPACT THE AREA FROM LATE THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY WITH A GOOD CHANCE FOR RAIN...COOL TEMPERATURES AND GUSTY WINDS. CAZ095-098-099-071830- KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS-INDIAN WELLS VALLEY- SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT- 414 AM PDT TUE APR 7 2009 ...BLUSTERY AND SHOWERY WEATHER HEADED FOR THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS... A PACIFIC STORM WILL APPROACH THE CENTRAL COAST TODAY...SPREADING SCATTERED SHOWERS ACROSS THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS AND A FEW SHOWERS BY LATE EVENING INTO THE DESERT AREAS. SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE AT TIMES OVERNIGHT AND ON WEDNESDAY. SNOW LEVELS WILL LOWER TO ABOUT 5000 FEET OVERNIGHT AND INTO THE DAY WEDNESDAY...KEEPING SNOW ABOVE MAJOR PASS LEVELS. GUSTY WINDS ARE ALSO EXPECTED OF UP TO 45 MPH...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE PASSES AND EAST FACING SLOPES...AND INTO THE DESERTS. BLOWING DUST OR SAND COULD OCCUR ALONG MAJOR HIGHWAYS SUCH AS 58 AND 395. ANOTHER STORM IS EXPECTED TO IMPACT THE AREA FROM LATE THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY WITH A GOOD CHANCE FOR RAIN...COOL TEMPERATURES AND GUSTY WINDS. JMB WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD
Special weather statement, Apr 7, 3:54 AM PST, 3 hours 11 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA 454 AM PDT TUE APR 7 2009 CAZ089>094-071830- 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- 454 AM PDT TUE APR 7 2009 ...BLUSTERY AND SHOWERY WEATHER HEADED FOR INLAND CENTRAL CALIFORNIA... A PACIFIC STORM WILL APPROACH THE CENTRAL COAST TODAY...SPREADING SCATTERED SHOWERS ACROSS THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AND ADJACENT SIERRA FOOTHILLS DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE WITH THE THREAT FOR SMALL HAIL...LIGHTNING...AND BRIEF DOWNPOURS. GUSTY WINDS OF AROUND 35 MPH ARE ALSO EXPECTED...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE WEST SIDE OF THE VALLEY INCLUDING INTERSTATE 5...AND THROUGH THE COASTAL MOUNTAIN PASSES SUCH AS ALONG HIGHWAYS 152...198...41...46...AND 166 THROUGH WESTERN KERN COUNTY. RAIN SHOWERS AND GUSTY WINDS WILL CONTINUE AT TIMES OVERNIGHT AND ON WEDNESDAY AS A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVES INTO CENTRAL CALIFORNIA. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE AGAIN BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. IN ADDITION...TEMPERATURES WILL DROP UP TO 20 DEGREES WITH THIS STORM MAKING FOR BLUSTERY CONDITIONS. CAZ095-098-099-071830- KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS-INDIAN WELLS VALLEY- SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT- 454 AM PDT TUE APR 7 2009 ...BLUSTERY AND SHOWERY WEATHER HEADED FOR THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS... A PACIFIC STORM WILL APPROACH THE CENTRAL COAST TODAY...SPREADING SCATTERED SHOWERS ACROSS THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS AND A FEW SHOWERS BY LATE EVENING INTO THE DESERT AREAS. SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE AT TIMES OVERNIGHT AND ON WEDNESDAY. SNOW LEVELS WILL LOWER TO ABOUT 5000 FEET OVERNIGHT AND INTO THE DAY WEDNESDAY...KEEPING SNOW ABOVE MAJOR PASS LEVELS. GUSTY WINDS ARE ALSO EXPECTED OF UP TO 45 MPH...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE PASSES AND EAST FACING SLOPES...AND INTO THE DESERTS. BLOWING DUST OR SAND COULD OCCUR ALONG MAJOR HIGHWAYS SUCH AS 58 AND 395. JMB WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD
Event by event
2 strong wind, 2 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong Wind, Sw S.J. Valley
- When
- April 7, 7:05 AM PST to 5:00 PM PST
- Where
- Sw S.J. Valley forecast zone
- Measured
- 37 kt (43 mph) measured gust
- Property damage
- $500
- Reported by
- Mesonet
Winter Weather, S Sierra Mtns
- When
- April 7, 5:00 PM PST to April 8, 10:00 AM PST
- Where
- S Sierra Mtns forecast zone
- Reported by
- Park/Forest Service
Winter Weather, Tulare Cty Mtns
- When
- April 7, 5:00 PM PST to April 8, 10:00 AM PST
- Where
- Tulare Cty Mtns forecast zone
- Reported by
- Park/Forest Service
What these are
- Strong Wind
- Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.
- Winter Weather
- Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Frost and Freeze in Arkansas, April 7, 2009
- Flash Flood in California, April 7, 2009
- Frost and Freeze in Texas, April 7, 2009
- Winter Weather in Kentucky, April 7, 2009
- High Surf in Hawaii, April 7, 2009
- Frost and Freeze in Missouri, April 7, 2009
- Frost and Freeze in Illinois, April 7, 2009
- Frost and Freeze in Alabama, April 7, 2009
- Heavy Snow in North Carolina, April 7 to 8, 2009
- Heavy Snow in North Carolina, April 7 to 8, 2009
- Heavy Snow in Tennessee, April 7, 2009
- Flooding in Maine, April 7 to 8, 2009
More
Every storm in California in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in California, April 2009
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: 168727, 168728, 168725, 168726.