Winter Storm, S Sierra Mtns
- When
- May 14, 10:00 PM PST to May 15, 7:30 PM PST
- Where
- S Sierra Mtns forecast zone
- Reported by
- Park/Forest Service
Winter Storm in California, May 14 to 18, 2011
The next upper-level trough began moving into California on May 14th, bringing colder air and abundant mid and high clouds. Temperatures in the central and southern San Joaquin Valley only reached the mid 60s to mid 70s, down as much as 22 degrees from the 13th.
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
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 7
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 next upper-level trough began moving into California on May 14th, bringing colder air and abundant mid and high clouds. Temperatures in the central and southern San Joaquin Valley only reached the mid 60s to mid 70s, down as much as 22 degrees from the 13th. During the morning of the 14th, a thin layer of cirrostratus covered the San Joaquin Valley. The layer of ice crystals aloft produced a prominent halo around the Sun that was visible from parts of the Valley.
The upper-level trough remained over the central California interior from May 15th through the 18th. Upper-level disturbances brought periods of showers to the region, as well as scattered thunderstorms during the afternoon of the 15th. Three funnel clouds were seen over the central San Joaquin Valley on May 15th (one in the morning near the foothills east of Fresno, and two in the afternoon near Kerman), and another funnel was observed on the 18th near Arvin in Kern County.
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 May 14, 8:30 PM PST, 1 hour 30 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 14, 8:30 PM PST, 1 hour 30 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA 930 PM PDT SAT MAY 14 2011 .SYNOPSIS... TWO LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS WILL AFFECT THE REGION OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THE FIRST WILL MOVE INTO AND ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT AND SUNDAY WITH A SECOND FEATURE ARRIVING ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY. BOTH SYSTEMS WILL BRING THE THREAT OF PRECIPITATION ALONG WITH BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD INTO CENTRAL CA BY LATE IN THE WEEK WITH A RETURN TO WARMER AND DRY WEATHER. && .DISCUSSION... WINDS OVER THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY HAVE PICKED UP THIS EVENING AS THE UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH MOVES INTO CALIFORNIA. WITH THE DRY SOIL...SOME BLOWING DUST HAS BEEN REPORTED...BUT NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS ON VISIBILITY HAVE BEEN REPORTED AT THIS TIME. A LAYER OF CIRROSTRATUS MOVED OVER THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA INTERIOR EARLIER TODAY...PRODUCING A FAIRLY PROMINENT SUN HALO AS THE ICE CRYSTALS ALOFT REFRACTED THE SUN/S LIGHT. NEARER THE GROUND...THE COMBINATION OF MID AND HIGH CLOUDS ALOFT AND AN INFLUX OF COOLER AIR RESULTED IN TODAY/S HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY ONLY REACHING THE MID 60S TO MID 70S...DOWN AS MUCH AS 22 DEGREES FROM FRIDAY/S HIGHS. HIGH TEMPERATURES AROUND THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY...AS OF 00Z SUNDAY /1700 PDT TODAY/...RANGED FROM 64 AT THE MERCED REGIONAL AIRPORT TO 78 AT TAFT. THE CHINA LAKE N.W.T.C. WAS THE WARM SPOT IN THE HANFORD WARNING/FORECAST AREA TODAY WITH A HIGH OF 86 DEGREES. THERE ARE TWO FORECAST PROBLEMS THIS EVENING. THE FIRST IS THE WINDS DEVELOPING AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT AS IT MOVES INTO THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA INTERIOR. THE 00Z NAM MET GUIDANCE FOR BAKERSFIELD FORECASTS 22 KT SUSTAINED WINDS AT 18Z /1100 PDT/ SUNDAY...WITH 20 KT WINDS AT 00Z MONDAY /1700 PDT SUNDAY/. SIMILAR WINDS ARE FORECAST FOR EDWARDS AFB. FOR EDWARDS NORTH BASE /9L2/...WINDS ARE FORECAST TO REACH 30 KTS SUSTAINED BY 15Z /0800 PDT/ SUNDAY...POSSIBLY REFLECTING A CLOSER PROXIMITY TO THE TEHACHAPI PASS. THE OTHER CONCERN IS THE THREAT OF CONVECTION SUNDAY. SPC HAS THE MERCED AND MARIPOSA COUNTIES IN A GENERAL RISK FOR THUNDERSTORMS... AND THE 00Z NAM-12 HAS THE GREATEST INSTABILITY OVER MERCED AND MARIPOSA COUNTIES...WITH NEGATIVE SURFACE-COMPUTED LIFTED INDICES ONLY OVER THOSE COUNTIES. HOWEVER...SURFACE-COMPUTED CAPES OF 200 JOULES/KG EXTEND INTO MADERA COUNTY...SO A THUNDERSTORM OR TWO MAY DEVELOP FURTHER SOUTH THAN THE MODELS SUGGEST. WILL UPDATE THE FORECAST FOR CHANGES IN SNOW LEVELS BASED ON THE LATEST MODEL RUNS. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 245 PM PDT SAT MAY 14 2011/ MID TO HIGH CLOUDS CONTINUE TO ROLL OVER THE DISTRICT TODAY AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONTAL BOUNDARY STILL OFF THE PACIFIC COAST. CURRENT ESTIMATES HAVE THE LEADING EDGE OF THE COLD FRONT SOME 200 MILES WEST OF SAN SIMEON. AT THIS DISTANCE...CURRENT TIMING INTO CENTRAL CALIFORNIA MAY BE NEAR MIDNIGHT WITH THE BULK OF THE PRECIP CLOSER TO 5 AM PDT ON SUNDAY. WITH THIS TIMING...PUSHED THE ONSET OF THE WINTER STORM WARNING CLOSER TO 5 AM PDT WHEN THE COLD POOL BEGINS TO PUSH INTO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. WHILE SHORT RANGE MODELS PROG SNOW LEVEL NEAR 5000 FEET OVERNIGHT...BEST DYNAMICS ALONG WITH GOOD OROGRAPHIC LIFT MAY ALLOW FOR 6 TO 10 INCHES OF NEW SNOW ABOVE 6000 FEET. THEREFORE...WILL UPGRADE THE WINTER STORM WATCH FOR THE SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON TO A WARNING AND START IT AFTER 5 AM PDT ON SUNDAY. AFTER THE MAINLY MORNING STORM...SHORT RANGE MODELS ALSO PROGGING GOOD INSTABILITY OVER NORTHERN CALIFORNIA WITH LI/S OF MINUS 3 AND CAPE UP TO 700 J/KG. YET...MODELS DO EXTEND THE INSTABILITY DOWN TO AREAS FROM FRESNO COUNTY... NORTHWARD. WITH THAT...WILL MAINTAIN A MENTION OF A SLIGHT CHANCE OF POSSIBLE THUNDERSTORMS NORTH OF KINGS AND TULARE COUNTIES AFTER 11 AM PDT ON SUNDAY. WHILE THE BULK OF THE PRECIP WILL FALL DURING THE SUNDAY PERIOD...WILL EXPECT LINGERING SHOWERS INTO SUNDAY NIGHT AS CYCLONIC FLOW KEEPS THE AREA UNSETTLED INTO EARLY MONDAY. WHILE THE WINTER STORM WILL AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT /NEAR 5 AM PDT/ WILL EXPECT THE SNOW TO CONTINUE THROUGH SUNSET ON SUNDAY. THE END OF THE STORM MAY OCCUR CLOSER TO 11 PM PDT ON SUNDAY NIGHT WITH ANOTHER STORM PUSHING IN CLOSER TO MONDAY NIGHT. AT THE MOMENT... WILL MAINTAIN CHANCE LEVELS OF POSSIBLE PRECIP WITH NEAR LIKELY LEVELS OVER THE MOUNTAINS. AGAIN...THE CENTER OF THE COLD AIR MAY REMAIN OVER NORTHERN CALIFORNIA WITH THE BETTER INSTABILITY REMAINING NORTH OF THE DISTRICT. WHILE LONGER RANGE MODELS STILL SHOW SOME UNCERTAINTY ON THE WEATHER TOWARD NEXT WEEKEND. MODEL CONTINUE THE CYCLONIC FLOW PATTERN ON TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY WITH CONTINUED SHOWERY ACTIVITY. YET...LONGER RANGE MODELS DO AGREE ON CLEARING THE REGION OUT BY THURSDAY. AT THAT POINT...THE GENERAL TREND IS TO HAVE A RIDGE PATTERN BEGIN DOMINATING THE REGION ON THURSDAY AND CONTINUE IT THROUGH NEXT SATURDAY. && .AVIATION... CLOUDS AND PRECIPITATION SPREADING IN FROM THE NORTH AFTER 06Z THIS EVENING WITH MOUNTAIN OBSCURATIONS...INCREASING AREAS OF MVFR AND IFR CONDITIONS IN LOW CLOUDS AND PRECIPITATION OVER THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY...ADJACENT FOOTHILLS AND THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA BETWEEN 06Z SUNDAY AND 15Z SUNDAY WITH CONDITIONS CONTINUING THROUGH 06Z MONDAY. GUSTY WINDS ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA AFTER 12Z SUN WITH GUSTS TO 25 KT POSSIBLE IN THE SJV AND GUSTS TO 40 KT IN THE SOUTHERN SIERRA...TEHACHAPIS...AND KERN DESERTS. && .AIR QUALITY ISSUES... NONE. && .HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 5 AM TO 11 PM PDT SUNDAY ABOVE 6000 FEET FOR THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON /CAZ096/. && PUBLIC...SANGER AVN/FW...BROTHERTON SYNOPSIS...BSO PREV DISCUSSION...MOLINA WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD
Hazardous weather outlook, May 14, 1:28 PM PST, 8 hours 32 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA 228 PM PDT SAT MAY 14 2011 CAZ096-151230- SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON- 228 PM PDT SAT MAY 14 2011 ...WINTER LIKE WEATHER RETURNS... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A WINTER STORM WARNING ABOVE 6000 FEET IS IN EFFECT FROM 5 AM UNTIL 11 PM SUNDAY. .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>095-097>099-151230- 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- TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS-INDIAN WELLS VALLEY- SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT- 228 PM PDT SAT MAY 14 2011 ...AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE ON SUNDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY...THE SIERRA NEVADA FOOTHILLS...TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS...AND KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS AND DESERT. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A VIGOROUS COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO SWEEP ACROSS CENTRAL CALIFORNIA ON SUNDAY...BRINGING A DRAMATIC COOL DOWN TO THE REGION. THE COLD FRONT WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AND SIERRA NEVADA FOOTHILLS SUNDAY AFTERNOON. ANY THUNDERSTORMS THAT FORM MAY CONTAIN STRONG GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND ACCUMULATING SMALL HAIL. .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. BSO
In the hours before
Special weather statement, May 14, 8:20 PM PST, 1 hour 40 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA 920 PM PDT SAT MAY 14 2011 CAZ089>095-097>099-151600- 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- TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS-INDIAN WELLS VALLEY- SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT- 920 PM PDT SAT MAY 14 2011 ...LATE SEASON WINTER STORM TO AFFECT THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA INTERIOR... A LATE SEASON WINTER STORM WILL MOVE INTO THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA INTERIOR OVERNIGHT...BRINGING RAIN...SNOW...GUSTY WINDS AND A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TO THE REGION. RAIN AND SNOW WILL BEGIN IN MERCED AND MARIPOSA COUNTIES AFTER MIDNIGHT...AND SPREAD SOUTH TOWARD DAYBREAK AND INTO SUNDAY MORNING. AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH...WINDS COULD GUST AS HIGH AS 25 MPH ON THE VALLEY FLOOR. IN THE SOUTHERN SIERRA FOOTHILLS...SNOW LEVELS WILL FALL BELOW 4000 FEET SUNDAY MORNING. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS AROUND AN INCH WILL BE POSSIBLE ABOVE 3500 FEET. IN THE TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS... SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES ARE LIKELY...WITH HIGHER AMOUNTS NEAR THE CREST. THE AIRMASS IS FORECAST TO BE UNSTABLE SUNDAY...ESPECIALLY NORTH OF FRESNO COUNTY. THERE WILL BE A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS...MAINLY OVER MERCED AND MARIPOSA COUNTIES...BUT COULD DEVELOP FURTHER SOUTH DEPENDING ON THE STRENGTH OF THE COLD FRONT. WINDS WILL GUST TO AROUND 45 MPH OVER THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS SUNDAY AND SUNDAY EVENING. AS THE CORE OF THE STORM MOVES OVER FAVORABLY ORIENTED PASSES AND CANYONS...WINDS COULD LOCALLY GUST IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH AT TIMES. LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR YOUR FAVORITE NEWS SOURCE...FOR UPDATES ON THIS SITUATION. SANGER WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD
The radar
The San Joaquin Valley radar (KHNX), 68 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 15:18 UTC.
Event by event
4 funnel cloud, 3 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Funnel Cloud, Fresno
- When
- May 15, 7:20 AM PST
- Where
- Fresno County, 3.54 mi NW of Academy
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 36.920, -119.570
A trained weather spotter reported a funnel cloud that lasted for about 10 minutes but never reached the ground.
Funnel Cloud, Fresno
- When
- May 15, 11:25 AM PST
- Where
- Fresno County, 1.77 mi NE of San Joaquin
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 36.640, -120.160
Weather spotter reported a brief funnel cloud that lasted for about 3 minutes.
Funnel Cloud, Fresno
- When
- May 15, 12:20 PM PST
- Where
- Fresno County, 5.67 mi NE of Jamesan
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 36.780, -120.150
A funnel cloud was reported by a trained weather spotter.
Winter Storm, S Sierra Mtns
- When
- May 16, 10:00 PM PST to May 18, 10:00 AM PST
- Where
- S Sierra Mtns forecast zone
- Reported by
- Park/Forest Service
Winter Storm, Tulare Cty Mtns
- When
- May 16, 10:00 PM PST to May 18, 10:00 AM PST
- Where
- Tulare Cty Mtns forecast zone
- Reported by
- Park/Forest Service
Funnel Cloud, Kern
- When
- May 18, 12:30 PM PST
- Where
- Kern County, Arvin
- Reported by
- Broadcast Media
- Coordinates
- 35.200, -118.830
A funnel cloud was captured on video that lasted for several minutes moving between Bakersfield and Arvin.
What these are
- Winter Storm
- A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
- Funnel Cloud
- A rotating column of cloud extending from a thunderstorm that did not reach the ground.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Florida, May 14, 2011
- Rip Current in Texas, May 14, 2011
- Debris Flow and Flooding in Washington, May 14 to 23, 2011
- Flash Flood and Flooding in Oregon, May 14 to 18, 2011
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Indiana, May 14 to 15, 2011
- Flash Flood and Debris Flow in Puerto Rico, May 14 to 18, 2011
- Debris Flow in Wyoming, May 14 to 25, 2011
- Flash Flooding and Flood in Ohio, May 14 to 15, 2011
- High Wind in Michigan, May 14 to 15, 2011
- Lightning Strike in Michigan, May 14, 2011
- Marine Thunderstorm Wind in South Atlantic Coastal Waters, May 14, 2011
- Flash Flood in West Virginia, May 14, 2011
More
Every storm in California in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in California, May 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: 318003, 317999, 318000, 318001, 318004, 318005, 318002.