Wildfire, Kern Cty Mtns
- When
- September 10, 3:00 AM PST to September 16, 6:00 PM PST
- Where
- Kern Cty Mtns forecast zone
- Reported by
- Park/Forest Service
Flooding and Wildfire in California, September 10 to 30, 2011
A dry southwest flow aloft set up over the area on the 6th along the leading edge of a upper level trough over the Pacific Northwest and northern California, bringing dry weather through the 8th. However, an upper level low moved from the Great Basin into central California on the 9th.
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
- 2
- Property damage
- $125,000
- 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.
A dry southwest flow aloft set up over the area on the 6th along the leading edge of a upper level trough over the Pacific Northwest and northern California, bringing dry weather through the 8th. However, an upper level low moved from the Great Basin into central California on the 9th. This atypical movement of the low occurred because it was cut off from the prevailing westerly winds aloft. These systems usually move into the area from the Pacific Ocean. This low changed the flow aloft over the region to southeasterly, drawing moisture into central California from Arizona and northwestern Mexico. This warm, unstable airmass brought showers and thunderstorms to much of interior central California from the 9th through the 14th. Isolated thunderstorms continued over the Sierra Nevada crest on the 15th, as residual moisture remained over the area while the southeasterly flow transitioned to a more southwesterly direction.
The low meandered across central and southern California during these several days. This low allowed for unstable conditions over the entire district; quite a few locations in the San Joaquin Valley received at least a trace of rain. On the 9th, thunderstorms produced little rainfall, but they did cause quite a few wildfires due to lightning over the mountains in Kern County (around Keene, Breckenridge, and just to the east of Arvin and Bakersfield). As for the 10th, numerous thunderstorms developed over Kern County and much of the southern San Joaquin Valley during the evening. In addition, more wildfires developed over the Kern County mountains A severe thunderstorm warning and numerous significant weather advisories were issued throughout Kern County that evening; these storms moved westward into San Luis Obispo County later that night. Afternoon showers and thunderstorms redeveloped mainly over the Tehachapi Mountains and the Southern Sierra Nevada daily on the 11th, 12th, and 13th, and a few showers occurred over the south end of the San Joaquin Valley, including Bakersfield, on the 13th. Thunderstorms that developed over the Piutes during the afternoon of September 11th were nearly stationary, and runoff from these storms caused road flooding in the area south of Lake Isabella.
The South Lightning Tennessee Fire occurred in Tulare county 5 miles north of Fountain Springs. Reports indicated that the fire began on 9/11/11 at 1200 PDT due to heavy lightning strikes from thunderstorms.
The Tamarack wildfire occurred just northeast of Yosemite Valley in Mariposa County on 9/13/11 at 1912 PDT. This wildfire was caused by extensive lightning. The size was 480 acres. The fire was contained on 10/6/11. There were no lost fatalities or structures. Cost to containment was $75,000.
The Breckenridge wildfire Complex occurred in the Kern County Mountains, 10 miles NE of Bakersfield. The fire started on the 10th and was contained on the 17th, and caused by lightning strikes. The size was a whopping 25,213 acres. There were no fatalities or structures lost. The cost to containment was $7.1 million.
The Comanche wildfire Complex in Kern County mountains occurred on 9/10/11 at 0400 PDT, about 8 miles Southeast of Arvin, caused by lightning. The size was a whopping 29,338 acres. Containment was reached on 9/16/11. There were no fatalities or lost structures. The cost to containment was $6.8 million.
The Keene wildfire Complex occurred because on lightning on 9/10/11 at 1200 PDT. The location was along the Highway 58 corridor from Keene to Mojave in Kern County. The size was 10,479 acres. Containment was reached on 9/15/11. There were no fatalities or Structures Lost. The cost to containment was $8,839,174.
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 Sep 9, 7:15 PM PST, 7 hours 45 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Sep 9, 7:15 PM PST, 7 hours 45 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA 815 PM PDT FRI SEP 9 2011 .SYNOPSIS... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE DISTRICT TONIGHT AND THIS WEEKEND AS A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN OVER CENTRAL CALIFORNIA. THIS SYSTEM WILL BE SLOW TO MOVE OUT OF THE AREA...ALLOWING THE THREAT OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO CONTINUE OVER THE SIERRA THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. && ...GRIDDED FORECASTS REVAMPED IN THE SHORT TERM PERIODS. PLEASE CHECK THE LATEST NWS FORECAST FOR THE UPDATES... .DISCUSSION...RAIN COULD THREATEN OUTDOOR PLANS ANYWHERE IN THE CENTRAL CA INTERIOR THIS WEEKEND AS AN UPPER LEVEL LOW ANCHORS ITSELF JUST SOUTH OF POINT CONCEPTION. AN EASTERLY FLOW ALOFT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS LOW IS BRINGING AN ABUNDANCE OF MOISTURE INTO THE CWA THIS EVENING ABOVE 10K FEET. ENERGY THAT IS WRAPPING AROUND THIS LOW IS PRODUCING SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN AND THE EASTERLY FLOW HAS BROUGHT SOME OF THIS CONVECTION INTO THE SJ VLY MAINLY NORTH OF KERN COUNTY THIS EVENING. DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS...THE UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL REMAIN NEARLY STATIONARY AND WILL LIKELY BRING A DEEPER INFLUX OF MOISTURE INTO THE CWA AS EASTERLY WINDS PREVAIL ALOFT. ENERGY CIRCULATING AROUND THIS SYSTEM WILL GENERATE ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MAINLY OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN. ALTHOUGH EVEN ON THE SJ VLY FLOOR...THE ATMOSPHERE WILL BE UNSTABLE ENOUGH FOR ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AT ANY TIME AND ANYWHERE THROUGH THE WEEKEND. UNTIL THE DEEPER MOISTURE ARRIVES LATER IN THE WEEKEND...A HIGH FIRE DANGER WILL EXIST IN THE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS WHERE FUELS ARE EXTREMELY DRY AND THERE IS A THREAT OF LIGHTNING. (FOR DETAILS...PLEASE REFER TO THE SFORFWHNX... WWUS86 KHNX) TEMPERATURE FORECASTS WILL BE A CHALLENGE THROUGH MONDAY AND HIGHLY DEPENDENT ON CLOUD COVER. IN GENERAL...DIURNAL RANGES WILL BE SMALLER DUE TO CLOUDINESS. MINIMUM TEMPS WILL AVERAGE MUCH ABOVE NORMAL THE NEXT TWO NIGHTS WHILE MAX TEMPS RUN SLIGHTLY COOLER THAN NORMAL IN MOST LOCALITIES THROUGH MONDAY. UPDATES WERE MADE TO THE GRIDDED FORECASTS THIS EVENING TO INCREASE SKY COVER AND POPS...PARTICULARLY IN THE MOUNTAINS AND THE SJ VLY. QPF GRIDS WERE UPDATED THROUGH MONDAY. MAX AND MIN TEMPS WERE AMENDED THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT TO REFLECT THE CHANGES MENTIONED ABOVE. THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST PACKAGE LOOKS ON TRACK. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 209 PM PDT FRI SEP 9 2011/ SHOWERS AND A FEW EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS HAVE FIRED UP OVER THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA AS A RESULT OF FAVORABLE INSTABILITY AND CAPE. MESOWEST IS INDICATING VERY LITTLE IN THE WAY OF RAINFALL AS RH PROGS HAVE SHOWN THE MID LEVELS HAVE REMAINED VERY DRY TODAY. BECAUSE OF THE PRESENCE OF DRY THUNDERSTORMS TODAY...A RED FLAG WARNING WAS ISSUED EARLIER FOR THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA BELOW 5000 FEET AND THE ADJACENT FOOTHILLS. THE 12Z WRF AND GFS BOTH INDICATE AN UPPER LOW CONTINUING TO RETROGRADE WESTWARD ACROSS CENTRAL CA THROUGH TONIGHT THEN SITUATE ITSELF OFF THE SOCAL COAST SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. PROGS ARE INDICATING EVEN HIGHER INSTABILITIES AND CAPES ACROSS OUR AREA ON SATURDAY. AS A RESULT... THUNDERSTORMS WILL BECOME MORE NUMEROUS IN COVERAGE AND WILL BE POSSIBLE ANYWHERE WITHIN OUR CWFA. HOWEVER...RH PROGS AND PROJECTED SOUNDINGS ARE INDICATING LITTLE IN THE WAY OF MID LEVEL MOISTURE OVER OUR AREA SO ANTICIPATE THAT THUNDERSTORM WHICH AFFECT THE LOWER MOUNTAINS AND THE SIERRA FOOTHILLS WILL BE MOSTLY DRY. THE RED FLAG WARNING CURRENTLY IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA BELOW 5000 FEET AND THE ADJACENT FOOTHILLS HAS THEREFORE BEEN EXTENDED UNTIL MIDNIGHT SATURDAY AND A FIRE WEATHER WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS FROM NOON SATURDAY UNTIL MIDNIGHT SATURDAY. RH PROGS ARE INDICATING SOME MID LEVEL TROPICAL MOISTURE WILL BE PULLED INTO OUR AREA BY LATE SATURDAY NIGHT WHICH WILL MEAN THAT WET THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ANYWHERE ACROSS OUR AREA FROM SUNDAY MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING. THE MID LEVEL MOISTURE WILL ALSO SPREAD INCREASED CLODS INTO OUR AREA WHICH WILL HELP LOWER MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES TO NEAR SEASONAL NORMALS. THE LOW IS THEN EXPECTED TO DROP SOUTHWARD SLIGHTLY BY MONDAY WHICH WILL MEAN LESS INSTABILITY OVER OUR AREA. IN ADDITION...WITH MOISTURE EXPECTED TO BE LESS PREVALENT ON MONDAY...PRECIPITATION CHANCES WILL DIMINISH AND BE CONFINED MAINLY TO THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. THE MEDIUM RANGE MODELS ARE IN FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT IN PUSHING THE LOW EAST ACROSS SOCAL ON TUESDAY AND INTO THE DESERT SOUTHWEST BY WEDNESDAY. AS A RESULT...A CLEARING AND DRYING TREND IS EXPECTED THROUGH THE EXTENDED PERIOD AS RH PROGS ARE SHOWING DECREASING MOISTURE EACH DAY. TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN CLOSE TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE SEASONAL NORMALS. HAVE MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO THE EXTENDED PERIOD TO REFLECT THIS IDEA. && .AVIATION... IN THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND TSTMS WITH AREAS OF IFR IN CLOUDS/PRECIP THRU 06Z SUN. OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE CENTRAL CA INTERIOR...INCLUDING THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS WITH LOCAL MVFR IN PRECIP THRU 06Z SUN. && .AIR QUALITY ISSUES... NONE. && .HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL MIDNIGHT PDT SATURDAY NIGHT BELOW 5000 FEET FOR THE CAZ093-094-096-097. FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING CAZ095. && PUBLIC...DURFEE PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...DS AVN/FW...BINGHAM SYNOPSIS...BSO WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD
Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 9, 12:15 PM PST, 14 hours 45 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA 115 PM PDT FRI SEP 9 2011 CAZ089>092-098-099-102015- WEST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-EAST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY- SOUTHWESTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-SOUTHEASTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY- INDIAN WELLS VALLEY-SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT- 115 PM PDT FRI SEP 9 2011 ...THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE THROUGH THIS WEEKEND... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE CENTRAL AND SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AND KERN COUNTY DESERT AREAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE WEEKEND. .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. CAZ093-094-096-097-102015- MARIPOSA MADERA AND FRESNO COUNTY FOOTHILLS- TULARE COUNTY FOOTHILLS- SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON- TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS- 115 PM PDT FRI SEP 9 2011 ...RED FLAG WARNING FOR AREAS BELOW 5000 FEET... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE FOOTHILLS AND HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT BELOW THE 5000 FOOT LEVEL UNTIL MIDNIGHT SATURDAY NIGHT FOR LIGHTNING AND GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT BELOW THE 5000 FOOT LEVEL UNTIL MIDNIGHT SATURDAY NIGHT FOR LIGHTNING AND GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS. .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. CAZ095-102015- KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS- 115 PM PDT FRI SEP 9 2011 ...FIRE WEATHER WATCH SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS WEEKEND. A FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR DRY LIGHTNING AND GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS. .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.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
5 wildfire, 3 lightning, 2 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Wildfire, Kern Cty Mtns
- When
- September 10, 11:00 AM PST to September 15, 6:00 PM PST
- Where
- Kern Cty Mtns forecast zone
- Reported by
- Fire Department/Rescue
Wildfire, Tulare Cty Mtns
- When
- September 10, 4:15 PM PST to 7:47 PM PST
- Where
- Tulare Cty Mtns forecast zone
- Reported by
- Park/Forest Service
Wildfire, Kern Cty Mtns
- When
- September 10, 7:56 PM PST to September 17, 6:00 PM PST
- Where
- Kern Cty Mtns forecast zone
- Reported by
- Park/Forest Service
Lightning, Kern
- When
- September 10, 9:15 PM PST
- Where
- Kern County, Ridgecrest
- Injuries
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Reported by
- Law Enforcement
- Coordinates
- 35.630, -117.680
A resident of Ridgecrest was struck by lightning and injured.
Lightning, Kern
- When
- September 10, 9:15 PM PST
- Where
- Kern County, 1.12 mi E of Ridgecrest
- Injuries
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Reported by
- Law Enforcement
- Coordinates
- 35.630, -117.660
Another resident of Ridgecrest was injured by a lightning strike from a thunderstorm.
Flood, Kern
- When
- September 11, 4:37 PM PST to 6:37 PM PST
- Where
- Kern County, Kernville to 0.96 mi NNE of Kernville
- Cause
- Heavy Rain
- Property damage
- $25,000
- Reported by
- Law Enforcement
- Coordinates
- 35.750, -118.430
Highway Patrol reported street flooding in Kernville.
Flood, Kern
- When
- September 11, 5:16 PM PST to 7:16 PM PST
- Where
- Kern County, 0.56 mi E of Kernvale to 0.43 mi ENE of Isabella
- Cause
- Heavy Rain
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 35.620, -118.470
A trained spotter reported areas of street flooding in Lake Isabella and Bodfish as well as small hail.
Lightning, Mariposa
- When
- September 13, 4:00 PM PST
- Where
- Mariposa County, 2.64 mi NW of Yosemite Lodge
- Property damage
- $100,000
- Reported by
- Park/Forest Service
- Coordinates
- 37.800, -119.600
Park Service officials reported 14 vehicles damaged by lightning at Porcupine Flat.
Wildfire, S Sierra Mtns
- When
- September 13, 6:12 PM PST to September 30, 6:00 PM PST
- Where
- S Sierra Mtns forecast zone
- Reported by
- Park/Forest Service
What these are
- Wildfire
- A fire burning in wildland vegetation, with its acreage and damage where known.
- Lightning
- A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
- Flood
- Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Lightning Strike in Florida, September 10, 2011
- Lightning Strike in Kansas, September 10, 2011
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Arizona, September 10, 2011
- Dust Storm and Hail in Arizona, September 10, 2011
- Flash Flood and Hail in Nevada, September 10 to 11, 2011
- Wildfire in Arkansas, September 10 to 11, 2011
- Flooding in Pennsylvania, September 10, 2011
- Flash Flooding and Hail in California, September 10 to 13, 2011
- Flash Flooding and Hail in California, September 10, 2011
- Hail in Arizona, September 10, 2011
- Flood in Alaska, September 10 to 11, 2011
- Wildfire in Oklahoma, September 10 to 14, 2011
More
Every storm in California in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in California, September 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: 350033, 350034, 350022, 350032, 350024, 350026, 350028, 350025, 350027, 350031.