California, 2009Wildfire and Heavy Rain in California, June 13 to 30, 2009
June 13 to 30, 2009 · NWS HNX · 2 events in 2 counties and zones
Unsettled weather remained across inland Central California through much of early and mid June due to upper level low pressure and pulses of energy in the upper atmosphere. Scattered thunderstorms were common during this time period over the Southern Sierra Nevada.
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
- Deaths
- 1
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 2
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.
Unsettled weather remained across inland Central California through much of early and mid June due to upper level low pressure and pulses of energy in the upper atmosphere. Scattered thunderstorms were common during this time period over the Southern Sierra Nevada. Daytime temperatures were typically 10-20 degrees cooler than normal for many locations.
A hiker on Half Dome in Yosemite National Park was killed when he fell while climbing. Conditions at the time were stormy with brief bursts of heavy rain...lightning and hail.
A wildfire was ignited on June 17th at 1232 PST by lightning. The Shotgun wildfire was located 25 miles northeast of Porterville in Tulare County. The size was 900 acres and containment was 50% on July 10th. The cost for containment was $40,000.
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 Jun 13, 1:47 PM PST, 43 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jun 13, 1:47 PM PST, 43 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
247 PM PDT SAT JUN 13 2009
.DISCUSSION...
A FEW LIGHT SHOWERS OCCURRED IN THE CENTRAL SJV DURING THE MORNING.
STRONGER SHOWERS DEVELOPED AROUND MIDDAY OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN
OF THE DIABLO MOUNTAINS AND SIERRA. THE STORMS WERE MOVING
EAST AND WILL LIKELY AFFECT THE CENTRAL VALLEY DURING THE
AFTERNOON ONCE AGAIN. THE RESPONSIBLE FEATURE...A SHORT WAVE OVER
NORTH CALIFORNIA WILL MOVE EAST OVERNIGHT. SHOWER ACTIVITY COULD
CONTINUE DURING THE EVENING MAINLY OVER THE SIERRA. ONSHORE
GRADIENTS DECREASE WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE TROUGH AXIS. THUS WINDY
CONDITIONS OVER THE MOJAVE AREA SHOULD WANE OVER THE EVENING.
NIGHT TIME BREEZE THROUGH THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLY MAY NOT BE AS
STRONG WITH THE WEAKER COASTAL PRESSURE GRADIENTS. TEMPERATURES
SHOULD WARM SUNDAY ESPECIALLY OVER HIGHER TERRAIN. THE VALLEY MAY
REMAIN COOL WITH TRAP MARINE AIR. CONVECTIVE SHOWERS SHOULD
DEVELOP OVER THE SIERRA SUNDAY AFTERNOON WITH LIGHT WINDS ALOFT
AND DAY TIME HEAT. HOWEVER A LIGHT WEST FLOW SHOULD KEEP THE
STORMS OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN. MODELS INDICATE AN UPPER TROUGH
WILL MOVE SOUTH DOWN THE CENTRAL COAST MONDAY. THE THEREAT SHOWERS
WILL BE MORE FAVORABLE TOWARD THE COASTAL MOUNTAINS. HOWEVER THE
SIERRA WILL IN AN AREA OF UPPER DIVERGENCE WITH LIGHT MID LEVEL
WINDS. THUS SLOW MOVING STORMS MAY AFFECT THE SIERRA MONDAY
AFTERNOON. THE FOCUS OF PRECIPITATION MAY SHIFT SOUTH TOWARDS THE
TEHACHAPI MOUNTAINS MONDAY NIGHT AS THE LOW APPROACHES POINT
CONCEPCION. STORMS THAT DEVELOP IN THE TEHACHAPIS COULD DRIFT INTO
THE SOUTH VALLEY MONDAY AS THE MID LEVEL WINDS STRENGTHENS AND
TURN SE. THE LOW BECOMES CUT OFF FROM THE MAIN FLOW AND THERE IS
SOME MODEL UNCERTAINTY THEREAFTER AS TO THE POSITION OF THE LOW.
THE GFS HAS BEEN MORE CONSISTENT AND PROGS THE LOW FURTHER
OFFSHORE WITH A RIDGE BRIDGING OVER CALIFORNIA. THIS WOULD PLACE
THE SIERRA IN A DEFORMATION ZONE WEDNESDAY WHICH WOULD BE A
FAVORABLE AREA FOR THUNDERSTORMS FORMATION. COOL BELOW NORMAL
TEMPERATURES MAY CONTINUE INTO WEDNESDAY. THE UPPER RIDGE WILL
BRING A WARMING TREND THURDAY AND FRIDAY.
&&
.AVIATION...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR IN THE
SIERRA UNTIL 06Z SUNDAY WITH LOCAL MVFR CONDITIONS OVER THE HIGHER
ELEVATIONS. SCATTERD THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED OVER THE SIERRA
SUNDAY AFTERNOON WITH LOCAL MVFR CONDITIONS AFTER 21Z.
OTHERWISE...VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL ELSEWHERE IN THE CENTRAL
CALIFORNIA INTERIOR THROUGH 00Z MONDAY.
&&
.AIR QUALITY ISSUES...
NONE
&&
.HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NONE.
&&
PUBLIC...MV
AVN/FW...MENDENHALL
WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Jun 13, 11:42 AM PST, 2 hours 48 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
1242 PM PDT SAT JUN 13 2009
CAZ099-140000-
SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT-
1242 PM PDT SAT JUN 13 2009
...GUSTY WINDS NEAR MOJAVE THIS AFTERNOON...
WEST WINDS GUSTING FROM 40 TO 45 MPH WILL CONTINUE BELOW THE
TEHACHAPI PASS THIS AFTERNOON. THESE WINDS WILL MAINLY AFFECT THE
MOJAVE AND ROSAMOND AREA...INCLUDING HIGHWAYS 14 AND 58.
ELSEWHERE IN THE KERN COUNTY DESERT...WINDS WILL GUST TO AROUND
35 MPH.
DRIVERS IN THE MOJAVE AREA CAN EXPECT STRONG CROSS WINDS. BLOWING
DUST OR SAND MAY ALSO REDUCE VISIBILITY AT TIMES.
MENDENHALL
WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD
Heavy Rain, Mariposa
- When
- June 13, 2:30 PM PST to 3:00 PM PST
- Where
- Mariposa County, 1.29 mi WSW of Yosemite Vlg
- Deaths
- 0 direct, 1 indirect
- Reported by
- Newspaper
- Coordinates
- 37.740, -119.600
A young man fell to his death (indirect fatality) while climbing Half Dome in Yosemite National Park. A thunderstorm was in the area at the time of the incident with brief periods of heavy rain. Hail was reported by park rangers on Half Dome and surfaces were reported to be slick and dangerous, with many hikers in the vicinity.
Wildfire, Tulare Cty Mtns
- When
- June 17, 12:23 PM PST to June 30, 11:59 PM PST
- Where
- Tulare Cty Mtns forecast zone
- Reported by
- Park/Forest Service
- Heavy Rain
- Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.
- Wildfire
- A fire burning in wildland vegetation, with its acreage and damage where known.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Marine Thunderstorm Wind in South Atlantic Coastal Waters, June 13, 20092 deaths · 2 injured · 1 event
- Tornadoes and Hail in Texas, June 13, 2009$1.0 million · EF2 · 14 events
- Rip Current in New York, June 13, 20091 death · 1 event
- Tornadoes and Hail in Texas, June 13, 20091 injured · $650,000 · EF1 · 20 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Delaware, June 13, 2009$700,000 · 1 in hail · 5 events
- Tornadoes and Flash Flood in Colorado, June 13, 2009$100,000 · EF0 · 13 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Kansas, June 13 to 14, 2009$90,000 · 2.5 in hail · 14 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Nebraska, June 13, 2009$58,000 · 1.25 in hail · 12 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Oklahoma, June 13, 20091 injured · $18,000 · 2.75 in hail · 22 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Florida, June 13, 20091 injured · 1 in hail · 31 events
- Tornado and Hail in Colorado, June 13, 2009$30,000 · EF0 · 8 events
- Damaging Winds in Texas, June 13, 2009$30,000 · 61 kt wind · 3 events
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: 185357, 185380.