Strong Wind, W Central S.J. Valley
- When
- February 18, 1:00 PM PST to 10:00 PM PST
- Where
- W Central S.J. Valley forecast zone
- Measured
- 32 kt (37 mph) measured gust
- Property damage
- $3,000
- Reported by
- Mesonet
Winter Storm and Strong Wind in California, February 18 to 20, 2013
The upper-level continued to strengthen through February 16th, with temperatures warming to several degrees above normal. Fresno had its first 70-degree day of the year on the 15th, with a high of 73 degrees.
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $12,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 9
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 upper-level continued to strengthen through February 16th, with temperatures warming to several degrees above normal. Fresno had its first 70-degree day of the year on the 15th, with a high of 73 degrees. The last time Fresno saw 70s was November 21st, 2012, when the high was 71 degrees. Bakersfield reach 76 degrees on February 15th, and both cities had highs of 73 degrees the next day.
The upper-level ridge began to weaken on February 17th as a potent Pacific storm dropped out of the Gulf of Alaska as approached the coast. This storm reached the central California interior by midday of the 19th, and moved through the region during the afternoon and evening hours. Ahead of the storm, strong winds developed in the Indian Wells Valley with a gust to 46 mph recorded in Ridgecrest. As the cold front moved through, the focus of the strong winds shifted south into the southeastern Kern County desert. Winds gusted to 45-50 mph near Mojave, and to as high as|58 mph at Rosamond. However, the winds were sporadic and the strongest gusts were rare.
The storm brought locally heavy rain to the region, accounting for over half the monthly total for several locations. The snow level was very low, around 1500 feet (but locally dropping to around 1000 feet in heavy snow showers). Snow showers continued overnight over the Southern Sierra Nevada, and a few flurries were reported in downtown Fresno around midnight of February 19th- 20th. Highway 58 through the Tehachapi Pass was closed beginning the evening of the 19th, and|Interstate 5 over the Grapevine was closed the following morning due to snow and ice.
In the Southern Sierra Nevada, up to 10 inches of new snow fell, with even more snow up to 22 inches (at Bear Valley Springs) in the Tehachapi Mountains as upslope snow showers continued into February 20th. Isolated heavy showers developed along the cold front over the central and southern San Joaquin Valley during the late afternoon and evening of February 19th.
Pea-size hail was reported from these storms, including one report from a few miles north of Hanford.
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 Feb 18, 3:13 AM PST, 9 hours 47 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Feb 18, 3:13 AM PST, 9 hours 47 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
313 AM PST MON FEB 18 2013
.SYNOPSIS...
A STRONG DISTURBANCE AND ITS ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL PUSH ACROSS
CENTRAL CALIFORNIA BEGINNING LATE TONIGHT BRINGING A GOOD CHANCE OF
RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW TUESDAY THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY. TEMPERATURES
WILL RETURN TO BELOW NORMAL ON TUESDAY. COOLER TEMPERATURES AND VERY
SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS WILL REMAIN THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE
WEEK.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
ANOTHER WARM DAY YESTERDAY ACROSS THE CEN CAL INTERIOR. WEAK
RIDGING WILL CONTINUE TODAY IN ADVANCE OF THE APPROACHING STORM
SYSTEM. TEMPS MAY BE UP A DEGREE OR TWO OVER THE AREA AS H500
HEIGHTS ARE UP A FEW DECAMETERS. CLOUDS WILL INCREASE FROM THE
NORTH LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT AND PRECIP WILL PROBABLY
HOLD OFF UNTIL AFTER 12Z(4 AM PST) TUESDAY. HAVE KEPT IN SLIGHT
CHANCE ACROSS THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL SJV JUST IN CASE.
TUESDAY WILL BE THE MOST ACTIVE WEATHER DAY AS THE UPPER LEVEL LOW
CENTER CROSSES OVER THE CWA. THE MODELS HAVE BEEN TRENDING A BIT
FARTHER TO THE EAST WITH THE TRACK AND IT MAY HAVE A BIGGER IMPACT
IF THE TIMING OF THE LOW CENTER ALLOWS FOR BEST UPPER DYNAMICS
LATE TUESDAY AFTERNOON FOR CONVECTIVE SHOWERS...WHICH SOME MAY BE
HEAVY.
SNOW LEVELS WILL START OUT AROUND 4000 FEET AND LOWER TO 2500 FEET
LATE TUES NIGHT AND INTO WED. SOME RESIDUAL SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE
ON WED...SO SOME ACCUMULATION IS POSSIBLE IN THE FOOTHILLS. IT ALL
DEPENDS ON HOW MUCH MOISTURE WILL BE ON THE BACKSIDE OF THE SYSTEM
AS IT WRAPS UP OVER THE AREA LATE TUESDAY NIGHT.
WED WILL BE BLUSTERY AS THE UPPER LOW EXITS THE REGION AND A
STRONG UPPER JET MOVES IN BEHIND THE LOW CENTER. STRONG NORTHERLY
FLOW OVER THE AREA ON THURSDAY AS DEEP TROUGH OVER THE REGION WILL
KEEP TEMPS BELOW NORMAL. HOWEVER SUN IS GETTING STRONGER AND WE
WILL SEE DAYTIME REBOUND IN TEMPS WITH 30 DEGREE TEMP SPREAD FROM
HIGH TO LOW THURSDAY. SOME AREAS MAY SEE NEAR FREEZING TEMPS
WEDNESDAY NIGHT IN THE SJV. ANOTHER WEAK UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE
WILL SWING THROUGH LATE THURS WITH SOME CLOUDS AND POSSIBLE SIERRA
SNOW SHOWERS.
ANOTHER WEAK SYSTEM WILL MOVE THROUGH ON FRIDAY WITH LITTLE OR NO
IMPACT TO THE REGIONS WEATHER. A STRONGER SYSTEM WILL SWEEP
THROUGH ON SAT NIGHT AND INTO SUNDAY AND WILL BE DRY BUT WILL KICK
UP THE WINDS AS GRADIENTS INCREASE OVER THE DESERT AND ALONG THE
WEST SIDE OF THE SJV. AS THE TROUGH MOVES THROUGH THE SIERRA WILL
SEE WINDY CONDITIONS ACROSS THE HIGH COUNTRY. WEAK RIDGE RETURNS
FOR MONDAY WITH WEAKER WINDS AND MODERATING TEMPS.
&&
.AVIATION...
LOCAL MVFR IN MIST AND HAZE IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN
VALLEY THROUGH 18Z MONDAY. LOCAL MVFR/IFR IN PRECIPITATION OVER THE
SOUTHERN SIERRA AFTER 06Z TUESDAY.
OTHERWISE...VFR CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED THROUGHOUT THE CENTRAL
CALIFORNIA INTERIOR THROUGH 12Z TUESDAY.
&&
.AIR QUALITY ISSUES...
NONE.
&&
.CERTAINTY...
THE LEVEL OF CERTAINTY FOR DAYS 1 AND 2 IS MEDIUM.
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 02-18 84:1930 49:1969 59:1986 27:1889
KFAT 02-19 79:1977 47:1897 55:1996 28:1953
KFAT 02-20 80:1896 45:1909 56:1968 28:1953
KBFL 02-18 87:1930 49:1990 58:1993 27:1903
KBFL 02-19 85:1977 52:1969 54:1996 28:1953
KBFL 02-20 81:1977 52:1922 57:1968 26:1906
&&
.HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WINTER STORM WATCH FROM TUESDAY MORNING THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING
CAZ096-097.
&&
PUBLIC...JDB
AVN/FW...DCH
SYNOPSIS...JDB
WEATHER.GOV/HANFORDHazardous weather outlook, Feb 18, 12:02 PM PST, 58 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA 1202 PM PST MON FEB 18 2013 CAZ096-097-191330- SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON- TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS- 1202 PM PST MON FEB 18 2013 ...WINTER STORM WARNING TUESDAY AND TUESDAY EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TUESDAY THROUGH 10 PM PST TUESDAY EVENING. FOR DETAILS...PLEASE REFER TO THE WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE...SFOWSWHNX...ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN HANFORD. .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. CAZ095-191330- KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS- 1202 PM PST MON FEB 18 2013 ...WINTER STORM WARNING TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY WINTER STORM WARNING ABOVE 2000 FEET IS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TUESDAY THROUGH 10 AM PST WEDNESDAY MORNING. FOR DETAILS...PLEASE REFER TO THE WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE...SFOWSWHNX...ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN HANFORD. .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. CAZ093-094-191330- MARIPOSA MADERA AND FRESNO COUNTY FOOTHILLS- TULARE COUNTY FOOTHILLS- 1202 PM PST MON FEB 18 2013 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY TUESDAY AND TUESDAY EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE FOOTHILLS OF THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY A WINTER STORM ADVISORY ABOVE 2000 FEET IS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TUESDAY THROUGH 10 PM PST TUESDAY EVENING. FOR DETAILS...PLEASE REFER TO THE WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE...SFOWSWHNX...ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN HANFORD. .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>092-191330- WEST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-EAST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY- SOUTHWESTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-SOUTHEASTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY- 1202 PM PST MON FEB 18 2013 ...MID-WINTER PACIFIC STORM... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY A MID WINTER PACIFIC STORM WILL BEGIN TO BRING RAIN TO THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT. PLEASE REFER TO THE SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT... SFOSPSHNX...ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN HANFORD FOR MORE INFORMATION. .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. CAZ098-099-191330- INDIAN WELLS VALLEY-SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT- 1202 PM PST MON FEB 18 2013 ...MID-WINTER PACIFIC STORM... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE KERN COUNTY DESERTS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY A MID WINTER PACIFIC STORM WILL BEGIN TO BRING RAIN TO THE KERN COUNTY DESERTS AND HIGHER ELEVATION SNOWS TO THE EL PASO MOUNTAINS TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING. PLEASE REFER TO THE SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT... SFOSPSHNX...ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN HANFORD FOR MORE INFORMATION. .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
Event by event
4 strong wind, 4 winter storm, 1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong Wind, Sw S.J. Valley
- When
- February 18, 1:00 PM PST to 10:00 PM PST
- Where
- Sw S.J. Valley forecast zone
- Measured
- 32 kt (37 mph) measured gust
- Property damage
- $3,000
- Reported by
- Mesonet
Winter Storm, S Sierra Mtns
- When
- February 19, 12:00 PM PST to February 20, 4:00 AM PST
- Where
- S Sierra Mtns forecast zone
- Reported by
- Park/Forest Service
Winter Storm, Tulare Cty Mtns
- When
- February 19, 12:00 PM PST to February 20, 4:00 AM PST
- Where
- Tulare Cty Mtns forecast zone
- Reported by
- Park/Forest Service
Winter Storm, S Sierra Foothills
- When
- February 19, 12:00 PM PST to February 20, 4:00 AM PST
- Where
- S Sierra Foothills forecast zone
- Reported by
- Park/Forest Service
Winter Weather, Tulare Cty Foothills
- When
- February 19, 12:00 PM PST to February 20, 4:00 AM PST
- Where
- Tulare Cty Foothills forecast zone
- Reported by
- Park/Forest Service
Winter Storm, Kern Cty Mtns
- When
- February 19, 6:00 PM PST to February 20, 10:00 AM PST
- Where
- Kern Cty Mtns forecast zone
- Reported by
- Park/Forest Service
Strong Wind, Se Kern Cty Desert
- When
- February 20, 1:25 AM PST to 9:00 PM PST
- Where
- Se Kern Cty Desert forecast zone
- Measured
- 48 kt (55 mph) measured gust
- Property damage
- $3,000
- Reported by
- Mesonet
Strong Wind, Kern Cty Mtns
- When
- February 20, 10:01 AM PST to 9:00 PM PST
- Where
- Kern Cty Mtns forecast zone
- Measured
- 46 kt (53 mph) measured gust
- Property damage
- $3,000
- Reported by
- Mesonet
What these are
- Strong Wind
- Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.
- Winter Storm
- A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
- Winter Weather
- Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Rip Current in Guam, February 18, 2013
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Arkansas, February 18, 2013
- Tornado in Texas, February 18, 2013
- Tornadoes and Hail in Texas, February 18, 2013
- Blizzard and Winter Storm in Michigan, February 18 to 20, 2013
- Blizzard in South Dakota, February 18, 2013
- Blizzard in Minnesota, February 18, 2013
- Frost and Freeze in Florida, February 18, 2013
- Damaging Wind in Louisiana, February 18, 2013
- Blizzard in Minnesota, February 18, 2013
- Blizzard in North Dakota, February 18, 2013
- Hail in Oklahoma, February 18, 2013
More
Every storm in California in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in California, February 2013
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: 434583, 434584, 434567, 434568, 434570, 434581, 434569, 434587, 434590.