High Wind, Se Kern Cty Desert
- When
- May 22, 2:55 PM PST to May 24, 5:00 AM PST
- Where
- Se Kern Cty Desert forecast zone
- Measured
- 62 kt (71 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
High Wind in California, May 22 to 25, 2012
An upper-level disturbance moved through the Pacific Northwest on May 22nd. The initial effect of this disturbance was to flatten the high-pressure ridge over California; this set the stage for a stronger upper- level trough to move through the central California interior on the 23rd.
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
- 3
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.
An upper-level disturbance moved through the Pacific Northwest on May 22nd. The initial effect of this disturbance was to flatten the high-pressure ridge over California; this set the stage for a stronger upper- level trough to move through the central California interior on the 23rd. The trough cooled temperatures to near normal, and also brought strong winds to the mountains and deserts. Mojave recorded a gust to 85 mph, and there were several gusts in the 65-75 mph range. In fact, sustained winds at Mojave were as high as 72 mph on the 23rd. Temperatures continued to cool on the 24th behind this disturbance; however, a stronger storm system began to arrive by the following day.
A cold Pacific storm reached California on May 25th. Temperatures were well below normal throughout the region. In fact, Fresno had a high of only 69 degrees, and Bakersfield was only two degrees warmer. Rainfall on the San Joaquin Valley floor was confined mainly to the west side; the Naval Air Station in Lemoore had the highest amount (0.12 inch). In the Southern Sierra Nevada, up to 0.40 inch of rain was reported. As much as four inches of snow fell near Tioga Pass in Yosemite National Park. Sites in the Tehachapi Mountains had up to 0.20 inch of rain, with the highest amounts recorded in the Tehachapi Pass area.
Gusty winds also developed on the 25th with gusts up to 70 mph at Bird Springs Pass in the Kern County Mountains early in the morning of the 26th.
Temperatures warmed on the last days of May as high pressure moved back over California. High temperatures in the central and southern San Joaquin Valley reached near-normal values on the 29th, and climbed well into the 90s by the end of the month. Fresno had a high of 99 on May 31st, the warmest day so far this year. The average temperature for May of 72.3 degrees gave Fresno its 10th warmest May on record. Bakersfield was slightly cooler with an average temperature of 71.7 degrees.
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 22, 9:07 AM PST, 5 hours 48 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 22, 9:07 AM PST, 5 hours 48 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA 1007 AM PDT TUE MAY 22 2012 .SYNOPSIS... AN APPROACHING LOW PRESSURE TROUGH WILL BRING GUSTY WINDS TODAY AND A FEW DEGREES OF COOLING. FURTHER COOLING WILL CONTINUE THIS WEEK AS AN UNSEASONABLY COOL UPPER LOW WILL DROP INTO THE WESTERN STATES LATE THIS WEEK WITH MUCH COOLER WEATHER AND A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO THE MOUNTAINS AND POSSIBLY THE FOOTHILLS AND PARTS OF THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY FRIDAY. && .DISCUSSION... A DRY FRONTAL SYSTEM HAS BROUGHT BREEZY AND COOLER CONDITIONS ACROSS THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA INTERIOR. CURRENT 24 HR TEMPERATURE TRENDS ARE RUNNING DOWN AROUND 3-9 DEGREES ACROSS THE AREA...EXCEPT PORTIONS OF THE KERN COUNTY DESERTS WHERE TEMPERATURES ARE NEAR READINGS FROM YESTERDAY. THIS TREND WILL BE REFLECTED IN AFTERNOON HIGHS TODAY WITH MOST LOCATIONS TOPPING OUT JUST A FEW DEGREES ABOVE CLIMO. WINDS WILL BE GUSTY ACROSS THE AREA...ESPECIALLY THROUGH AND BELOW THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAIN PASSES WHERE A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT. COULD SEE SOME BLOWING DUST ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE VALLEY THIS AFTERNOON BUT GUSTS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN BELOW ADVISORY CRITERIA. MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW ADDITIONAL SHORTWAVE ENERGY DIGGING THE TROUGH AND DEVELOPING AN UPPER LOW NEAR OUR SIERRA ZONES BY FRIDAY...CONTINUING THE COOLING TREND AND BRINGING A CHANCE FOR PRECIP TO THE MOUNTAINS AND NORTHERN VALLEY ZONES FOR THE START OF THE MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND. NO UPDATE IS PLANNED FOR THE FORECAST THIS MORNING. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 311 AM PDT TUE MAY 22 2012/ DISCUSSION... THE UPPER-LEVEL RIDGE BROUGHT ONE LAST DAY OF WELL ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES MONDAY FOR MUCH OF THE HANFORD WARNING/FORECAST AREA. THE EXCEPTION WAS THE CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY...WHERE THE INFLUX OF MARINE AIR KEPT TEMPERATURES IN MERCED AND MADERA COUNTIES AROUND 90. HIGHS AROUND THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY MONDAY RANGED FROM 89 /AT MERCED REGIONAL AIRPORT/ TO 97 /AT WASCO/. THE CHINA LAKE N.W.T.C. WAS THE HOT SPOT FOR THE HANFORD WARNING/ FORECAST AREA WITH A HIGH OF 102 DEGREES. SATELLITE LOOPS SHOW HIGH CLOUDS MOVING THROUGH CENTRAL CALIFORNIA THIS MORNING. THESE CLOUDS ARE THE LEADING EDGE OF AN UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH THAT IS FLATTENING THE RIDGE AND WILL BRING COOLER WEATHER TO THE REGION...AND WINDY CONDITIONS TO THE MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS TODAY THROUGH AT LEAST WEDNESDAY NIGHT. AS THE RIDGE FLATTENS...A ZONAL FLOW WILL SET UP OVER THE REGION TODAY...THEN A NORTHWEST FLOW TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY AS A SECOND TROUGH MOVES INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. THIS TROUGH IS FORECAST TO DIG OVER THE ROCKIES WEDNESDAY NIGHT... THEN AN UPPER-LEVEL LOW IS FORECAST TO DROP OUT OF THE GULF OF ALASKA AND INTO THE TROUGH THURSDAY. WITH THE ADDED ENERGY OF THE LOW...THE TROUGH IS FORECAST TO DIG THROUGH THE GREAT BASIN AND INTO CALIFORNIA FRIDAY. THIS MAY TRIGGER A FEW THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY...THE FOOTHILLS AND THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS OVER THE MOUNTAINS INTO SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT. THE TROUGH IS FORECAST TO BEGIN MOVING EAST OF THE REGION SATURDAY NIGHT. THE GFS BUILDS THE RIDGE BACK INTO CALIFORNIA NEXT SUNDAY AND MEMORIAL DAY...WHILE THE ECMWF HAS A WEAK SHORT-WAVE MOVING THROUGH THE STATE, THE MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH A COOLING TREND AT 850 MB THROUGH THURSDAY AS TEMPERATURES COOL TO NEAR NORMAL TUESDAY AND TO AROUND 5 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL BY THURSDAY. THE ECMWF THEN COOLS 850-MB TEMPERATURES BY AROUND 10.5 C FRIDAY...WHILE THE GFS HAS 8 C OF COOLING. THE 06Z NAM-12 DROPS THE 850-MB TEMPERATURE OVER FRESNO TO 0.5 C BY 15Z FRIDAY...AND HAS THE 850-MB 0 C ISOTHERM OVER TULARE COUNTY...INCLUDING PORTERVILLE AND VISALIA...AT 18Z FRIDAY. IF THE NAM-12 VERIFIES...TEMPERATURES FRIDAY COULD BE WELL BELOW NORMAL WITH SOME CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY HIGHS ONLY IN THE 60S. THE ECMWF AND GFS WOULD YIELD CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY HIGHS IN THE 70S...SOME 10 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. CONCERNING THE WINDS TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY...THE GFS MAV GUIDANCE FOR N.A.S. LEMOORE IS FORECASTING 21 KTS SUSTAINED WINDS AT 21Z /1400 PDT/ TODAY...29 KTS SUSTAINED AT 21Z WEDNESDAY...AND 21 KTS SUSTAINED AGAIN BY 00Z FRIDAY. GIVEN THE DRY SOIL...ESPECIALLY ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY...HAVE ADDED PATCHY BLOWING DUST TO WESTERN FRESNO COUNTY AND MUCH OF KINGS COUNTY. IN THE SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT...MAV GUIDANCE FOR EDWARDS AFB 28 KTS SUSTAINED WINDS AT 00Z WEDNESDAY...22 KTS SUSTAINED AT 00Z THURSDAY...AND 27 KTS SUSTAINED AT 00Z FRIDAY. FURTHER NORTH... THE MAV FOR EDWARDS NORTH BASE /K9L2/ FORECASTS 28 KTS SUSTAINED WINDS AT 03Z WEDNESDAY...27 KTS SUSTAINED AT 00Z THURSDAY...AND 32 KTS SUSTAINED WINDS AT 00Z FRIDAY. WILL UPGRADE THE WIND ADVISORY FOR THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS AND SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT TO A HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 18Z /1100 PDT/ TODAY THROUGH 13Z /0600 PDT/ THURSDAY...AND THIS LIKELY WILL NEED TO BE EXTENDED THROUGH THURSDAY ONCE THAT DAY BECOMES PART OF THE SHORT-TERM FORECAST. && .AVIATION... WINDS OF 35 KNOTS OR GREATER CAN BE EXPECTED ALONG THE WEST SIDE OF THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY...THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS AND DESERT AND ALONG THE SIERRA CREST UNTIL 08Z WEDNESDAY. OTHERWISE...VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA INTERIOR THROUGH 18Z WEDNESDAY. && .AIR QUALITY ISSUES... NONE. && .HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 6 AM PDT THURSDAY CAZ095-099. && PUBLIC...JEB AVN/FW...MOLINA SYNOPSIS...BSO WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD
Hazardous weather outlook, May 22, 2:55 AM PST, 12 hours before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA 355 AM PDT TUE MAY 22 2012 CAZ095-099-231100- KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS-SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT- 355 AM PDT TUE MAY 22 2012 ...GUSTY WINDS THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS AND THE SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HANFORD HAS ISSUED A HIGH WIND WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM PDT TUESDAY TO 6 AM PDT THURSDAY FOR THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS AND THE SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT. FOR DETAILS PLEASE SEE THE LATEST WEATHER MESSAGE /SFONPWHNX/. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THE HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH 6 AM PDT THURSDAY FOR THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS AND THE SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT. FOR DETAILS PLEASE SEE THE LATEST WEATHER MESSAGE /SFONPWHNX/. .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. CAZ096-097-231100- SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON- TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS- 355 AM PDT TUE MAY 22 2012 ...THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THERE WILL BE A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. 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. CAZ089-090-093-094-231100- WEST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-EAST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY- MARIPOSA MADERA AND FRESNO COUNTY FOOTHILLS- TULARE COUNTY FOOTHILLS- 355 AM PDT TUE MAY 22 2012 ...A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AND THE SIERRA NEVADA FOOTHILLS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AND THE SIERRA NEVADA FOOTHILLS FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. 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. SANGER WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD
In the hours before
Special weather statement, May 22, 1:35 PM PST, 1 hour 20 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA 235 PM PDT TUE MAY 22 2012 CAZ089>099-231100- 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- SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON- TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS-INDIAN WELLS VALLEY- SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT- 235 PM PDT TUE MAY 22 2012 ...BREEZY TO LOCALLY WINDY UNTIL WEDNESDAY...TURNING BREEZY AND MUCH COOLER THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY... BREEZY TO LOCALLY WINDY CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL MUCH OF THE WEEK ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA...THE TEHACHAPI MOUNTAINS...AND HIGH DESERT OF KERN COUNTY. LOCALLY GUSTY WINDS ALSO WILL DEVELOP OVER THE WEST SIDE OF THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY...MAINLY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. PATCHY BLOWING DUST WILL BE POSSIBLE NEAR RECENTLY PLOWED FIELDS. A GRADUAL LOWERING OF TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE FOR THE REST OF THIS WEEK AS A WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT REMAINS ACROSS CENTRAL CALIFORNIA. AN ABNORMALLY COOL LOW PRESSURE AREA FOR THIS TIME OF THE YEAR IS FORECAST TO BEGIN AFFECTING THE REGION THURSDAY...CONTINUING INTO FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. TEMPERATURES BY FRIDAY WILL BE SOME 15 TO 20 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. THIS SYSTEM WILL BRING A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO THE SOUTHERN SIERRA FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. GUSTY WINDS WILL ALSO ACCOMPANY THE SYSTEM AND WILL BEGIN TO AFFECT THE REGION THURSDAY AFTERNOON. THE ENTIRE HOLIDAY WEEKEND WILL NOT BE A TOTAL WASH OUT. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BEGIN TO BUILD LATER IN THE WEEKEND OVER CENTRAL CALIFORNIA WITH CONDITIONS QUICKLY IMPROVING SUNDAY AND MEMORIAL DAY. BSO WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD
The radar
The San Joaquin Valley radar (KHNX), 106 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:01 UTC.
Event by event
2 high wind, 1 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.
High Wind, Kern Cty Mtns
- When
- May 22, 4:27 PM PST to May 24, 5:00 AM PST
- Where
- Kern Cty Mtns forecast zone
- Measured
- 62 kt (71 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
Funnel Cloud, Madera
- When
- May 25, 3:00 PM PST
- Where
- Madera County, 0.55 mi E of Chowchilla
- Reported by
- Broadcast Media
- Coordinates
- 37.120, -120.260
The public reported a funnel cloud near Chowchilla.
What these are
- High Wind
- Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
- 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 Georgia, May 22, 2012
- Flash Flooding in Florida, May 22, 2012
- Flooding and Hail in North Carolina, May 22 to 24, 2012
- Tornadoes and Hail in North Dakota, May 22, 2012
- Hail and Lightning Strike in North Carolina, May 22, 2012
- Flash Flood and Hail in North Carolina, May 22, 2012
- Tropical Storm in Guam, May 22 to 23, 2012
- Hail and Damaging Winds in South Carolina, May 22, 2012
- Hail and Damaging Winds in North Dakota, May 22, 2012
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Georgia, May 22, 2012
- Hail and Damaging Winds in South Dakota, May 22, 2012
- Hail in North Carolina, May 22, 2012
More
Every storm in California in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in California, May 2012
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: 386819, 386818, 386820.