Wildfire, S Sierra Mtns
- When
- August 1, 12:00 AM PST to August 31, 11:59 PM PST
- Where
- S Sierra Mtns forecast zone
- Reported by
- Park/Forest Service
Wildfire in California, August 1 to 31, 2011
The Avalanche wildfire occurred in Yosemite National Park. The ignition date was July 31 at 1142 PDT.
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 1
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 Avalanche wildfire occurred in Yosemite National Park. The ignition date was July 31 at 1142 PDT. The cause was lightning. The location was 7 miles Southwest of Yosemite Valley in Mariposa County. The size was 1,050 acres. There were no fatalities or lost structures and the cost to containment was $550,000.
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 Jul 31, 7:20 PM PST, 4 hours 40 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jul 31, 7:20 PM PST, 4 hours 40 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
820 PM PDT SUN JUL 31 2011
.SYNOPSIS...
A DRY SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW WILL BEGIN TO DRY OUT THE REGION BY MONDAY.
THERE WILL REMAIN A CHANCE OF A FEW THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH EARLY
MONDAY EVENING OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS. OTHERWISE...DRY WITH
MAINLY NEAR-NORMAL TEMPERATURES FOR THE WEEK.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
THE SURGE OF MONSOONAL MOISTURE THAT BROUGHT THUNDERSTORMS TO THE
HANFORD WARNING/FORECAST AREA HAS MOVED EAST OF THE REGION. BOTH THE
HANFORD AND EDWARDS AFB DOPPLER RADARS SHOW THAT THUNDERSTORM
ACTIVITY HAS ENDED...SO HAVE CANCELED THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE
MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS.
AN UPPER-LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVING OVER SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA BROUGHT
ENOUGH DYNAMICS TO TRIGGER A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS THAT MOVE
NORTHWARD OVER THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY THIS
MORNING. ALTHOUGH RAINFALL AMOUNTS WERE GENERALLY LIGHT...THERE WERE
A FEW CELLS THAT PRODUCED BRIEF MODERATE RAINFALLS. OF THE REPORTS
RECEIVED AS OF 03Z MONDAY /2000 PDT THIS EVENING/...HANFORD HAD THE
GREATEST RAINFALL FOR THE CENTRAL AND SOUTH VALLEY...WITH THE ASOS
AT THE HANFORD MUNICIPAL AIRPORT REPORTING 0.04 INCH...AND THE
WEATHER FORECAST OFFICE WEST OF THE AIRPORT HAVING DOUBLE THAT
AMOUNT.
BOTH BAKERSFIELD AND FRESNO REPORTED TRACES OF RAIN FROM THE
THUNDERSTORMS. THIS WAS ENOUGH TO TIE THE RAINFALL RECORDS FOR JULY
31ST AT BOTH CITIES...LAST SET IN 2003.
HIGH TEMPERATURES SUNDAY ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN
VALLEY RANGED FROM 93 /AT THE VISALIA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT/ TO 102 /AT
COALINGA/. COALINGA ALSO WAS THE WARM SPOT IN THE HANFORD WARNING/
FORECAST AREA TODAY...AS CLOUDS FROM THE THUNDERSTORMS AND
MONSOONAL MOISTURE KEPT DESERT HIGHS ONLY IN THE 80S.
SATELLITE LOOPS SHOW ANOTHER FETCH OF MONSOONAL MOISTURE OVER
NORTHERN MEXICO THIS EVENING. THIS FETCH WILL MOVE NORTHWARD
OVERNIGHT AND MAY BRING A FEW MORE THUNDERSTORMS TO THE SOUTHERN
SIERRA NEVADA AND THE EASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT. HAVE CONFINED THE
SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TO THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE
SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA...INCLUDING THE PIUTES...AND EAST OF HIGHWAY
58 IN THE KERN DESERTS.
THE UPPER-LEVEL SYNOPTIC PATTERN OVER CALIFORNIA IS DOMINATED BY TWO
FEATURES...A RIDGE CENTERED OVER SOUTHERN KANSAS AND A TROUGH OVER
THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. THE RIDGE IS FORECAST TO WEAKEN AND SHIFT
EAST MONDAY...WITH THE FLOW ALOFT OVER CALIFORNIA TURNING MORE
SOUTHWESTERLY. THIS WILL CONFINE THE THREAT OF THUNDERSTORMS TO THE
MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS MONDAY...THEN CLEAR SKIES AND NEAR-NORMAL
TEMPERATURES FROM TUESDAY THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK.
NOTE...THE NEW 30-YEAR CLIMATOLOGICAL NORMALS WILL BE IMPLEMENTED
ON AUGUST 1ST.
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 255 PM PDT SUN JUL 31 2011/
THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO ROLL OVER THE EASTERN SECTIONS OF THE
DISTRICT THIS AFTERNOON...MAINLY OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE
SIERRA NEVADA AND TEHACHAPI RANGE...ALONG WITH THE MOJAVE DESERT.
WHILE THE TREND IN THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE IS DIMINISHING...WILL
KEEP A MENTION OF A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS FOR THIS
EVENING FOR ANY RE-DEVELOPMENT NOW THAT THE VALLEY HAS CLEARED OUT
AND TEMPERATURES RISE INTO THE 90S. IN ADDITION...WILL ALSO
MAINTAIN THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT AS SATELLITE PRECIP WATER
IMAGERY ALONG WITH RADAR ESTIMATED PRECIP SHOW CONSIDERABLE
AMOUNTS OVER THE AFFECTED AREAS. IN ADDITION...A FEW WEATHER
SPOTTERS ACROSS THE MOUNTAIN RANGES HAVE REPORTED MINOR FLOODING
THIS MORNING. WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE SITUATION FOR POSSIBLE
PROBLEM AREAS.
SHORT RANGE MODELS STILL SHOWING THE CONFLICT BETWEEN MONSOONAL
MOISTURE PUSHING INTO THE DISTRICT AS THE COMING CHANGE IN THE
FLOW ALOFT. WHILE OBSERVATIONAL DATA STILL INDICATES A SURGE OF
MOISTURE INTO THE DISTRICT...SHORT RANGE MODELS STILL INDICATING
THAT THE FLOW WILL BECOME SOUTHWESTERLY AND FORCE THE MONSOONAL
MOISTURE AWAY FROM THE DISTRICT. THIS WILL ALLOW THE DISTRICT TO
DRY OUT STARTING ON TUESDAY. MONDAY WILL BE THE UNCERTAIN DAY WITH
LINGERING MOISTURE STILL ABLE TO POP-UP A FEW SHOWERS OVER THE
MOUNTAINS MONDAY AFTERNOON. TEMPERATURES SHOULD NOT BE TOO MUCH OF
A PROBLEM AS CLOUD COVER WILL BE CONFINED TO THE HIGHER TERRAIN.
THIS WILL ALLOW THE VALLEY/FOOTHILLS TO START WARMING. WILL SEE A
GENERAL WARMING TREND ON TUESDAY WHICH MAY STALL OUT BY FRIDAY.
WHILE A STRONGER TROF MAY SLOW DOWN THE WARMING INTO NEXT
WEEKEND...TEMPERATURES WILL STILL REMAIN AT NEAR SEASONAL NORMS.
YET...WILL NOT MENTION PRECIP AFTER MONDAY AS LONGER RANGE MODELS
NEVER ALLOW THE SOUTHEASTERLY FLOW TO RE-ESTABLISH OVER THE DESERT
SOUTHWEST.
&&
.AVIATION...
ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA BETWEEN 19Z
MONDAY AND 04Z TUESDAY. OTHERWISE...VFR CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED
ACROSS THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA INTERIOR THRU 06Z TUE.
&&
.AIR QUALITY ISSUES...
NONE.
&&
.HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NONE.
&&
PUBLIC...SANGER
AVN/FW...DS
SYNOPSIS...PJ/SANGER
PREV DISCUSSION...MOLINA
WEATHER.GOV/HANFORDHazardous weather outlook, Jul 31, 7:00 PM PST, 5 hours before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA 800 PM PDT SUN JUL 31 2011 CAZ095>099-011230- KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS-SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON- TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS-INDIAN WELLS VALLEY- SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT- 800 PM PDT SUN JUL 31 2011 ...SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT AND MONDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA...AND THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY ISOLATED AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE MONDAY...OTHERWISE NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY SIGNIFICANT OR UNUSUAL CONDITIONS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. CAZ093-094-011230- MARIPOSA MADERA AND FRESNO COUNTY FOOTHILLS- TULARE COUNTY FOOTHILLS- 800 PM PDT SUN JUL 31 2011 ...THUNDERSTORM THREAT HAS DIMINISHED... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE FOOTHILLS OF THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY SIGNIFICANT OR UNUSUAL CONDITIONS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. CAZ089>092-011230- WEST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-EAST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY- SOUTHWESTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-SOUTHEASTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY- 800 PM PDT SUN JUL 31 2011 ...THUNDERSTORM THREAT HAS DIMINISHED... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY SIGNIFICANT OR UNUSUAL CONDITIONS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. SANGER WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD
Event by event
1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
What these are
- Wildfire
- A fire burning in wildland vegetation, with its acreage and damage where known.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Excessive Heat in Texas, August 1 to 6, 2011
- Excessive Heat in Oklahoma, August 1 to 10, 2011
- Heat in Illinois, August 1 to 3, 2011
- Excessive Heat in Missouri, August 1 to 3, 2011
- Heat in Pennsylvania, August 1, 2011
- Drought in Texas, August 1 to 31, 2011
- Drought in Missouri, August 1 to 31, 2011
- Drought in Kansas, August 1 to 31, 2011
- Excessive Heat in Illinois, August 1 to 3, 2011
- Flooding in Iowa, August 1 to 31, 2011
- Excessive Heat in Texas, August 1, 2011
- Excessive Heat in Missouri, August 1, 2011
More
Every storm in California in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in California, August 2011
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: 345744.