Winter Storm, S Sierra Mtns
- When
- November 8, 12:00 PM PST to November 10, 8:00 AM PST
- Where
- S Sierra Mtns forecast zone
- Reported by
- Park/Forest Service
An upper-level ridge was over California at the start of November, creating a stable environment across the central California interior. Fresno tied its record high minimum temperature for the 2nd of 56 degrees, last set in 1941.
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.
An upper-level ridge was over California at the start of November, creating a stable environment across the central California interior. Fresno tied its record high minimum temperature for the 2nd of 56 degrees, last set in 1941. Areas of fog developed in the central and southern San Joaquin Valley during the morning of November 3rd, but considerably less fog formed the next day.
The ridge remained over California through the 7th, then gave way to an approaching upper-level low. Light showers developed over the Tehachapi Mountains during the late morning of November 8th, as subtropical moisture moved into Kern County and collided with a cold front dropping south through the San Joaquin Valley. This set up a convergence zone over the Tehachapi Mountains that triggered the convection.
Heavy snow showers also occurred in the Southern Sierra Nevada, where up to one foot of new snow fell on November 8th. This was a significant impact to the mountain regions since quite a bit of mountain recreation was still going on at this time.
After this system moved through, As a result, the air remained moisture laden. A weak short-wave ridge moved over California during the night of November 8th-9th, but this was enough to trigger dense fog development over much of Kings County as well as southern Fresno and western Tulare Counties.
Thunderstorms developed during the afternoon of November 9th. One of these thunderstorms triggered a weak tornado (rated EF0), that touched down 4 miles north northeast of Tipton at 12:55 PM PST. No damage was reported. This was the 86th tornado to touch down in the WFO Hanford’s seven-county warning/forecast area since records began in the 1950’s, and was the 13th to touch down in Tulare County. Other thunderstorms dropped pea-sized hail on northern Hanford. In the Southern Sierra Nevada, several inches of snow fell above 6000 feet, and a couple of inches of snow fell on the floor of Yosemite Valley.
In the wake of this storm, an unseasonably cold airmass settled over the central California interior. Low temperatures fell below freezing across parts of the central and southern San Joaquin Valley on the morning of November 11th and 12th, and the Kern County deserts had their first hard freeze of the season.
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 Nov 8, 10:40 AM PST, 1 hour 20 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
1040 AM PST THU NOV 8 2012
.SYNOPSIS...
A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA PRODUCING LIGHT
RAIN AND HIGHER ELEVATION SNOW TO CENTRAL CALIFORNIA. MUCH COLDER
AIR BEHIND THE SYSTEM RAISES CONCERNS ABOUT FROST CONDITIONS LATER
IN THE WEEKEND.
&&
.UPDATE...
SPRINKLES OR LIGHT SHOWERS ARE OCCURRING IN TEHACHAPI AT THIS TIME.
PUSH OF SUBTROPICAL MOISTURE OVER SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MAY PRODUCE
ADDITIONAL LIGHT SHOWERS OVER THE TEHACHAPI MOUNTAINS AND THE
WESTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT. HAVE DONE A QUICK UPDATE TO ADD A CHANCE
OF SHOWERS IN THAT AREA.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
THE FIRST COLD FRONT IS MOVING THROUGH THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
INTERIOR THIS MORNING. AT 17Z /0900 PST/...CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SAN
JOAQUIN VALLEY TEMPERATURES ARE DOWN 4-8 DEGREES /EXCEPT FOR THE
PORTERVILLE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT WHICH WAS DOWN 13 DEGREES/ AND A FEW
SITES WERE ALREADY REPORTING GUSTS OF 20-30 MPH. PRIMARY CONCERN
THIS MORNING IS WIND AND THE POTENTIAL FOR BLOWING DUST...ESPECIALLY
NEAR FALLOW OR RECENTLY PLOWED FIELDS.
GFS AND NAM MODEL GUIDANCE ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH NOT BRINGING
PRECIPITATION TO THE REGION UNTIL AFTER 00Z FRIDAY /1600 PST THIS
AFTERNOON/. PRECIPITATION WILL CONTINUE THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT...WITH
MOS GUIDANCE FORECASTING THE HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION TONIGHT AND
FRIDAY MORNING. AS THE HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION IS FORECAST TO ARRIVE
BEFORE THE SECOND PUSH OF COLD AIR...DO NOT THINK THAT NEW SNOW
ACCUMULATIONS WILL NOT REACH WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY CRITERIA.
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 512 AM PST THU NOV 8 2012/
DISCUSSION...
A COLD LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IS ROLLING SOUTHWARD TOWARD THE NORTHERN
CALIFORNIA COAST. AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING FRONTAL SYSTEM AN
IMPULSE MOVING ON SHORE IS BRINGING PRECIPITATION INTO THE
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COAST. AS THE SYSTEM CONTINUES TO DROP
SOUTHWARD AND PUSH THROUGH OUR AREA WE WILL SEE A SIGNIFICANT DROP
IN TEMPERATURES...DOWN TO A BIT BELOW NORMAL TODAY AND AS MUCH AS
10 TO 15 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL BY FRIDAY.
THE PRECIPITATION AREA TO THE SOUTH IS PROGGED TO STAY MAINLY
SOUTH...WITH JUST SLIGHT CHANCES OF BRUSHING KERN COUNTY. LITTLE
MOISTURE IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE INCOMING SYSTEM FROM THE NORTH AND
PRECIPITATION CHANCES AS THIS SYSTEM PUSHES THROUGH TODAY AND
TONIGHT WILL BE LIMITED AND MAINLY OVER THE FAVORED HIGHER TERRAIN
AREAS. STRONG GUSTY WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BRIEFLY ACCOMPANY THE
PASSING SYSTEM AS IT BLOWS THROUGH TODAY...AND WITH LITTLE
PRECIPITATION EXPECTED THERE WILL LIKELY BE SOME BLOWING DUST IN
THE VALLEY AND DESERT AREAS. ALTHOUGH SNOW LEVELS WILL LOWER INTO
THE FOOTHILLS AS THE SYSTEM PUSHES THROUGH...WITH SCANT
PRECIPITATION EXPECTED...NO WINTER WEATHER PRODUCTS ARE
ANTICIPATED.
AS ADDITIONAL IMPULSES ROTATE THROUGH THE MAIN WEST COAST
TROUGH...PRECIPITATION CHANCES WILL CONTINUE INTO THE WEEKEND. THE
VERY COLD AIR ACCOMPANYING THE SYSTEM WILL BRING SOME FROSTY
TEMPERATURES TO THE VALLEY AND DESERT AREAS...WHERE MODELS SHOW
850 MB TEMPERATURES DROPPING BELOW 0 DEGREES C THROUGH THE
WEEKEND...THOUGH THE CLOUD COVER SHOULD HELP TO MITIGATE
TEMPERATURES A BIT.
AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE IS PROGGED TO BEGIN BUILDING OVER THE WEST
COAST BY SUNDAY AS THE TROUGH MOVES OUT...BRINGING DRYER
CONDITIONS AND MORE SEASONABLE TEMPERATURES FOR EARLY NEXT WEEK
AHEAD OF ANOTHER TROUGH EXPECTED TO APPROACH OUR AREA BY MIDWEEK.
&&
.AVIATION...
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY...AREAS MVFR IN BD...OTHERWISE VFR THROUGH 00Z
FRIDAY...THEN LOCAL MVFR IN SHRA- SPREADING SOUTH THROUGH 18Z
FRIDAY.
MOUNTAINS...MVFR/AREAS IFR IN CLDS/PCPN NORTH OF KINGS CANYON...
OTHERWISE VFR THROUGH 00Z FRIDAY...THEN MVFR/AREAS IFR SPREADING
SOUTHWARD THROUGH 18Z FRIDAY.
DESERTS...AREAS MVFR IN BD...OTHERWISE VFR THROUGH 00Z FRIDAY. THEN
VFR THROUGH 18Z FRIDAY WITH AREAS OF SHRA- AFTER 12Z FRIDAY.
&&
.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 MEDIUM.
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.
&&
.CLIMATE...
RECORDS
SITE DATE HI_MAX:YEAR LO_MAX:YEAR HI_MIN:YEAR LO_MIN:YEAR
KFAT 11-08 85:1955 56:2004 59:2002 33:1897
KFAT 11-09 85:1956 53:1982 59:1899 33:1903
KFAT 11-10 83:1956 52:1978 56:1973 35:1948
KBFL 11-08 95:1918 55:1903 61:2002 31:1937
KBFL 11-09 88:1926 52:1893 61:1953 31:1903
KBFL 11-10 88:1973 57:1994 68:1926 27:1905
&&
.HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 4 AM PST FRIDAY FOR THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF
THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA /CAZ096-097/.
&&
PUBLIC...SANGER
AVN/FW...MENDENHALL
SYNOPSIS...WP
PREV DISCUSSION...JEB
WEATHER.GOV/HANFORDHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA 532 AM PST THU NOV 8 2012 CAZ089>095-098-099-091200- 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-INDIAN WELLS VALLEY- SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT- 532 AM PST THU NOV 8 2012 ...COLD STORM SYSTEM MOVING IN... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY...THE FOOTHILLS OF THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA...THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS AND THE KERN COUNTY DESERTS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A COLD STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA TODAY. THE MAIN IMPACTS INCLUDE BREEZY CONDITIONS AND COLDER TEMPERATURES. MAINLY LIGHT PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO AFFECT PORTIONS OF THE AREA BY THIS EVENING. REFER TO THE SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT OR /SFOSPSHNX/ FOR MORE DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY A SECONDARY COLD FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA BY FRIDAY. ADDITIONAL COOLING AND SOME MORE GENERALLY LIGHT PRECIPITATION CAN BE EXPECTED. REFER TO THE SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT OR /SFOSPSHNX/ FOR MORE DETAILS. .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. CAZ096-097-091200- SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON- TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS- 532 AM PST THU NOV 8 2012 ...WINDY CONDITIONS DEVELOPING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT BEGINNING AT 10 AM PST THIS MORNING FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 6000 FEET IN THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO THE KERN COUNTY LINE. REFER TO THE LATEST NON- PRECIPITATION STATEMENT...OR /SFONPWHNX/ FOR MORE DETAILS. ALSO REFER TO THE SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT OR /SFOSPSHNX/ LISTED ABOVE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THE WIND ADVISORY FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 6000 FEET IN THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO THE KERN COUNTY LINE REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 AM PST FRIDAY MORNING. REFER TO THE LATEST NON- PRECIPITATION STATEMENT...OR /SFONPWHNX/ FOR MORE DETAILS. ALSO REFER TO THE SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT OR /SFOSPSHNX/ LISTED ABOVE. .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.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA 637 AM PST THU NOV 8 2012 CAZ089>099-082130- 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- 637 AM PST THU NOV 8 2012 ...A DRAMATIC CHANGE TO COLDER WEATHER ON THE WAY... A COLD FRONT WILL HERALD THE ARRIVAL OF A MUCH COOLER AIRMASS WHEN IT MOVES SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA INTERIOR TODAY. AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES IN MANY LOCATIONS TODAY WILL BE A GOOD 10 TO 20 DEGREES LOWER THAN WEDNESDAY. OTHER THAN A FEW SHOWERS AROUND YOSEMITE...THE FRONTAL PASSAGE WILL BRING NO MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION TO THE REGION. ADDITIONALLY...GUSTY WINDS IN THE WAKE OF THIS FRONT WILL PRODUCE AREAS OF BLOWING DUST IN THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY... PARTICULARLY ON THE WEST SIDE...AND IN THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS AND DESERT. A SECONDARY COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA INTERIOR LATER TONIGHT ACCOMPANIED BY SHOWERS OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN MUCH OF THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY. WET WEATHER IS LIKELY IN THE WAKE OF THIS SECOND COLD FRONT FRIDAY WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF WINTRY TRAVEL OVER THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. SNOW LEVELS WILL LOWER TO 2500 FEET IN THE SIERRA FOOTHILLS AND 3500 FEET IN THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS BY LATE FRIDAY. A LIGHT DUSTING OF SNOW IS POSSIBLE OVER THE GRAPEVINE BY EARLY FRIDAY EVENING WITH LOCAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF AN INCH OR TWO OVER THE HIGHER FOOTHILLS. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO 6 INCHES ARE LIKELY IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE SIERRA BY FRIDAY NIGHT...ESPECIALLY NORTH OF KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARK. ADDITIONALLY...WINDS MAY GUST UP TO 45 MPH THROUGH AND JUST BELOW THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAIN PASSES TONIGHT AND FRIDAY. TEMPERATURES FRIDAY WILL BE NO WARMER THAN THE 40S IN THE SIERRA FOOTHILLS AND NO WARMER THAN THE 50S IN THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY WHERE SKIES REMAIN OVERCAST. A DRY AND UNSEASONABLY COLD AIRMASS WILL MOVE INTO THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA INTERIOR THIS WEEKEND. THERE IS A CHANCE OF FROST IN THE COLDEST LOCATIONS OF THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY EARLY SUNDAY MORNING AND MONDAY MORNING WITH BELOW FREEZING TEMPERATURES IN THE KERN COUNTY DESERT. IF YOU HAVE FROST SENSITIVE INTERESTS...YOU SHOULD MONITOR THE LATEST TEMPERATURE FORECASTS FOR THE WEEKEND. MONITOR THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE...NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA SOURCE FOR FURTHER UPDATES ON THE UPCOMING CHANGE IN THE WEATHER PATTERN. WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD
The San Joaquin Valley radar (KHNX), 38 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:53 UTC.
10 frost/freeze, 2 winter storm, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Report on the weak tornado that occurred south of Tulare on November 9th.
Here are the storm survey results of the tornado. The location was between Tulare and Tipton near the Intersection of avenue 176 and road 128. Tornado lasted for about 3 minutes and did not interact with any private property or buildings. Some branches and corn husks were strewn about. Several eyewitness accounts corroborated a video provided by local media. The tornado path included several utility poles that were not damaged.
The eyewitness video courtesy of KMPH Channel 26 is available on our website.
Wind speed estimate: 65 mph
This was the 86th confirmed tornado in the central California Interior since 1950...and the 13th to strike Tulare county. The last Tornado in Tulare county was on January 27th 2008...when an ef0 touched down 1 mile east of Goshen junction. The most recent tornado in the central California interior occurred on march 17th 2012 when |An ef0 tornado touched down 4 miles southwest of tranquility in Fresno County.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for California, 2012Warnings in California, November 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: 420131, 420132, 420139, 420145, 420146, 420147, 420148, 420149, 420150, 420151, 420152, 420153, 420154.