A cold low pressure system bought showers and thunderstorms across the Central Valley. Lightning and small hail were reported with these storms, along with a gustnado spotted near Wheatland.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS STO wrote it up.
A cold low pressure system bought showers and thunderstorms across the Central Valley. Lightning and small hail were reported with these storms, along with a gustnado spotted near Wheatland. A woman was struck by lightning in her home near Marysville.
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 Sacramento, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 27, 10:24 AM PST, 1 hour 51 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA 1020 AM AM PST FRI NOV 27 2009 .DISCUSSION... UPPER LEVEL FRONT HAS PUSHED OVER THE WRN HALF OF THE CWA...AND SEEMS TO BE MUCH FASTER THAN MODELED. EVEN THE 27/12Z WRF PCPN IS TOO SLOW AND NOT FAR ENOUGH SOUTH WITH THE QPF THIS MORNING. BACK UPSTREAM WE ARE SEEING THE BEGINNING OF THE FORMATION OF THE CLOSED LOW WITH A CIRCULAR BAND OF CLOUDS MOVING ALONG THE COAST. IT CERTAINLY LOOKS LIKE THE CLOSED UPPER LOW WILL BE DROPPING S-SEWD FOR THE REST OF THE DAY AND INTO THE WRN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY BY 06Z...THEN SWD INTO SOCAL ON SAT. SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS STRONG SUBSIDENCE BEHIND THE UPPER FRONT...DETACHING THE CLOSED LOW FROM THE MOISTURE TO THE E. THIS IS RESULTING IN LESS CONVECTIVE SHOWERS ALONG THE COAST DUE TO LOWER PW AIR. BUFKIT FORECAST SOUNDINGS INDICATE FOR SUU/SAC MARGINAL INSTABILITY THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH ABOUT 02Z AND THIN CAPE...A LITTLE OVER 100 J/KG. THE MID LEVEL CAA FROM THE CLOSED LOW IS FORECAST TO STEEPEN LAPSE RATES TO 8-9 DEG C/KM UP TO ABOUT 750 MBS DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HRS. THERE MAY BE A RUMBLE OR TWO OF THUNDER...BUT THE MAIN PROBLEM FOR THE AFTERNOON WILL BE TO WORK ON THE TIMING OF THE WSW...AND THE EVENTUAL INCREASE IN WINDS. WITH THE FAST MOVEMENT...WE CAN LET THE WSW EXPIRE OR CANCEL IT FOR ZONE 68 WITH THE AFTERNOON PACKAGE...AND LET IT RIDE THIS EVENING IN ZONE 69. SRN ZONE 69 WILL STILL BE IN THE FAVORABLE NE QUAD OF THE UPPER WHERE CYCLONIC FLOW AND WRAP AROUND MOISTURE ARE LIKELY TO RESULT IN SOME SPILL-OVER OF PCPN FROM THE E SIDE OF THE SIERNEV TONIGHT AND INTO SAT. ELSEWHERE...WE CAN PROBABLY CUT BACK ON THE POPS BECAUSE OF LESS AREAL COVERAGE OF THE SHOWERS. NORTHERLY WINDS WILL BE INCREASING TONIGHT AND CONTINUE INTO SAT AS NLY PRESSURE GRADIENTS FROM THE PRESSURE RISES ACROSS THE PAC NW TODAY/TONITE. THIS IS DUE TO THE CLOSED LOW DROPPING S...AND A POSITIVELY TILTED RIDGE BUILDING INTO THE AREA. INCREASING ANTICYCLONIC FLOW ALOFT WILL RESULT IN A STRONG OFFSHORE FLOW PATTERN FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. BY 12Z SAT THE MFR-SAC GRADIENT IS FORECAST TO BE 15 MBS. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT BECOMES MORE NE-ELY SAT NITE AND SUN AS THE SURFACE HIGH MOVES FROM ORE INTO ID. STRONG SUBSIDENCE IS FORECAST OVER PORTIONS OF OUR AREA TONIGHT AND SAT...AND EVEN INTO SUN MORNING...AS MUCH AS 12 UB/S AT TIMES. CROSS SECTIONS REVEAL WINDS ALOFT ARE FORECAST TO BE STRONGER ON SAT THAN ON SUN...WITH STRONGER MID LEVEL CAA SAT MORNING AS WELL. WIND SPEEDS OF 45-50 KTS UP TO 10-12 KFT ARE FORECAST TONITE AND INTO SAT...AND IT LOOKS LIKE A PRIME TIME FOR WIND ADVSRY CRITERIA TO BE MET OVER A LARGE PORTION OF OUR FORECAST AREA. INCREASING ANTICYCLONIC FLOW WILL ALSO WARM THE AIR MASS ON SAT...WITH GREATER WARMING ON SUN. JHM .EXTENDED DISCUSSION (TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY)... UNCERTAINTY OF FORECAST INCREASES TOWARD THE END OF THE EXTENDED PERIOD. ALL THE MEDIUM RANGE MODELS SHOW THE STRONG MEAN WEST COAST RIDGE PERSISTING THROUGH THE EXTENDED PERIOD OF THE FORECAST...BUT DIFFER IN TIMING AND HANDLING OF SIGNIFICANT SHORT WAVE ENERGY MOVING INTO THE RIDGE TOWARD THE END OF NEXT WEEK. GFS IS MOST AGGRESSIVE DIGGING ANOTHER SYSTEM SOUTHEASTWARD INTO CALIFORNIA FROM THE GULF OF ALASKA LATE IN THE WEEK WHILE THE GEM AND ECMWF ARE WEAKER AND SLOWER. MODELS CONTINUE TO HINT AT MORE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES OUT AROUND DAY 10 AS THE WEST COAST RIDGE RETROGRADES TO 140W AND FORMS A STRONG BLOCK OVER THE GULF OF ALASKA/WESTERN BC WHICH MAY EVENTUALLY BE UNDERCUT SETTING THE STAGE FOR A POTENTIALLY MORE PROLONGED WET PERIOD FOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. && .AVIATION... COLD FRONT AROUND SACRAMENTO AND NORTHEAST TO AROUND CARIBOU AT 1630Z AND IS MOVING SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE AREA TODAY. VFR/MVFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED IN THE VALLEY TODAY WITH SHOWERS AND MVFR/IFR CONDITIONS WITH LOCAL LIFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED IN THE MOUNTAINS WITH PRECIPITATION. CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE TO IFR IN SHSN AND BR ACROSS THE NORTHERN SIERRA NEVADA THIS MORNING AND CONTINUE THROUGH ABOUT 06Z TO 12Z SATURDAY. SNOW LEVELS AROUND 4000 IN THE NORTH TO AROUND 5500 FEET IN THE SOUTH. GUSTY SOUTHERLY WILL TURN NORTHERLY BEHIND THE FRONT TODAY. NORTHERLY WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE SATURDAY MORNING. VFR CONDITIONS WITH GUSTY NORTHERLY WINDS ARE EXPECTED ON SATURDAY. HSO && .STO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY 8 AM THROUGH 6 PM TODAY WESTERN PLUMAS COUNTY/LASSEN PARK. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY 10 AM THROUGH 10 PM TODAY WEST SLOPE NORTHERN SIERRA NEVADA. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA 700 AM PST FRI NOV 27 2009 CAZ013>019-063-064-066>069-281500- SHASTA LAKE AREA/NORTHERN SHASTA COUNTY- BURNEY BASIN/EASTERN SHASTA COUNTY-NORTHERN SACRAMENTO VALLEY- CENTRAL SACRAMENTO VALLEY-SOUTHERN SACRAMENTO VALLEY- CARQUINEZ STRAIT AND DELTA-NORTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY- MOUNTAINS SOUTHWESTERN SHASTA TO NORTHERN LAKE COUNTIES- CLEAR LAKE/SOUTHERN LAKE COUNTY-MOTHERLODE- EAST FOOTHILLS/NORTH SACRAMENTO VALLEY- WESTERN PLUMAS COUNTY/LASSEN PARK-WEST SLOPE NORTHERN SIERRA NEVADA- 700 AM PST FRI NOV 27 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR INTERIOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY A PACIFIC FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL MOVE THROUGH NORTHERN CALIFORNIA TODAY...BRINGING RAIN TO THE VALLEY. A BAND OF RAIN WILL DEVELOP FROM REDDING TO CHICO EARLY THIS MORNING AND SHIFT SOUTH TO VACAVILLE...SACRAMENTO AND OROVILLE BY LATE MORNING. A PERIOD OF MODERATE RAIN IS EXPECTED IN THE AUBURN AND PLACERVILLE AREAS EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. RAIN WILL END BY LATE AFTERNOON IN MANY AREAS THOUGH MORE SHOWERS MAY DEVELOP NEAR STOCKTON AND MODESTO THIS EVENING. SNOW AND RAIN WILL DEVELOP BY 10 AM ALONG INTERSTATE 80 AND HIGHWAY 50 AND THE LASSEN PARK AREA. PRECIPITATION WILL BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES BY EARLY AFTERNOON AND SHIFT FARTHER SOUTH INTO THE CARSON PASS AREA. SNOW LEVELS INITIALLY NEAR 5000 FEET WILL RISE TO 6000 TO 6500 FEET EARLY THIS AFTERNOON BEFORE THEY FALL BACK TO 4500 FEET LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. 4 TO 8 INCHES OF SNOW IS EXPECTED OVER DONNER SUMMIT AND ECHO SUMMIT BY THIS EVENING. UP TO A FOOT OF SNOW MAY FALL OVER CARSON PASS ALONG HIGHWAY 88 BY EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATING ON ROADWAYS WILL CREATE SLICK ROADS AND HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS EARLY THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT. * WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY....SEE WWUS46 KSTO - WSWSTO FOR DETAILS * * SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT..SEE WWUS86 KSTO - SPSSTO FOR DETAILS * .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY ALTHOUGH SNOW WILL TAPER OFF TO SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS TONIGHT...GUSTY EAST WINDS UP TO 50 MPH COULD CREATE HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS IN BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW OVER MOUNTAIN PASSES SATURDAY. STRONG HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING INTO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA BEHIND THE FRONT WILL BRING GUSTY NORTH WINDS TO THE REGION TOMORROW. NORTH WINDS OF 15 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 35 MPH ARE EXPECTED. WINDS COULD GUST UP TO 40 MPH ALONG THE WEST SIDE OF THE SACRAMENTO VALLEY TOMORROW. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE IN THE EAST FOOTHILLS AND MOTHERLODE...ESPECIALLY THROUGH CANYONS. * SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT..SEE WWUS86 KSTO - SPSSTO FOR DETAILS * .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS TO THEIR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE. THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET AT (LOWER CASE): HTTP://WWW.WRH.NOAA.GOV/STO
The Beale AFB radar (KBBX), 58 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:13 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
A gustnado was sighted just southwest of Wheatland ahead of an approaching thunderstorm. The gustnado was initially reported as a tornado. No damage was reported nor discovered during a damage survey.
CHP reported a woman injured when lightning struck power lines and went through a video game system she was playing.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in California, November 2009
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: 200836, 201147.