Winter Storm, S Sierra Mtns
- When
- February 25, 4:30 AM PST to February 26, 10:00 AM PST
- Where
- S Sierra Mtns forecast zone
- Reported by
- Park/Forest Service
Weak ridging returned to the area by the 20th, with dry, but relatively cool, conditions throughout the central California interior during the next few days. However, by February 24th, the next storm was approaching the California coast and weakening the ridge.
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 HNX wrote it up.
Weak ridging returned to the area by the 20th, with dry, but relatively cool, conditions throughout the central California interior during the next few days. However, by February 24th, the next storm was approaching the California coast and weakening the ridge. Precipitation associated with this storm reached the region late on the 25th, with rain continuing into the 26th. Heavy rain caused some flooding in the south end iof the San Joaquin Valley, with road flooding reported as far north as the Lamont area. This was a cold storm system, bringing measurable snowfall to the foothills along the Southern Sierra Nevada and the mountains along the west side of the San Joaquin Valley. A half inch of snow fell at Granite Station in the foothills of the Kern County Sierra Nevada, at an elevation of 2600 feet. The higher elevations of the Southern Sierra Nevada received up to 3 feet with this storm. During the daytime of the 26th, trace amounts of snow were even observed in some areas of the San Joaquin Valley, including Delano, Taft, Coalinga, Arvin, and some locations near Bakersfield.|The end of the month remained cooler than average, with low temperatures falling to freezing or below due to the residual cold air behind the previous system. On the 27th, some locations, mainly north of Kern County, had minimum temperatures as low as the mid to upper 20s. Lows the next morning were a couple of degrees warmer, but were 32 degrees or colder in several locations.|In summary, February began dry and cool, followed by periods of mild temperatures throughout the central California interior. Until the middle of the month, there was no rain reported in Fresno and Bakersfield, and significant rain and snow did not occur throughout the region until the latter half of the month. Temperatures were cooler than average during this part of the month due to repeated influxes of cold air. Frosty to freezing conditions occurred at times throughout the central and southern San Joaquin Valley, especially during the last two days of the month.
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 25, 2:40 AM PST, 1 hour 50 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA 240 AM PST FRI FEB 25 2011 .SYNOPSIS... UNSETTLED WEATHER CAN BE EXPECTED OVER THE WEEKEND AS LOW PRESSURE DIGS SOUTHWARD BRINGING VALLEY RAIN, MOUNTAIN SNOW AND LOWER SNOW LEVELS. SNOW COULD FALL IN THE FOOTHILLS BY FRIDAY NIGHT AS THE LOW BRINGS COLDER AIR INTO THE REGION. THERE MAY EVEN BE A FEW FLURRIES IN THE VALLEY DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS SATURDAY. && .DISCUSSION... TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY THURSDAY WERE SEVERAL DEGREES COOLER THAN WEDNESDAY...AND WERE IN THE LOWER TO MID 50S. THURSDAY/S HIGHS RANGED FROM 52 AT THE MERCED REGIONAL AIRPORT TO 57 DEGREES AT BAKERSFIELD AND COALINGA. THE CHINA LAKE N.W.T.C. WAS THE WARM SPOT IN THE HANFORD WARNING/ FORECAST AREA WITH A HIGH OF 62 DEGREES. THE ANTICIPATED CHANGE IN THE WEATHER PATTERN BEGAN THURSDAY NIGHT AS LIGHT...WARM-FRONTAL RAIN BEGAN SPREADING SOUTH ACROSS THE HANFORD WARNING/FORECAST AREA. RAINFALL AMOUNTS SO FAR HAVE RANGED FROM A TRACE TO A FEW HUNDREDTHS OF AN INCH...BUT RADAR SHOWS THAT HEAVIER RAINS ARE CURRENTLY OVER THE CALIFORNIA COAST NORTH OF MONTEREY BAY. MESO-WEST OBSERVATIONS PLACE THE FREEZING LEVEL AT AROUND 4000 FEET THIS MORNING. THE SNOW LEVEL WILL FALL THROUGH THE DAY AS AN UNSEASONABLY COLD AIRMASS MOVES INTO THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA INTERIOR. THE 06Z GFS FORECASTS THE 925-MB -1 C ISOTHERM TO PUSH INTO FAR NORTHERN KERN COUNTY BY 12Z SATURDAY...WITH THE -2 C ISOTHERM DOWN TO BAKERSFIELD BY 18Z SATURDAY...AND THE -4 C ISOTHERM OVER MEADOWS FIELD BY 00Z SUNDAY. THE 06Z NAM-12 IS A COUPLE OF DEGREES WARMER... BUT HAS THE -2 C ISOTHERM AT 925-MB OVER BAKERSFIELD AT 00Z SUNDAY. THE SNOW LEVEL IS EXPECTED TO FALL BELOW 1000 FEET TONIGHT...AND WINTER HEADLINES ARE IN PLACE FOR THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA...THE TEHACHAPI MOUNTAINS...THE TEMBLORS AND DIABLO RANGE ABOVE 1500 FEET...THE SIERRA FOOTHILLS ABOVE 1500 FEET AND THE KERN COUNTY DESERTS. WITH THIS VERY COLD AIRMASS OVER THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY...IT IS QUITE LIKELY THAT A FEW FLURRIES WILL BE MIXED WITH THE RAIN AND COULD REACH THE GROUND. DO NOT EXPECT ACCUMULATING SNOW ON THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY FLOOR... ALTHOUGH ISOLATED SPOTS COULD SEE THE GROUND COVERED. IN TERMS OF THE CONVECTIVE THREAT...THE NAM-12 DOES HAVE A SURFACE- COMPUTED CAPE OF 280 J/KG OVER WESTERN FRESNO COUNTY AT 18Z SATURDAY WITH A SURFACE COMPUTED LIFTED INDEX OF -1.4 AND A 500-MB TEMPERATURE OF -37 C. HOWEVER...925-MB TEMPERATURES OVER WESTERN FRESNO COUNTY AT 18Z SATURDAY ARE -1 TO -2 C AND THE AIRMASS MAY BE TOO COLD THROUGHOUT THE COLUMN FOR ANY STRONG LAPSE RATES. AT THIS TIME DO NOT EXPECT ANY THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. THE NEXT CONCERN IS TEMPERATURES SATURDAY NIGHT. MUCH WILL DEPEND ON THE AMOUNT OF CLOUD COVER REMAINING OVER THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AS THE STORM MOVES EAST OF THE REGION. THE FORECAST HAS CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY LOWS SUNDAY MORNING IN THE UPPER 20S TO LOWER 30S WITH THE COLDEST...WIND-SHELTERED AREAS POSSIBLY FALLING BELOW 28 DEGREES FOR A FEW HOURS. PEOPLE WITH TEMPERATURE-SENSITIVE PLANTS AND ANIMALS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR THE POTENTIAL FOR FREEZING TEMPERATURES SATURDAY NIGHT AND POSSIBLE FROST OR FREEZE PRODUCTS. THE WEATHER WILL BE DRY SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING...THEN THE NEXT STORM WILL REACH THE HANFORD WARNING/FORECAST AREA BEGINNING TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND CONTINUING THROUGH THURSDAY. AT THIS TIME... THIS APPEARS TO BE A WARMER STORM. DATES OF LATEST SNOWS AT BAKERSFIELD AND FRESNO... BAKERSFIELD FRESNO MARCH 8 1974.......1.5 INCH FEBRUARY 5 1976....TRACE MARCH 14 1944......TRACE FEBRUARY 26 1911...TRACE MARCH 17 1922......2.5 INCHES FEBRUARY 28 1911...TRACE MARCH 18 1922......TRACE MARCH 23 1916......0.1 INCH MARCH 29 1998......TRACE MARCH 23 1929......0.2 INCH DATES OF MOST RECENT SNOWS AT BAKERSFIELD AND FRESNO... BAKERSFIELD FRESNO DECEMBER 12 2003...TRACE DECEMBER 11 2005...TRACE && .AVIATION... VFR INITIALLY ACROSS THE CENTRAL CA INTERIOR WITH AREAS OF MTN OBSCURING IFR IN CLOUDS/PRECIP SPREADING SOUTH ALONG THE SIERRA NEVADA THIS MORNING. AREAS OF MVFR -RA SPREADING SOUTH ACROSS THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AFTER 12Z FRIDAY AND CONTINUING THROUGH 12Z SATURDAY. DESERT AREAS WILL REMAIN AT VFR/MVFR THROUGH 12Z SATURDAY. && .AIR QUALITY ISSUES... NONE. && .HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 10 AM PST SATURDAY FOR THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK TO THE KERN COUNTY LINE /CAZ096-097/. WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 10 AM PST SATURDAY ABOVE 1500 FEET FOR THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA FOOTHILLS AND THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS /CAZ093>095/. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 10 AM PST SATURDAY ABOVE 1500 FEET FOR THE WESTERN FOOTHILLS OF THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY /CAZ089-091/. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 4 PM PST SATURDAY FOR THE KERN COUNTY DESERTS /CAZ098-099/. && PUBLIC...SANGER AVN/FW...MOLINA SYNOPSIS...PJ WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA 400 AM PST FRI FEB 25 2011 CAZ096-097-261200- SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON- TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS- 400 AM PST FRI FEB 25 2011 ...WINTER STORM TO AFFECT THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM TODAY THROUGH 10 AM PST SATURDAY MORNING. FOR MORE INFORMATION...PLEASE REFER TO SFOWSWHNX...OR WMO HEADER WWUS46 KHNX. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY A WINTER STORM WARNING WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM PST SATURDAY MORNING. FOR MORE INFORMATION...PLEASE REFER TO SFOWSWHNX...OR WMO HEADER WWUS46 KHNX. .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. CAZ095-261200- KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS- 400 AM PST FRI FEB 25 2011 ...WINTER STORM TO AFFECT THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 10 AM PST SATURDAY ABOVE 1500 FEET. FOR MORE INFORMATION...PLEASE REFER TO SFOWSWHNX...OR WMO HEADER WWUS46 KHNX. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY WINTER STORM WARNING WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM PST SATURDAY ABOVE 1500 FEET. FOR MORE INFORMATION...PLEASE REFER TO SFOWSWHNX...OR WMO HEADER WWUS46 KHNX. .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. CAZ093-094-261200- MARIPOSA MADERA AND FRESNO COUNTY FOOTHILLS- TULARE COUNTY FOOTHILLS- 400 AM PST FRI FEB 25 2011 ...SNOW LIKELY IN THE FOOTHILLS THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE FOOTHILLS OF THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 10 AM PST SATURDAY ABOVE 1500 FEET. FOR MORE INFORMATION...PLEASE REFER TO SFOWSWHNX...OR WMO HEADER WWUS46 KHNX. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY WINTER STORM WARNING WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM PST SATURDAY ABOVE 1500 FEET. FOR MORE INFORMATION...PLEASE REFER TO SFOWSWHNX...OR WMO HEADER WWUS46 KHNX. .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. CAZ090-092-261200- EAST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-SOUTHEASTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY- 400 AM PST FRI FEB 25 2011 ...COLD STORM APPROACHING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE EAST SIDE OF THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SHOWERS MAY BE MIXED WITH SNOW LATE TONIGHT AND ON SATURDAY...BUT THE SNOW IS NOT EXPECTED TO STICK. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY SHOWERS MAY BE MIXED WITH SNOW ON SATURDAY...BUT SNOW IS NOT EXPECTED TO STICK. LOWS SUNDAY MORNING COULD FALL INTO THE MID TO UPPER 20S IN THE COLDEST LOCATIONS IF SKIES CLEAR. .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. CAZ089-091-261200- WEST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-SOUTHWESTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY- 400 AM PST FRI FEB 25 2011 ...SNOW LIKELY IN THE WESTERN FOOTHILLS... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE WEST SIDE OF THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 10 AM PST SATURDAY ABOVE 1500 FEET. FOR MORE INFORMATION...PLEASE REFER TO SFOWSWHNX...OR WMO HEADER WWUS46 KHNX. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM PST SATURDAY ABOVE 1500 FEET. FOR MORE INFORMATION...PLEASE REFER TO SFOWSWHNX...OR WMO HEADER WWUS46 KHNX. LOWS SUNDAY MORNING COULD FALL INTO THE MID TO UPPER 20S IN THE COLDEST LOCATIONS IF SKIES CLEAR. .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. CAZ098-099-261200- INDIAN WELLS VALLEY-SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT- 400 AM PST FRI FEB 25 2011 ...COLD STORM APPROACHING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE KERN COUNTY DESERTS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 4 PM PST SATURDAY ABOVE 1500 FEET. FOR MORE INFORMATION...PLEASE REFER TO SFOWSWHNX...OR WMO HEADER WWUS46 KHNX. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM PST SATURDAY ABOVE 1500 FEET. FOR MORE INFORMATION...PLEASE REFER TO SFOWSWHNX...OR WMO HEADER WWUS46 KHNX. .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. SANGER WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
8 frost/freeze, 3 winter storm, 2 flood, 1 avalanche. Local standard time, as filed.
The highway patrol reported flooding on Highway 166 near Old River Road.
The highway patrol reported flooding on northbound State Road 184 near Hermosa Road.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in California, February 2011
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: 287785, 287786, 287787, 287788, 287790, 287789, 287791, 287792, 287793, 287794, 287795, 287796, 287797, 287798.