Strong Wind, W Central S.J. Valley
- When
- March 21, 4:00 PM PST to 10:00 PM PST
- Where
- W Central S.J. Valley forecast zone
- Measured
- 33 kt (38 mph) measured gust
- Property damage
- $500
- Reported by
- Mesonet
Winter Storm and High Wind in California, March 21 to 22, 2009
The second major storm of March arrived on the 21st, heralded by strong winds ahead of the cold front. |Thunderstorms developed over the Sierra Nevada foothills in Madera and Mariposa Counties during the early morning of March 22nd, and showers spread over the San Joaquin Valley.
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $2,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 7
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.
The second major storm of March arrived on the 21st, heralded by strong winds ahead of the cold front. Several gusts between 45 and 50 mph were reported in the Kern County desert, and gusts of 35 to 38 mph were recorded on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley during the afternoon and evening of the 21st.|Thunderstorms developed over the Sierra Nevada foothills in Madera and Mariposa Counties during the early morning of March 22nd, and showers spread over the San Joaquin Valley. The storm brought up to two feet of new snow to the higher elevations of the Southern Sierra Nevada. Up to an inch of rain fell in the Sierra foothills, but only light rain fell on the San Joaquin Valley floor. Bakersfield had the highest storm total of the reporting Valley sites, with 0.16 inch of rain.|The storm brought a very cold airmass to the region. The high at Fresno on March 22nd was only 55 degrees, 18 degrees cooler than the previous day’s high of 73. Bakersfield had a high of 63 on the 22nd, a drop of 15 degrees from the high of 78 degrees on the 21st.|Clouds cleared during the night of March 22nd-23rd, and winds subsided, allowing temperatures in the central and southern San Joaquin Valley to fall below freezing for a late-season frost. Coalinga dropped to a low of 25 degrees, and the Porterville Municipal Airport fell to 30 degrees. Naval Air Station Lemoore, Lemon Cove and Lindsay had lows of 31.
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 21, 1:13 PM PST, 2 hours 47 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Mar 21, 1:13 PM PST, 2 hours 47 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA 213 PM PDT SAT MAR 21 2009 .DISCUSSION... THE FIRST OF MANY SHORTWAVES IS APPROACHING THE REGION FROM THE NW. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FIRED UP THIS MORNING AND HAVE CONTINUED THROUGHOUT THE DAY TODAY FROM KINGS CANYON NORTH THROUGH YOSEMITE. RAINFALL AMOUNTS HAVE BEEN LIGHT TODAY. EVEN WITH THE CLOUD COVER...TEMPERATURES HAVE BEEN QUITE WARM OVER THE VALLEY. THE COMPLEX UPPER LOW WILL BEGIN TO DIVE SOUTH INTO CENTRAL CA LATER THIS EVENING AND BRING PLENTY OF COLD AIR WITH IT. CENTRAL PACIFIC MOISTURE IS ALSO BEING EJECTED INTO THE SYSTEM AND WILL BRING SIGNIFICANT SNOW PACK TO THE SIERRA. THE RAIN WILL NOT BE AS HEAVY IN THE VALLEY DUE TO THE SW ORIENTATION OF THE UPPER AIR PATTERN AND WILL PROVIDE SHADOWING FROM THE WESTSIDE MOUNTAINS. WITH THE TROUGH MOVING THROUGH OVERNIGHT TONIGHT...THE BEST INSTABILITY IS EXPECTED AFTER MIDNIGHT FOR POSSIBLE THUNDERSTORMS...SO SOME ISOLATED AREAS MAY GET SMALL HAIL AND BRIEF GUSTY WINDS WITH SOME OF THE STRONGER STORMS. THE WINDS WILL PICK UP ON SUNDAY ALONG THE WEST SIDE OF THE VALLEY AND WE HAVE ISSUED A WIND ADV FOR GUSTS TO 45 SUNDAY AFTERNOON. THE SIERRA IS EXPECTED TO GET 2 TO 3 FEET OF SNOW AS THE VERY POWERFUL AND FAST MOVING STORM MOVES THROUGH. THE BEST DYNAMICS WILL BE FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT THROUGH NOON ON SUNDAY. SEVERAL EMBEDDED IMPULSES WILL MOVE THROUGH AND BRING IN BANDS OF HEAVY PRECIPITATION. THE FAVORABLE UPSLOPE AREAS WILL BE PARTICULARLY HARD HIT. WINDS WILL ALSO PLAY IN...AS WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH 100 MPH ACROSS SOME OF THE RIDGES WITH WHITEOUT CONDITIONS. WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON AS CONVECTION MAY FIRE UP HEAVY SNOW SQUALLS DURING THE AFTERNOON ON SUNDAY. THE BULK OF THE HEAVY SNOW WILL BE MAINLY NORTH OF KERN COUNTY. WITH SNOW EXTENDING SOUTH INTO THE TEHACHAPIS. THE SNOW WILL NOT BE AS HEAVY SOUTH AND WEST OF HIGHWAY 58. THE SIGNIFICANT SNOW AMOUNTS WILL BE CONFINED TO THE SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK NORTH OF HIGHWAY 58. SNOW WILL FALL ON SUNDAY TOWARDS THE TEJON PASS AND I-5 CORRIDOR BUT WILL NOT BE AS MUCH AS THE TEHACHAPI PASS ALONG HIGHWAY 58. BE PREPARED FOR SNOWY TRAVEL IN EITHER CASE. SNOW FALL AMOUNTS WILL BE MUCH LIGHTER NEAR THE I-5 GRAPEVINE PASS. THE BULK OF THE PRECIPITATION WILL OCCUR SUNDAY MIDDAY AND INTO SUNDAY EVENING NEAR THE GRAPEVINE AS THE TROUGH PUSHES THROUGH. WINDS WILL PLAY A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE WINTER WEATHER SCENARIO...AS WIND SPEED ARE EXPECTED TO BE GUSTING UP TO 75 MPH THROUGH AND JUST BELOW THE PASSES WITH COLD TEMPERATURES AS WELL. NOT MUCH QPF IS EXPECTED IN THE DESERTS...WHICH MAY POSE A PROBLEM OF BLOWING DUST AND SAND ON SUNDAY AS WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH GUSTS TO 75 MPH NEAR MOJAVE. SOME SNOW SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE KERN COUNTY DESERT. THE EXTENDED FORECAST LOOKS VERY TRANQUIL AS UPPER RIDGE BUILDS IN ON MONDAY. WEAK SHORTWAVE WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA ON MONDAY NIGHT AND ESTABLISH DRY AND COOLER NW FLOW THROUGH WED. AN INSIDE SLIDER WILL PUSH THROUGH THE SIERRA ON WED NIGHT AND PROVIDE GUSTY WINDS AND SOME CLOUD COVER ON THURSDAY WITH SLIGHTLY COOLER TEMPERATURES. LARGE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL BUILD IN ON FRIDAY AND CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY WITH WARM AND DRY CONDITIONS EXPECTED. && .AVIATION...A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY THROUGH 07Z SUNDAY. AN AREA OF PRECIPITATION FOLLOWING THE FRONT WILL BRING LOCAL MVFR CONDITIONS IN SHOWERS WITH ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS. OTHERWISE VFR CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE. FOR THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA...MVFR AND LOCAL IFR CONDITIONS IN SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH 04Z SUNDAY. WIDESPREAD IFR CONDITIONS IN MOUNTAIN OBSCURATIONS AFTER 04Z SUNDAY AND CONTINUING THROUGH 00Z MONDAY. FOR THE TEHACHAPI MOUNTAINS...VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH 04Z SUNDAY. MVFR IN PRECIPITATION BETWEEN 04Z SUNDAY AND 12Z SUNDAY WITH WIDESPREAD IFR CONDITIONS IN MOUNTAIN OBSCURATIONS AFTER 12Z SUNDAY. MAINLY VFR THROUGH 00Z MONDAY IN THE KERN COUNTY DESERTS. && .AIR QUALITY ISSUES... NONE && .HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 5 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 5 PM PDT SUNDAY FOR CAZ096-097. WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 2 AM TO 11 PM PDT SUNDAY FOR CAZ095. WIND ADVISORY FROM 10 AM TO 10 PM PDT SUNDAY FOR CAZ089-091. HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 1 PM SUNDAY TO MIDNIGHT PDT SUNDAY NIGHT FOR CAZ098-099. && PUBLIC...JDB AVN/FW...MENDENHALL WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD
Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 21, 1:36 PM PST, 2 hours 24 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA 236 PM PDT SAT MAR 21 2009 CAZ090-092>094-221200- EAST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-SOUTHEASTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY- MARIPOSA MADERA AND FRESNO COUNTY FOOTHILLS- TULARE COUNTY FOOTHILLS- 236 PM PDT SAT MAR 21 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE EAST SIDE OF THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AND THE ADJACENT FOOTHILLS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT FOR THE EAST SIDE OF THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AND ADJACENT FOOTHILLS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED IN THE EARLY AFTERNOON. 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. WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD CAZ096-097-221200- SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON- TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS- 236 PM PDT SAT MAR 21 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM 5 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 5 PM PDT SUNDAY FOR THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK TO THE KERN COUNTY LINE. FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN HANFORD AT /SFOWSWHNX/ OR /WWUS46 KHNX/ FOR DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THE WINTER STORM WARNING WILL CONTINUE UNTIL 5 PM SUNDAY AFTERNOON. AFTER 5 PM SUNDAY...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 CAZ095-221200- KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS- 236 PM PDT SAT MAR 21 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM 2 AM TO 11 PM PDT SUNDAY. FOR THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS. SEE THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN HANFORD AT /SFOWSWHNX/ OR /WWUS46 KHNX/ FOR DETAILS. .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 CAZ098-099-221200- INDIAN WELLS VALLEY-SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT- 236 PM PDT SAT MAR 21 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE KERN COUNTY DESERTS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM SUNDAY TO MIDNIGHT PDT SUNDAY NIGHT. FOR ,ORE INFORMATION SEE THE WEATHER MESSAGE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN HANFORD AT /SFONPWHNX/ OR /WWUS76 KHNX/ FOR DETAILS. AFTER MIDNIGHT SUNDAY...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 CAZ089-091-221200- WEST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-SOUTHWESTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY- 236 PM PDT SAT MAR 21 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE WEST SIDE OF THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM SUNDAY TO MIDNIGHT PDT SUNDAY NIGHT. FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE THE LATEST WEATHER MESSAGE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN HANFORD AT /SFONPWHNX/ OR /WWUS76 KHNX/ FOR DETAILS. .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
Event by event
4 strong wind, 2 winter storm, 1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong Wind, Sw S.J. Valley
- When
- March 21, 4:00 PM PST to 10:00 PM PST
- Where
- Sw S.J. Valley forecast zone
- Measured
- 33 kt (38 mph) measured gust
- Property damage
- $500
- Reported by
- Mesonet
Winter Storm, S Sierra Mtns
- When
- March 21, 5:00 PM PST to March 22, 5:00 PM PST
- Where
- S Sierra Mtns forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
Winter Storm, Tulare Cty Mtns
- When
- March 21, 5:00 PM PST to March 22, 5:00 PM PST
- Where
- Tulare Cty Mtns forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Wind, Kern Cty Mtns
- When
- March 22, 12:00 PM PST to 11:00 PM PST
- Where
- Kern Cty Mtns forecast zone
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
Strong Wind, Indian Wells Vly
- When
- March 22, 12:00 PM PST to 11:00 PM PST
- Where
- Indian Wells Vly forecast zone
- Measured
- 43 kt (49 mph) measured gust
- Property damage
- $500
- Reported by
- Mesonet
Strong Wind, Se Kern Cty Desert
- When
- March 22, 12:00 PM PST to 11:00 PM PST
- Where
- Se Kern Cty Desert forecast zone
- Measured
- 43 kt (49 mph) measured gust
- Property damage
- $500
- Reported by
- Mesonet
What these are
- Strong Wind
- Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.
- Winter Storm
- A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
- High Wind
- Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Flooding in Minnesota, March 21 to 31, 2009
- Debris Flow and Heavy Rain in Puerto Rico, March 21 to 23, 2009
- Heavy Snow and High Wind in California, March 21 to 22, 2009
- Winter Storm in California, March 21 to 22, 2009
- Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in California, March 21 to 22, 2009
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Kansas, March 21, 2009
- Flooding in South Dakota, March 21 to 31, 2009
- Waterspouts in Gulf of Mexico, March 21, 2009
- Hail in Colorado, March 21, 2009
- Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Nevada, March 21 to 22, 2009
- Wildfire in U.S. Virgin Islands, March 21, 2009
- Wildfire in Texas, March 21, 2009
More
Every storm in California in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in California, March 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: 162309, 162310, 162304, 162305, 162306, 162307, 162308.