Heavy Rain, Mariposa
- When
- February 26, 8:26 AM PST to February 27, 8:26 AM PST
- Where
- Mariposa County, 2.14 mi NNE of Usona
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 37.480, -119.820
Rainfall total from previous 24 hours was 2.74 inches in Mariposa.
Tornado and Winter Storm in California, February 26 to 27, 2010
The last storm of the month moved into western Merced County during the afternoon of February 26th, and brought record rain to Fresno that evening. 60 inch, set in 1930.
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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $71,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 8
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 last storm of the month moved into western Merced County during the afternoon of February 26th, and brought record rain to Fresno that evening. 0.76 inch of rain was measured at Fresno-Yosemite International Airport, breaking the old record for the 26th of 0.60 inch, set in 1930. The next day, Bakersfield broke its rainfall record with 0.51 inch; 0.46 inch having fallen through 10 AM. The old record for the 27th at Meadows Field was 0.29 inch, set in 1996. In the Southern Sierra Nevada, heavy snow fell above the 6000-foot level, with storm totals of 1-2 feet being reported.
Convection developed over northwestern Kern County by midday on February 27th. Two thunderstorms merged, and the resulting cell tracked across northern Kern County. The storm dropped small hail (pea-size to inch) on roads near Wasco, creating very slippery road surfaces. A funnel cloud also was observed extending from the base of this storm.
The storm moved east of interior central California on the 28th as an upper-level ridge built off the coast. Despite more stable conditions, San Joaquin Valley fog development as kept to a minimum by low clouds that blanketed much of the Valley through the day.
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 Feb 26, 3:53 AM PST, 4 hours 33 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Feb 26, 3:53 AM PST, 4 hours 33 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA 353 AM PST FRI FEB 26 2010 .SYNOPSIS... EVEN THOUGH MOST SKIES THROUGHOUT THE SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY ARE MOSTLY CLOUDY, FOG IS BEING REPORTED OVER MANY LOCATIONS, MAINLY THE HANFORD AND LEMOORE AREAS. AS THE DAY PROGRESSES A 50 PERCENT CHANCE OF RAIN IS FORECAST THROUGHOUT THE VALLEY LATER THIS AFTERNOON. && .DISCUSSION...HIGH CLOUDS AHEAD OF THE NEXT APPROACHING SYSTEM ARE STREAMING ACROSS INTERIOR CENTRAL CALIFORNIA. SOME FOG HAS DEVELOPED IN THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY WITH A FEW LOCATIONS REPORTING VISIBILITIES AROUND 1/4 MILE...BUT THE CLOUDS ALOFT ARE HELPING TO LIMIT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FOG. PRECIPITATION WITH THE NEARING TROUGH WILL BEGIN AFFECTING NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE DISTRICT LATER THIS AFTERNOON. MEANWHILE...INCREASING SOUTHERLY WINDS AHEAD OF THE SYSTEM WILL BRING MILD TEMPERATURES...ESPECIALLY IN THE SOUTH END OF THE VALLEY WHERE SOME DOWNSLOPE WARMING COULD BE REALIZED. THE INCREASING WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO GUST TO ADVISORY LEVELS IN THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS TODAY AND A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT THERE THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. GUSTY WINDS WILL ALSO BE NEAR ADVISORY LEVELS ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE VALLEY AND NEAR THE NORTH END OF THE CENTRAL VALLEY. AS THE SYSTEM MOVES INTO THE REGION TONIGHT HEAVY SNOW WILL OCCUR IN THE SIERRA NEVADA ALONG WITH SOME HEALTHY RAIN IN THE LOWER ELEVATIONS. A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE SIERRA ZONES FROM LATER THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING. SNOW LEVELS WILL START OUT RELATIVELY HIGH...7500 TO 8000 FEET...LOWERING THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON AS THE UPPER LOW BRINGS COLDER AIR INTO THE REGION. THE COLDER AIR ALOFT MAY DESTABILIZE THE ATMOSPHERE ENOUGH FOR SOME THUNDERSTORMS IN THE VALLEY SATURDAY. THE EXACT TRAJECTORY OF THE LOW WILL DETERMINE HOW LOW SNOW LEVELS DROP...CURRENTLY THINKING TO BE BETWEEN 4500 AND 5000 FEET BY LATER SATURDAY AFTERNOON IN KERN COUNTY...POSSIBLY LOW ENOUGH TO AFFECT THE PASSES. ACCUMULATIONS IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS LOOK TO BE UP TO AROUND 6 INCHES...REMAINING BELOW ADVISORY AMOUNTS. THE WINTRY WEATHER FOR THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS IS COVERED WITH A SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AT THIS TIME. IMPROVING CONDITIONS SUNDAY AND MONDAY AS ANOTHER RIDGE VISITS THE REGION AHEAD OF THE NEXT SYSTEM WHICH MODELS ARE IN GENERAL AGREEMENT ON...MOVING IT THROUGH THE REGION TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY. THIS SYSTEM LOOKS TO HAVE A MORE NORTHERLY TRAJECTORY AND A LITTLE LESS SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION FOR OUR AREA. THURSDAY SHOULD BRING ANOTHER BRIEF RESPITE BETWEEN STORMS. && .AVIATION... FOR THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY...MVFR CONDITIONS WITH LOCAL IFR IN FOG UNTIL 18Z TODAY. VFR CONDITIONS UNTIL 00Z SATURDAY WITH AREAS OF MVFR/LOCAL IFR DEVELOPING IN CLOUDS/PRECIP 00Z-12Z SATURDAY. WIDESPREAD IFR AND MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION SPREADING SOUTH OVER THE SIERRA NEVADA 00Z-12Z SATURDAY. && .AIR QUALITY ISSUES... NONE && .HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 10 PM PST SATURDAY CAZ096-097. WIND ADVISORY FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 4 AM PST SATURDAY CAZ095. && PUBLIC...JEB AVN/FW...MOLINA SYNOPSIS...TLM WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD
Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 26, 8:21 AM PST, 5 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA 821 AM PST FRI FEB 26 2010 CAZ096-097-271200- SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON- TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS- 821 AM PST FRI FEB 26 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM TODAY TO 10 PM SATURDAY. FOR MORE INFO PLEASE SEE THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN HANFORD AT /WWUS46 KHNX/ OR /SFOWSWHNX/ FOR DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY THE WINTER STORM WARNING WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM PST SATURDAY. .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 CAZ095-271200- KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS- 821 AM PST FRI FEB 26 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT THROUGH 4 AM PST SATURDAY. FOR MORE INFO PLEASE SEE THE LATEST NON PRECIPITATION WARNING ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN HANFORD AT /WWUS76 KHNX/ OR /SFONPWHNX/ FOR DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY THE WIND ADVISORY WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 AM PST SATURDAY. .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>092-271200- WEST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-EAST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY- SOUTHWESTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-SOUTHEASTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY- 821 AM PST FRI FEB 26 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS SATURDAY. AFTER SATURDAY...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. DCH WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Feb 26, 5:03 AM PST, 3 hours 23 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA 503 AM PST FRI FEB 26 2010 CAZ089>092-262030- WEST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-EAST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY- SOUTHWESTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-SOUTHEASTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY- 503 AM PST FRI FEB 26 2010 ...A PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE INTO THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT BRINGING A THREAT OF GUSTY WINDS... A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY TODAY...BRINGING LOCALLY GUSTY WINDS TO THE MERCED AREA AND POSSIBLY ALONG THE INTERSTATE 5 CORRIDOR FROM LOS BANOS DOWN THROUGH BUTTONWILLOW. DOWNSLOPING WINDS WILL BE MORE PREVALENT ALONG THE WEST SIDE FOOTHILL AREA AND AT THE BASE OF THE GRAPEVINE IN THE SOUTH END OF THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY. SOUTH WINDS FROM 10 TO 20 MPH WITH LOCAL BRIEF GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH ARE POSSIBLE ALONG THE INTERSTATE 5 CORRIDOR. MOTORISTS SHOULD USE CAUTION IF ENCOUNTERING THESE STRONG WINDS...ESPECIALLY HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. CAZ095-262030- KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS- 503 AM PST FRI FEB 26 2010 ...A PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE INTO THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS BY THIS EVENING AND INTO SATURDAY BRINGING A THREAT OF SNOW AND GUSTY WINDS... RAIN AND SNOW IS EXPECTED TO SPREAD INTO THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS TONIGHT AND CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY...AS A PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH CENTRAL CALIFORNIA. RAIN AND SNOW WILL CHANGE TO ALL SNOW AS SNOW LEVELS ARE EXPECTED TO START OUT AROUND 6000 FEET THIS EVENING AND DROP TO AROUND 5000 FEET BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON. TOTAL SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED TO BE 3 TO 6 INCHES ABOVE 6000 FEET. ACCUMULATING SNOW LEVELS ARE EXPECTED TO BE MAINLY ABOVE PASS LEVEL...HOWEVER WET WEATHER CONDITIONS AND GUSTY WINDS MAY IMPACT MOUNTAIN PASSES IN AND OUT OF THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FOR MOTORISTS DRIVING BETWEEN CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD
The radar
The San Joaquin Valley radar (KHNX), 131 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 16:23 UTC.
Event by event
2 winter storm, 2 debris flow, 1 heavy rain, 1 strong wind, 1 funnel cloud, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong Wind, Kern Cty Mtns
- When
- February 26, 9:00 AM PST to February 27, 12:00 AM PST
- Where
- Kern Cty Mtns forecast zone
- Measured
- 49 kt (56 mph) measured gust
- Property damage
- $1,000
- Reported by
- Mesonet
Winter Storm, S Sierra Mtns
- When
- February 26, 4:00 PM PST to February 27, 12:00 PM PST
- Where
- S Sierra Mtns forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
Winter Storm, Tulare Cty Mtns
- When
- February 26, 4:00 PM PST to February 27, 12:00 PM PST
- Where
- Tulare Cty Mtns forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
Debris Flow, Sw S.J. Valley
- When
- February 27, 6:00 AM PST to 10:00 AM PST
- Where
- Sw S.J. Valley forecast zone
- Property damage
- $50,000
- Reported by
- Law Enforcement
Debris Flow, S Sierra Foothills
- When
- February 27, 8:00 AM PST to 10:00 AM PST
- Where
- S Sierra Foothills forecast zone
- Property damage
- $20,000
- Reported by
- Law Enforcement
Funnel Cloud, Kern
- When
- February 27, 2:50 PM PST
- Where
- Kern County, 0.89 mi SW of Wasco
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 35.590, -119.340
A funnel cloud was observed near the intersection of state routes 65 and 165.
Tornado, Kern
- When
- February 27, 4:45 PM PST to 4:48 PM PST
- Where
- Kern County, 4.51 mi E of Tupman
- Rating
- EF0
- Path length
- 0.5 mi
- Path width
- 20 yd
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 35.300, -119.270
A trained weather spotter reported a weak tornado that lasted about 3 minutes. The location was 15 miles northeast of Taft. No damage was found in the area. The tornado was rated an EF0.
What these are
- Heavy Rain
- Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.
- 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.
- Debris Flow
- A fast-moving slurry of mud, rock and debris, usually on a slope soaked by heavy rain or stripped by a fire.
- Funnel Cloud
- A rotating column of cloud extending from a thunderstorm that did not reach the ground.
- Tornado
- A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Frost and Freeze in Florida, February 26, 2010
- High Wind in Vermont, February 26, 2010
- Winter Weather in Ohio, February 26 to 27, 2010
- Winter Weather in Kentucky, February 26 to 27, 2010
- Lightning Strike in Oklahoma, February 26, 2010
- Strong Wind in California, February 26, 2010
- High Wind and Strong Wind in Maryland, February 26, 2010
- Avalanche in Colorado, February 26, 2010
- High Wind and Strong Wind in Virginia, February 26, 2010
- Winter Storm in California, February 26 to 27, 2010
- High Wind in West Virginia, February 26, 2010
- Winter Weather in Indiana, February 26 to 27, 2010
More
Every storm in California in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for California, 2010Warnings in California, February 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: 218435, 218432, 218430, 218431, 218433, 218437, 218434, 218436.