Winter Storm and Flooding in California, December 25 to 30, 2010

Name: Winter Storm and Flooding in California, December 25 to 30, 2010
Start: 2010-12-25T18:00
End: 2010-12-30T19:00
Location: California

December 25 to 30, 2010 · NWS HNX · 12 events in 11 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: $1.9 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 12

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.

There was a break in the weather on December 23rd and 24th, as a weak upper-level ridge moved into California. Light winds and a stable airmass aloft allowed areas of dense fog to develop over parts of the central and southern San Joaquin Valley. But the break was short-lived, as yet another storm was dropping south out of the Gulf of Alaska. Christmas Day, 2010, saw precipitation move north over the central California interior, as the upper-level low remained offshore. The heaviest rain and snow fell during the late afternoon and evening of December 25th, and some flooding was reported during the evening on the east side of the San Joaquin Valley. East Bakersfield was the hardest hit, as the saturated ground could not absorb the additional runoff. On the evening of Christmas Day, Bakersfield received 0.42 inch of|rain, raising the total for Meadows Field through the 25th to 5.37 inches. This broke the old record for the wettest month of 5.36 inches set in February 1998.|In the high country of the Southern Sierra Nevada, between 6 and 13 inches of new snow fell from December 25th through the morning of the 26th.|The storm quickly moved east during the night of December 25th-26th, and skies began clearing from the west. This allowed dense fog to develop over parts of the central and southern San Joaquin Valley during the early morning hours of December 26th. Weak upper-level short-waves moved through California during the nights of the 26th-27th and the 27th-28th, bringing some mid-level and high clouds to the region. This only flattened a weak upper-level ridge over California, and did not prevent fog from redeveloping, although the fog did form later on these nights than on the 25th-26th.|The last storm of the month arrived on December 28th and continued into the next day. Fresno had a record rainfall of 0.92 inch on the 28th, breaking the old record of 0.72 inch, set in 2004.|The two-day total at Fresno-Yosemite International Airport was 1.54 inch, which pushed the December rainfall to 5.92 inches for the second wettest December on record for Fresno; the wettest December was in 1955, with 6.73 inches. Fresno also surpassed Bakersfield for the monthly total by a tenth of an inch.|Up to 4 feet of fresh snow fell on the high country of the Southern Sierra Nevada, and strong winds developed over much of the region as a very cold airmass moved into the central California interior. While the winds kept central and southern San Joaquin Valley lows in the upper 20s to mid 30s on the morning of December 30th, light winds allowed lows to fall a few degrees colder the next morning. Lows in the coldest, wind-sheltered Valley locations bottomed out in the mid 20s on the 31st, and even Bakersfield and Fresno fell below 32 degrees. December 31st was not only the coldest low of the month at both Bakersfield and Fresno, it also was the coldest low of the year for Fresno, and tied with November 30th for the coldest low at Bakersfield.

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 Dec 25, 3:01 PM PST, 2 hours 59 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 25, 3:01 PM PST, 2 hours 59 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
301 PM PST SAT DEC 25 2010

.SYNOPSIS...

ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVING INTO THE AREA FROM THE PACIFIC
NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED TO BRING SOME MORE RAIN AND HIGHER ELEVATION
SNOW ALONG WITH SOME GUSTY WINDS NEAR THE GRAPEVINE AND SOUTHERN
PART OF THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY. PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED MAINLY
THIS EVENING INTO EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. DURING NEXT WEEK...HIGH
PRESSURE RETURNS ONCE AGAIN ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY BEFORE ANOTHER
TROUGH PUSHES SOUTHWARD TO THE REGION FOR WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
A SPLIT SHEARED SYSTEM ALONG THE COAST WILL MOVE ONSHORE TONIGHT.
STRONG SOUTH FLOW AHEAD OF THE TROUGH RESULTING IN A STRONG
DOWNSLOPE WIND FLOW ACROSS THE SOUTH VALLEY. MODELS INDICATE
TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENTS ACROSS CENTRAL CALIFORNIA UNTIL THE FRONT
MOVES OVER THE AREA. HIGH WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO BE PROBLEMATIC
INTO THE EVENING OVER THE TEHACHAPI MOUNTAINS PASSES...COASTAL
MOUNTAINS AND SOUTH END OF THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY. MODELS PROG THE
TROUGH WILL QUICKLY PUSH THROUGH THE AREA OVERNIGHT. HOWEVER THE
FRONT IS ORIENTED FROM NORTH TO SOUTH AND WILL LIKELY REMAIN FOR A
LONGER PERIOD OVER THE SIERRA RESULTING IN HEAVY PRECIPITATION
OVERNIGHT. PRECIPITATION MAINLY OVER THE SIERRA SUNDAY WITH LITTLE
PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS IN THE VALLEY. NORTH FLOW BEHIND THE TROUGH
WILL RESULT IN SOME UPSLOPE CLOUDS FORMING ALONG THE TULARE
FOOTHILLS AND TEHACHAPIS SUNDAY NIGHT. AN UPPER RIDGE AND OFFSHORE
FLOW WILL PROVIDE DRIER CONDITIONS MONDAY INTO TUESDAY. THE RIDGE
WILL ALSO BRING AN INCREASE THREAT OF NIGHT AND MORNING FOG TO THE
VALLEY MONDAY AND TUESDAY. THE NEXT WEATHER SYSTEM WILL BE COLD
UPPER TROUGH FROM THE GULF OF ALASKA. WILL LEAN TOWARDS THE ECM
AND ENSEMBLE FORECAST FOR THE EXTENDED. WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION
ACROSS CENTRAL CALIFORNIA WILL BE POSSIBLE TUESDAY NIGHT TO
WEDNESDAY. A COLD NORTH FLOW ALOFT MAY BRING THE NEXT THREAT OF
FREEZING TEMPERATURES THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. LOTS OF MODEL TIMING
UNCERTAINTY IN HOW QUICK THE COLD TROUGH WILL MOVE EAST OUT OF THE
AREA. THUS HAVE LOW CONFIDENCE IN NEXT WEEKENDS FORECAST.

&&

.AVIATION...
AN APPROACHING TROUGH WILL MAINTAIN STRONG GUSTY WINDS OVER RIDGES
AND THROUGH PASSES WITH GUSTY CONDITIONS ALSO IN THE SAN JOAQUIN
VALLEY...ESPECIALLY AT THE SOUTH END AND ALONG AND WEST OF
INTERSTATE 5...THROUGH 06Z THIS EVENING. PRECIP WILL CONTINUE TO
SPREAD OVER THE REGION FROM THE NW...WITH DETERIORATING CONDITIONS
DEVELOPING IN HEAVY SNOW ACROSS THE SOUTHERN SIERRA. BETWEEN 02Z-06Z
IN THE SJV...SOME IFR CONDS ARE POSSIBLE IN HEAVIER BURSTS OF RAIN
WITH FROPA AS WELL AS WIND SHIFT. PRECIPITATION SHOULD GENERALLY
CLEAR THE REGION BETWEEN 12-18Z EXCEPT SOME HIGHER ELEVATION
SHOWERS WITH LOCAL MOUNTAIN OBSCURATIONS LINGERING THROUGH 00Z
MONDAY.

&&

.AIR QUALITY ISSUES...
NONE

&&

.HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 7 AM PST SUNDAY
ABOVE 6000 FEET FOR THE CAZ096-097.

HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 10 PM PST THIS EVENING CAZ092-095.

WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM PST THIS EVENING CAZ089-091.

&&

PUBLIC...MV
AVN/FW...JEB
SYNOPSIS...BSO

WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD

Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 25, 12:44 PM PST, 5 hours 16 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
1244 PM PST SAT DEC 25 2010

CAZ089>095-098-099-261230-
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-KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS-INDIAN WELLS VALLEY-
SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT-
1244 PM PST SAT DEC 25 2010

...HIGH WINDS THROUGH THE WESTERN AND SOUTHEASTERN SAN JOAQUIN
VALLEY AND NEAR THE GRAPEVINE...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE WESTERN AND SOUTHEASTERN
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AND THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM PST THIS EVENING FOR
THE SOUTHEASTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY...MAINLY NEAR THE SOUTHERN END
AND GRAPEVINE. PLEASE REFER TO SFONPWHNX...OR WMO HEADER WWUS76
KHNX...FOR MORE DETAILS.

A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM PST THIS EVENING FOR THE
WEST SIDE OF THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY. PLEASE REFER TO SFONPWHNX...OR
WMO HEADER WWUS76 KHNX...FOR MORE DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED.

.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.

CAZ096-097-261230-
SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON-
TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS-
427 AM PST SAT DEC 25 2010

...WINTER STORM CONDITIONS IN THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF
THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A WINTER STORM WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR HEAVY SNOW AND HIGH
WINDS FOR THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA ABOVE 6000 FEET FROM
SATURDAY EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING. HEAVY SNOW WILL BEGIN
SATURDAY AFTERNOON WITH HIGH WINDS ALONG THE RIDGES AND
NEAR THE CREST. FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE REFER TO THE WINTER
WEATHER MESSAGE...SFOWSWHNX.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

THE WINTER STORM WARNING WILL BE IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM PST SUNDAY
MORNING.

.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

In the hours before

Local storm report, Dec 25, 1:56 PM PST, 4 hours 4 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY CA
156 PM PST SAT DEC 25 2010

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1148 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 2 N GRAPEVINE           34.97N 118.93W
12/24/2010  M60.00 MPH       KERN               CA   MESONET

            MEASURED BY NWS-OWNED INSTRUMENTATION AT THE GRAPEVINE
            CHP WEIGH STATION.

1229 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST 2 N GRAPEVINE           34.97N 118.93W
12/25/2010  M67.00 MPH       KERN               CA   MESONET

            MEASURED BY NWS-OWNED INSTRUMENTATION AT THE GRAPEVINE
            CHP WEIGH STATION.

0213 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST 3 NW KEENE              35.28N 118.65W
12/25/2010  M41.00 MPH       KERN               CA   MESONET

            MEASURED BY THE HART FLAT RAWS

0427 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST PANOCHE ROAD            36.73N 120.48W
12/25/2010  M39.00 MPH       FRESNO             CA   MESONET

            MEASURED BY THE PANOCHE ROAD RAWS.

0913 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST TWISSELMAN              35.36N 119.82W
12/25/2010  M47.00 MPH       KERN               CA   MESONET

            MEASURED BY THE TWISSELMAN RAWS.

0925 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST KEENE                   35.25N 118.61W
12/25/2010  M42.00 MPH       KERN               CA   MESONET

            MEASURED BY THE KEENE CW6754 APRS.

1040 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST 3 W SAN LUIS DAM        37.05N 121.11W
12/25/2010  M35.00 MPH       MERCED             CA   MESONET

            MEASURED BY NWS-OWNED INSTRUMENTATION AT PACHECO PASS.

1115 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST TEHACHAPI               35.13N 118.44W
12/25/2010  M40.00 MPH       KERN               CA   AWOS

            MEASURED BY THE AWOS AT TEHACHAPI MUNICIPAL AIRPORT.

1134 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST FRAZIER PARK            34.82N 118.94W
12/25/2010  M40.00 MPH       KERN               CA   MESONET

            MEASURED BY THE FRAZIER PARK CW6197 APRS.

1153 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST 28 WSW TEHACHAPI        34.98N 118.90W
12/25/2010  M39.00 MPH       KERN               CA   ASOS

            MEASURED BY THE KRN01 PORTABLE RAWS.

0102 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST LOS BANOS               37.06N 120.83W
12/25/2010  M35.00 MPH       MERCED             CA   MESONET

            MEASURED BY THE LOS BANOS RAWS.

&&

SANGER

Local storm report, Dec 25, 5:02 PM PST, 58 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY CA
502 PM PST SAT DEC 25 2010

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0102 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST LOS BANOS               37.06N 120.83W
12/25/2010  M35.00 MPH       MERCED             CA   MESONET

            MEASURED BY THE LOS BANOS RAWS.

1153 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST 28 WSW TEHACHAPI        34.98N 118.90W
12/25/2010  M39.00 MPH       KERN               CA   ASOS

            MEASURED BY THE KRN01 PORTABLE RAWS.

1134 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST FRAZIER PARK            34.82N 118.94W
12/25/2010  M40.00 MPH       KERN               CA   MESONET

            MEASURED BY THE FRAZIER PARK CW6197 APRS.

1115 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST TEHACHAPI               35.13N 118.44W
12/25/2010  M40.00 MPH       KERN               CA   AWOS

            MEASURED BY THE AWOS AT TEHACHAPI MUNICIPAL AIRPORT.

1040 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST 3 W SAN LUIS DAM        37.05N 121.11W
12/25/2010  M35.00 MPH       MERCED             CA   MESONET

            MEASURED BY NWS-OWNED INSTRUMENTATION AT PACHECO PASS.

0925 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST KEENE                   35.25N 118.61W
12/25/2010  M42.00 MPH       KERN               CA   MESONET

            MEASURED BY THE KEENE CW6754 APRS.

0913 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST TWISSELMAN              35.36N 119.82W
12/25/2010  M47.00 MPH       KERN               CA   MESONET

            MEASURED BY THE TWISSELMAN RAWS.

0427 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST PANOCHE ROAD            36.73N 120.48W
12/25/2010  M39.00 MPH       FRESNO             CA   MESONET

            MEASURED BY THE PANOCHE ROAD RAWS.

0213 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST 3 NW KEENE              35.28N 118.65W
12/25/2010  M41.00 MPH       KERN               CA   MESONET

            MEASURED BY THE HART FLAT RAWS

1229 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST 2 N GRAPEVINE           34.97N 118.93W
12/25/2010  M60.00 MPH       KERN               CA   MESONET

            MEASURED BY NWS-OWNED INSTRUMENTATION AT THE GRAPEVINE
            CHP WEIGH STATION.

1148 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 2 N GRAPEVINE           34.97N 118.93W
12/24/2010  M67.00 MPH       KERN               CA   MESONET

            MEASURED BY NWS-OWNED INSTRUMENTATION AT THE GRAPEVINE
            CHP WEIGH STATION.

&&

SANGER

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 flood, 3 winter storm, 3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, S Sierra Mtns

When: December 25, 6:00 PM PST to December 26, 7:00 AM PST
Where: S Sierra Mtns forecast zone
Reported by: Park/Forest Service

High Wind, Se S.J. Valley

When: December 25, 7:07 PM PST to 10:00 PM PST
Where: Se S.J. Valley forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Mesonet

High Wind, Kern Cty Mtns

When: December 25, 7:07 PM PST to 10:00 PM PST
Where: Kern Cty Mtns forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet

Winter Storm, S Sierra Mtns

When: December 28, 2:00 AM PST to December 29, 3:00 PM PST
Where: S Sierra Mtns forecast zone
Reported by: Park/Forest Service

Winter Storm, Tulare Cty Mtns

When: December 28, 2:00 AM PST to December 29, 3:00 PM PST
Where: Tulare Cty Mtns forecast zone
Reported by: Park/Forest Service

Flood, Fresno

When: December 29, 5:00 AM PST to 11:00 AM PST
Where: Fresno County, Kerman to 6 mi SE of Selma
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $125,000
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 36.720, -120.070

Heavy rain caused widespread urban and poor drainage flooding on the morning of the 29th across much of the San Joaquin Valley. Especially hard hit were the metro areas of Fresno, Visalia, and Bakersfield, and the adjacent foothills.

Flood, Kern

When: December 29, 5:00 AM PST to 11:00 AM PST
Where: Kern County, Taft to Maricopa
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $1.0 million
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 35.130, -119.480

Flood, Tulare

When: December 29, 5:00 AM PST to 11:00 AM PST
Where: Tulare County, Tulare to Portville West
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $500,000
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 36.220, -119.350

Flood, Kings

When: December 29, 5:00 AM PST to 11:00 AM PST
Where: Kings County, Lemoore to Armona
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $75,000
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 36.300, -119.780

Flood, Merced

When: December 29, 5:00 AM PST to 11:00 AM PST
Where: Merced County, (Mer)castle Afb to Merced
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $100,000
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 37.370, -120.570

Flood, Madera

When: December 29, 5:00 AM PST to 11:00 AM PST
Where: Madera County, Coarsegold to Oakhurst
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $75,000
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 37.270, -119.700

High Wind, Se Kern Cty Desert

When: December 29, 7:14 PM PST to December 30, 7:00 PM PST
Where: Se Kern Cty Desert forecast zone
Measured: 65 kt (75 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet

What these are

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.
Flood: Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in California in 2010 Every state in 2010 This day in weather history Warnings in California, December 2010

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: 275801, 275802, 275803, 275805, 275806, 275810, 275812, 275813, 275814, 275816, 275817, 275807.