The third in the series of storms that began affecting central California in late November reached the Hanford warning/forecast area on December 2nd. Ahead of the storm, there were midday showers across the region in the warm, moist unstable airmass between the departing second storm and the approaching third system.
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.
The third in the series of storms that began affecting central California in late November reached the Hanford warning/forecast area on December 2nd. Ahead of the storm, there were midday showers across the region in the warm, moist unstable airmass between the departing second storm and the approaching third system. These showers produced between a tenth and a third of an inch of rain on the San Joaquin Valley floor, except for the south end of the Valley which remain rain shadowed. Bakersfield only received 0.03 inch of rain on December 1st.
The final cold front stalled over northern California during the night of December 1st-2nd, as a wave developed along the front. The front began moving into the central California interior during the early afternoon of the 2nd. Although the cold front moved rapidly southward, it brought locally heavy rain to the region, causing some road flooding. In the Sierra Nevada foothills, the new rain fell on saturated soil, triggering a few rock and mud slides.
With persistent cloud cover and a warm airmass in place, both Bakersfield and Fresno set record high minimum temperature records on December 1st and again on the 2nd. The low at Fresno on the 2nd was 60 degrees, not only breaking the previous record high minimum temperature for the date by 7 degrees, but also tying the record high minimum temperature for the month of December, last set on December 23rd, 1964. Fresno’s string continued into December 3rd for four consecutive days with record high minimum temperatures. Bakersfield just missed its record high minimum temperature on the 3rd by one degree, ending its string of consecutive record high minimum temperatures at three days.
In Yosemite National Park, officials reported that over five feet of new snow fell on Tuolumne Meadows from the series of storms. At the lower elevations, Yosemite Falls was rejuvenated by the persistent rains.
Please see the November, 2012 Storm Data report for more information about the individual storm events.
With abundant ground moisture, the stage was set for the development of Tule fog in the central and southern San Joaquin Valley. Fog formed during the evening hours of December 3rd near Hanford, Porterville, Tulare and Visalia. The fog spread westward to Naval Air Station Lemoore, where the visibility dropped to zero shortly after 10 PM. The fog then spread northward through the Fresno area by 4 AM on December 4th, and continued into Merced shortly thereafter. The fog lingered in many areas into the late morning before finally lifting.
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 Dec 2, 2:26 PM PST, 25 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA 226 PM PST SUN DEC 2 2012 .SYNOPSIS... RAIN WILL CONTINUE MOVING SOUTHWARD THROUGH TONIGHT OVER INTERIOR CENTRAL CALIFORNIA. THE RAIN WILL DIMINISH IN THE NORTH THIS EVENING...AND GRADUALLY END IN KERN COUNTY NEAR DAYBREAK MONDAY. ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING A CHANCE FOR MAINLY LIGHT PRECIPITATION FROM FRESNO AND NORTHWARD TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...OTHERWISE DRY CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL THROUGH THE WEEK. && .DISCUSSION...RADAR AND SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOW THE FRONT PUSHING RAPIDLY SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA WITH THE LEADING EDGE NOW INTO SOUTHERN KINGS AND TULARE COUNTIES. THE BACK EDGE OF THE PRECIPITATION HOWEVER IS NOW WELL INTO MERCED COUNTY. EXPECT THE PRECIPITATION BAND TO CONTINUE TO CONTRACT IN WIDTH AS IT WEAKENS ON ITS JOURNEY SOUTH. THUS FAR RAINFALL AMOUNTS GENERALLY ARE RANGING FROM 1.50" TO AROUND 2.25" IN THE SIERRA. WITH THE TREND OF THE PRECIPITATION IN ALL LIKELY HOOD THE MAXIMUM RAIN AMOUNTS WILL NOT EXCEED 3 INCHES. SOME FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS IS LIKELY. BASED ON THE TRAJECTORY AND SPEED OF THE SYSTEM, THE PRECIPITATION WILL QUICKLY COME TO AN END THIS EVENING AND BY MORNING SHOULD BE OVER PRETTY MUCH EVERYWHERE. WINDY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE EAST SIDE OF THE SIERRA AND KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS AND DESERT THROUGH THE EVENING. MONDAY AND NOW TUESDAY LOOK TO BE DRY AS THE NEXT PACIFIC SYSTEM TAKES AIM ON NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AND THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. I HAVE LIMITED POPS TO MERCED COUNTY AND THE YOSEMITE AREA. FROM THURSDAY THROUGH NEXT WEEKEND, THE PATTERN IS PROGGED TO TRANSITION TO A NORTHWEST FLOW RIDGE SCENARIO AND THIS WILL CERTAINLY BE DRY. FOG WILL UNDOUBTEDLY BECOME AN ISSUE IN THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY BY THE END OF THE FORECAST PERIOD HOWEVER THERE IS SOME UNCERTAINTY AS TO WHEN THE RIDGE BECOMES ESTABLISHED. && .AVIATION... OVER THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AND ADJACENT FOOTHILLS...AREAS OF MVFR AND LOCAL IFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES IN RAIN THRU 12Z MONDAY. OVER THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA...RAIN AND HIGHER ELEVATION SNOW CONTINUING WITH AREAS OF IFR CONDITIONS IN MOUNTAIN OBSCURATIONS THRU 12Z MONDAY. OVER THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS...AREAS OF MVFR AND LOCAL IFR IN SHOWERS AND UPSLOPE CLOUDS THRU 12Z MONDAY. OVER THE KERN COUNTY DESERTS...VFR THRU 12Z MON. PRECIPITATION ENDING ALL AREAS BY 12Z MONDAY WITH CONDITIONS IMPROVING TO VFR WITH LOCAL MVFR AFTER 18Z MONDAY. && .AIR QUALITY ISSUES... NONE. && .CERTAINTY... THE LEVEL OF CERTAINTY FOR DAYS 1 AND 2 IS HIGH. THE LEVEL OF CERTAINTY FOR DAYS 3 THROUGH 7 IS HIGH. THIS INFORMATION IS PROVIDED AS PART OF A TRIAL PROJECT CONDUCTED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD. CERTAINTY LEVELS INCLUDE LOW...MEDIUM...AND HIGH. PLEASE VISIT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/HNX/CERTAINTY.PHP /ALL LOWER CASE/ FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND/OR TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK. && .HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 10 PM PST THIS EVENING CAZ089-090-093-096. WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM PST THIS EVENING CAZ089>091-098. && PUBLIC...DUDLEY AVN/FW...BEAN SYNOPSIS...BSO WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA 1102 AM PST SUN DEC 2 2012 CAZ089>091-093-096-030600- WEST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-EAST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY- SOUTHWESTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY- MARIPOSA MADERA AND FRESNO COUNTY FOOTHILLS- SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON- 1102 AM PST SUN DEC 2 2012 ...HEAVY RAIN AT TIMES... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHWESTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY...THE SIERRA NEVADA FOOTHILLS FROM MARIPOSA TO FRESNO COUNTIES...AND THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT BECOMING BREEZY TO WINDY TODAY WITH RAIN DEVELOPING. RAIN MAY BE HEAVY AT TIMES ESPECIALLY FROM FRESNO NORTH. A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHWESTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY UNTIL 10 PM PST THIS EVENING. REFER TO THE /SFONPWHNX/...OR THE LATEST NON-PRECIPITATION STATEMENT...FOR MORE DETAILS. A FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR POHONO BRIDGE ON THE MERCED RIVER IN YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK UNTIL LATE MONDAY MORNING. REFER TO /SFOFLWUSJ/...OR THE LATEST FLOOD WARNING...FOR MORE DETAILS. A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA AND ADJACENT FOOTHILLS FROM FRESNO COUNTY AND NORTHWARD UNTIL 10 PM PST THIS EVENING. REFER TO /SFOFFAHNX/...OR THE LATEST FLOOD WATCH...FOR MORE DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THE FLOOD WARNING IN YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK AT POHONO BRIDGE ON THE MERCED RIVER WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL LATE MONDAY MORNING. OTHERWISE...HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT 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. CAZ092-094-095-097-099-030600- SOUTHEASTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-TULARE COUNTY FOOTHILLS- KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS-TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS- SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT- 1102 AM PST SUN DEC 2 2012 ...PERIODS OF MAINLY LIGHT RAIN... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE SOUTHEASTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY...TULARE COUNTY FOOTHILLS AND MOUNTAINS...AND THE SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT RAIN SPREADING SOUTH...LOCALLY HEAVY AT TIMES NORTH OF KERN COUNTY. OTHERWISE HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT 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. CAZ098-030600- INDIAN WELLS VALLEY- 1102 AM PST SUN DEC 2 2012 ...WIND ADVISORY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE INDIAN WELLS VALLEY. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT THROUGH 10 PM PST THIS EVENING. REFER TO /SFONPWHNX/...OR THE LATEST NON-PRECIPITATION STATEMENT...FOR MORE DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT 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. BSO
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY CA
1143 AM PST SUN DEC 02 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0513 AM NON-TSTM WND GST TWISSELMAN 35.36N 119.82W
12/02/2012 M51.00 MPH KERN CA MESONET
ALSO A GUST TO 50 MPH WITH A SUSTAINED WIND SPEED OF 41
MPH AS OF 1113 PST.
0914 AM NON-TSTM WND GST CRANE FLAT 37.76N 119.82W
12/02/2012 M67.00 MPH TUOLUMNE CA MESONET
ELEVATION 6634 FEET.
0945 AM NON-TSTM WND GST ATWATER 37.35N 120.60W
12/02/2012 M35.00 MPH MERCED CA AWOS
KMER OR MERCED CASTLE AIRPORT.
1010 AM NON-TSTM WND GST BEAR PEAK 35.88N 118.05W
12/02/2012 M74.00 MPH TULARE CA MESONET
ELEVATION 8228 FEET. SUSTAINED WIND SPEED OF 47 MPH.
1026 AM NON-TSTM WND GST INDIAN WELLS CANYON 35.69N 117.89W
12/02/2012 M45.00 MPH KERN CA MESONET
1044 AM NON-TSTM WND GST AVENAL 36.03N 120.11W
12/02/2012 M36.00 MPH KINGS CA OFFICIAL NWS OBS
APRS SITE.
1052 AM NON-TSTM WND GST MOUNT TOM 37.38N 119.18W
12/02/2012 M59.00 MPH FRESNO CA MESONET
ELEVATION 8982 FT.
1114 AM NON-TSTM WND GST JAWBONE CANYON 35.29N 118.23W
12/02/2012 M60.00 MPH KERN CA MESONET
JAWBONE RAWS AT ELEVATION 4300 FEET.
1127 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 10 NE PIUTES 35.54N 118.14W
12/02/2012 M61.00 MPH KERN CA MESONET
BIRD SPRINGS PASS RAWS. ELEVATION 7466 FEET.
1132 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 5 WNW INDIAN WELLS CANY 35.71N 117.97W
12/02/2012 M61.00 MPH KERN CA MESONET
BLUE MAX RAWS. ELEVATION 5350 FEET.
&&
BSOThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 dense fog, 2 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
The California Highway Patrol reported flooding on West Olive St.
The California Highway Patrol reported flooding on Albert Avenue at Wilma Street.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in California, December 2012
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: 427336, 427337, 427338, 427339, 427340, 427341.