High Wind and Frost and Freeze in California, March 8 to 11, 2010

Name: High Wind and Frost and Freeze in California, March 8 to 11, 2010
Start: 2010-03-08T11:45
End: 2010-03-11T06:50
Location: California

March 8 to 11, 2010 · NWS HNX · 10 events in 8 counties and zones

An upper-level ridge built into California behind the early March storm, bringing dry weather and calmer winds. A low-pressure system in the east Pacific dropped south parallel to the coast on March 6th, but the low stayed well offshore and only brought a few showers and thunderstorms to the Kern County Mountains and deserts on the 6th and 7th, including 10 inches of snow that fell on Pine…

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $2,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 10

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.

After a short break on March 8th, another Pacific storm reached central California on the 9th. This storm brought 5 inches of new snow to the Tulare County Mountains above 6000 feet, and several wind gusts to around 50 mph to the Kern County Mountains and deserts. Isolated gusts over 60 mph also were reported from this storm.

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 8, 9:15 AM PST, 2 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 8, 9:15 AM PST, 2 hours 30 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
915 AM PST MON MAR 8 2010

.SYNOPSIS...

THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL BRING ANOTHER CHANCE FOR PRECIPITATION
TO THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA INTERIOR THIS AFTERNOON INTO TUESDAY.
OTHERWISE CONDITIONS WILL BE DRY MUCH OF THE WEEK DUE TO A HIGH
PRESSURE RIDGE BUILDING INTO THE REGION.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
NO UPDATES THIS MORNING. FORECAST LOOKS ON TRACK WITH FRONT
EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH LATER TONIGHT. NOT MUCH ON RADAR AT THE
MOMENT...BUT MAY INCREASE IN INTENSITY AND COVERAGE LATER THIS
AFTERNOON AS WE BECOME MORE UNSTABLE. TEMPS AND POPS LOOK ON TRACK
FOR TODAY AS CLOUDS ARE FILLING INTO THE VALLEY. WINDS WILL BE
BREEZY TODAY AS THE FRONT PASSES THROUGH.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 324 AM PST MON MAR 8 2010/

DISCUSSION...A COLD...FAST MOVING LOW PRESSURE ARE WILL MOVE
INTO NORCAL THIS AFTERNOON...AND ACROSS CENTRAL CA TONIGHT. WHILE
THIS SYSTEM WILL HAVE LITTLE IN THE WAY OF PRECIP...THE SNOW LEVEL
WILL FALL TO NEAR 1500 FEET TONIGHT. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS WILL
GENERALLY BE AN INCH OR LESS ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS AND
FOOTHILLS...INCLUDING THE TEHACHAPIS...AND THUS NO ADVISORY WILL
BE ISSUED. EVEN THE HIGH DESERT OF KERN COUNTY COULD SEE SOME
MORNING SNOW SHOWERS. TEMPS TUES WILL BE ABOUT 10-15 DEGS BELOW
NORMAL FOR EARLY MARCH. ANOTHER QUICK MOVING SYSTEM WILL MOVE THRU
THE REGION TUES NITE/EARLY WED. AGAIN PRECIP WILL BE VERY
LIMITED...AND MAINLY CONFINED TO FRESNO COUNTY NORTH.

THERE IS SOME POTENTIAL FOR TSTMS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT
ACROSS THE VALLEY AND FOOTHILLS AS THE COLD CORE MOVES OVERHEAD.
H5 TEMPS ARE PROGGED AT -32 DEGS/C...EXTREMELY COLD FOR THIS TIME
OF YEAR. IN ADDITION THE AREA IS FCST TO BE IN THE LEFT FRONT QUAD
OF THE UPPER JET ROUGHLY AROUND 06Z. GUSTY WINDS ARE ALSO FCST TO
DEVELOP TUES AFTERNOON BEHIND THE DEPARTING UPPER LOW...ESPECIALLY
ACROSS THE DESERT FACING PASSES AND CANYONS IN KERN CO.

THE FORECAST PROBLEM FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL NITES WILL BE VALLEY
TEMPS. A FEW MID-UPPER 30S ARE POSSIBLE EARLY TUES WHERE SKIES
CLEAR OVERNITE. CLOUDS WILL MOVE BACK IN AGAIN TUES NITE WITH THE
NEXT SYSTEM...HOWEVER MODELS DISAGREE ON TRACK OF THIS SYS. GFS
DIGS IT SE ACROSS CENTRAL CA WHILE THE EURO KEEPS IT ALONG AND
EAST OF THE SIERRA. IF SKIES CLEAR EARLY ENOUGH WED MRNG...THERE
IS THE POTENTIAL FOR A WIDESPREAD VALLEY FROST. AT THIS TIME...IT
LOOKS LIKE WED NITE MAY ACTUALLY BE THE COLDEST NIGHT WITH CLEAR
SKIES AND LIGHT WINDS. WILL UPDATE THE SPS TO ACCOUNT FOR THESE
UNCERTAINTIES OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.

WEAK SHORTWAVE RIDGING IS THEN FCST FOR WED-THURS. NIGHTS WILL
CONT ON THE COOL SIDE...WITH A SLOW DAYTIME WARMING TREND. THE
NEXT POTENTIAL FOR RAIN COMES WITH A SHORTWAVE TROF MOVING ONTO
THE COAST FRI NITE. MODELS QUITE FAR APART IN HANDLING THIS SYS.
GFS KEEPS THE WAVE FARTHER NORTH AND PROGRESSIVE...WHILE THE EURO
THE WETTEST FRI NITE AS IT DIGS THE SYS SE ACROSS CENTRAL CA. AT
THIS TIME...CLIMO POPS LOOK BEST FOR NOW...BUT ARE SLIGHTLY
SKEWED TOWARD THE EURO. WHICHEVER MODEL WORKS OUT...IT LOOKS LIKE
THE BULK OF THE WEEKEND WILL BE ON THE DRY BUT COOL SIDE.

&&

.AVIATION...
MVFR CONDITIONS WITH LOCAL IFR CAN BE EXPECTED ALONG THE NORTH
FACING SLOPES OF THE TEHACHAPI MOUNTAINS...THE SIERRA FOOTHILLS AND
THE WEST SLOPES OF THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA THROUGH 00Z TUESDAY.
IFR CONDITIONS WILL DEVELOP OVER THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE
SOUTHERN SIERRA THIS AFTERNOON AND OVER THE TEHACHAPI MOUNTAINS
AFTER 00Z TUESDAY WITH THE ARRIVAL OF PRECIPITATION. VFR CONDITIONS
WILL PREVAIL ELSEWHERE ACROSS THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA INTERIOR
THROUGH 18Z TUESDAY.

&&

.AIR QUALITY ISSUES...
NONE.

&&

.HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NONE.
&&

PUBLIC...JDB
AVN/FW...MV
SYNOPSIS...TLM

WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD

Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 8, 4:25 AM PST, 7 hours 20 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
425 AM PST MON MAR 8 2010

CAZ089>094-091230-
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-
425 AM PST MON MAR 8 2010

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AND THE ADJACENT FOOTHILLS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE OVER THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY MAINLY
DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER 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

CAZ098-099-091230-
INDIAN WELLS VALLEY-SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT-
425 AM PST MON MAR 8 2010

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE KERN COUNTY DESERTS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

WIND GUSTS TO NEAR 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED LATER TODAY OVER THE
INDIAN WELLS VALLEY INCREASING TO NEAR 50 MPH TONIGHT. WIND GUSTS
OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERTS COULD REACH 40 MPH TODAY
INCREASING TO NEAR 60 MPH TONIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

GUSTY WINDS CONTINUING OVER THE DESERT AREAS WITH 45 MPH GUSTS
EXPECTED OVER INDIAN WELLS DESERT THROUGH TUESDAY. WINDS OVER THE
SOUTHWESTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT WILL CONTINUE TO BE STRONG
THROUGH WEDNESDAY WITH GUSTS APPROACHING 60 MPH ON TUESDAY
DIMINISHING TO 45 MPH BY WEDNESDAY.

.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.

WP

WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Mar 8, 6:26 AM PST, 5 hours 19 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
626 AM PST MON MAR 8 2010

.A COUPLE OF FAST MOVING LOW PRESSURE AREAS WILL BRING A PERIOD
OF UNSETTLED WEATHER TO CENTRAL CALIFORNIA TONIGHT AND AGAIN
TUESDAY NIGHT. NEITHER OF THESE SYSTEMS WILL HAVE MUCH MOISTURE
WITH THEM...HOWEVER THEY WILL BRING COOLER TEMPERATURES. ANY SNOW
THAT FALLS WILL BE AT VERY LOW ELEVATIONS.

CAZ093-094-096-097-082300-
MARIPOSA MADERA AND FRESNO COUNTY FOOTHILLS-
TULARE COUNTY FOOTHILLS-
SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON-
TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS-
626 AM PST MON MAR 8 2010

...LIGHT SNOW POSSIBLE TONIGHT...

THE SNOW LEVEL IS EXPECTED TO FALL TO NEAR 1500 FEET TONIGHT.
HOWEVER...THERE IS VERY LITTLE MOISTURE WITH THE LOW PRESSURE
SYSTEM. WHILE THIS WILL MEAN LITTLE IN THE WAY OF
ACCUMULATIONS...AN INCH OR SO COULD FALL IN A FEW PLACES. TRAVEL
EARLY TUESDAY MORNING IN THE FOOTHILLS COULD BE A LITTLE ICY
DEPENDING ON IF AND WHERE ANY SNOW FALLS OVERNIGHT.

ANOTHER FAST MOVING SYSTEM TUESDAY NIGHT COULD BRING SOME
ADDITIONAL LIGHT SNOW SHOWER ACTIVITY AS WELL.

CAZ095-098-099-082300-
KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS-INDIAN WELLS VALLEY-
SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT-
626 AM PST MON MAR 8 2010

...A FEW SNOW SHOWERS POSSIBLE LATER TONIGHT AND EARLY TUESDAY...
...BREEZY TO WINDY TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...

THE SNOW LEVEL WILL DROP TO NEAR 2000 FEET TONIGHT. WHILE LITTLE
SNOW ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED...THERE COULD BE ISOLATED 1 INCH
AMOUNTS THAT COULD MAKE TRAVEL SLIPPERY ON THE PASSES LATER
TONIGHT AND EARLY TUESDAY.

GUSTY WINDS WILL DEVELOP TUESDAY AFTERNOON BEHIND THE SYSTEM. WEST
TO NORTHWEST WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 45 OR 50 MPH WILL
BE COMMON BY TUESDAY AFTERNOON OVER RIDGES AND THROUGH AND BELOW
PASSES. GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH MAY OCCUR BELOW WIND FAVORED PASSES
AND CANYONS...ESPECIALLY NEAR MOJAVE BELOW TEHACHAPI PASS...AND
INDIAN WELLS CANYON WEST OF INYOKERN.

CAZ089>092-082300-
WEST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-EAST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-
SOUTHWESTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-SOUTHEASTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-
626 AM PST MON MAR 8 2010

...ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...
...PATCHY FROST POSSIBLE TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT...

A VERY COLD LOW PRESSURE AREA ALOFT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE VALLEY
THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT. THIS LOW WILL BRING SCATTERED SHOWERS
AND THE THREAT OF AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM OR TWO. SMALL HAIL MAY
ACCOMPANY ANY SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS.

FOR TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT...THERE IS CONSIDERABLE
UNCERTAINTY ON HOW MUCH...IF ANY CLOUD COVER THERE WILL BE. A
RATHER COLD AIRMASS WILL BE IN PLACE BY TUESDAY...AND ANY CLEAR
SKIES AT NIGHT WILL BRING A THREAT FOR FROST...ESPECIALLY OUTSIDE
OF URBAN AREAS. THE BEST CHANCE FOR A POTENTIAL WIDESPREAD FROST
IS WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

ANYONE THAT HAS FROST SENSITIVE PLANTS THAT HAVE BEGUN TO LEAF OUT
OR BLOOM SHOULD PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE FORECAST THE NEXT FEW
DAYS.

BINGHAM

WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD

Event by event

4 frost/freeze, 3 strong wind, 2 winter weather, 1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Se Kern Cty Desert

When: March 8, 11:45 AM PST to 3:52 PM PST
Where: Se Kern Cty Desert forecast zone
Measured: 54 kt (62 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $500
Reported by: Mesonet

Winter Weather, Kern Cty Mtns

When: March 8, 9:00 PM PST to March 9, 8:00 AM PST
Where: Kern Cty Mtns forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Winter Weather, Tulare Cty Mtns

When: March 8, 9:00 PM PST to March 9, 8:00 AM PST
Where: Tulare Cty Mtns forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Strong Wind, Indian Wells Vly

When: March 9, 6:55 AM PST to March 10, 4:37 PM PST
Where: Indian Wells Vly forecast zone
Measured: 47 kt (54 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $500
Reported by: Mesonet

Strong Wind, Se Kern Cty Desert

When: March 9, 1:00 PM PST to March 10, 4:37 PM PST
Where: Se Kern Cty Desert forecast zone
Measured: 49 kt (56 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $500
Reported by: Mesonet

Strong Wind, Kern Cty Mtns

When: March 9, 2:57 PM PST to March 10, 4:37 PM PST
Where: Kern Cty Mtns forecast zone
Measured: 45 kt (52 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $500
Reported by: Mesonet

Frost/Freeze, W Central S.J. Valley

When: March 11, 4:30 AM PST to 6:50 AM PST
Where: W Central S.J. Valley forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet

Frost/Freeze, E Central S.J. Valley

When: March 11, 4:30 AM PST to 6:50 AM PST
Where: E Central S.J. Valley forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet

Frost/Freeze, Sw S.J. Valley

When: March 11, 4:30 AM PST to 6:50 AM PST
Where: Sw S.J. Valley forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet

Frost/Freeze, Se S.J. Valley

When: March 11, 4:30 AM PST to 6:50 AM PST
Where: Se S.J. Valley forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
Winter Weather: Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.
Strong Wind: Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.
Frost/Freeze: Frost or temperatures at or below freezing during the growing season, usually filed for crop damage.

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, March 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: 222639, 222854, 222855, 222637, 222638, 222633, 222856, 222857, 222858, 222859.