Flooding and Strong Wind in California, March 5 to 9, 2013

Name: Flooding and Strong Wind in California, March 5 to 9, 2013
Start: 2013-03-05T14:18
End: 2013-03-09T04:00
Location: California

March 5 to 9, 2013 · NWS HNX · 8 events in 7 counties and zones

A strong ridge of high pressure prevailed at the beginning of the month. On the 1st, high temperatures reached around 10 degrees above average.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $26,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 8

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 strong ridge of high pressure prevailed at the beginning of the month. On the 1st, high temperatures reached around 10 degrees above average. Bakersfield had a high of 77 degrees, while Fresno reached 75. The strong ridge continued over the area during the following day; temperatures rose several degrees (Fresno reached 81 degrees, and Bakersfield reached 82 degrees). Thus, March arrived like the proverbial lamb.

A weak storm system passed over the central California interior on March 3rd and allowed temperatures to cool by around 10 to 15 degrees. Both Bakersfield and Fresno reported a trace of rainfall on this day. The clouds also kept overnight temperatures warm. Bakersfield tied its record high minimum temperature on March 3rd, and Fresno came within a degree of doing the same.

Weak high pressure briefly returned on the 4th and 5th, and temperatures warmed a few degrees each day. This was a brief period of relatively calm weather.

March 5th was a transition day, as a Pacific storm approached California. The first storm brought only light precipitation to the region beginning on the evening of the 5th, but strong winds developed as the cold front moved through the San Joaquin Valley. Winds gusted as high as 54 mph along the west side of the Valley.

The system that moved over the region on the 6th and 7th had a typical track of a Pacific storm system originating from the Gulf of Alaska. The next storm arrived late on March 7th and continued into the 8th. There was street flooding in the eastern San Joaquin Valley and the foothills near Lake Success from some heavy rain showers, but the heaviest rain fell further south, in Kern County, as the upper-level low came onshore near San Diego. With this system, Bakersfield picked up 0.80 inch of rain, while Fresno only received 0.11 inch.

The cold airmass aloft dropped snow levels down to around 3000-3500 feet, and created unstable conditions that triggered a few thunderstorms over the San Joaquin Valley during the late afternoon and evening of March 8th. Upslope clouds banked against the north slopes of the Tehachapi Mountains combined with low snow levels to produce snow on some of the mountain roads. The California Highway Patrol closed southbound Interstate 5 over the Grapevine during the morning of the 8th, and a spotter in Bear Valley Springs reported 7 inches of new snow. Further north in the mountains, another spotter reported 6 inches of new snow in Glennville. The storm continued over Kern County through the evening of March 8th. Rainfall in the Kern River Canyon was a factor in a rock slide on Highway 178, and winds gusted to 56 mph in the Mojave area below the Tehachapi Pass.

Unsettled conditions continued through the 9th. Bakersfield had a total rainfall for the 4 days of 0.80 inches, and Fresno had a total of 0.32 inch. This is because the upper-level low moved onshore over southern California, and the northern end of the warp-around moisture passed over central California, with most of the moisture affecting Kern County.

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 Mar 5, 2:00 PM PST, 18 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 5, 2:00 PM PST, 18 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
200 PM PST TUE MAR 5 2013

.SYNOPSIS...LOW PRESSURE AND AN ASSOCIATED FRONTAL SYSTEM ARE
EXPECTED TO ARRIVE TONIGHT. THIS SYSTEM WILL PRODUCE CHANCES OF
RAIN AND HIGHER ELEVATION SNOW TO THE AREA THROUGH THE REST OF THE
WEEK AND A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE SAN JOAQUIN
VALLEY THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. THERE ALSO WILL BE A SLIGHT CHANCE OF
THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE KERN DESERT FRIDAY.

&&

.DISCUSSION...ANOTHER MILD AND DRY DAY ACROSS OUR AREA WITH
TEMPERATURES AT MOST LOCATIONS RUNNING A FEW DEGREES ABOVE YDAY AS
CENTRAL CA REMAINS UNDER A MILD AND DRY SOUTHWEST FLOW. AT THIS
TIME...THE AREA IS SITUATED IN BETWEEN AN UPPER RIDGE OVER THE
GREAT BASIN AND AN UPPER LOW CENTER OFF THE PAC NW COAST NEAR
42N/131W. 12Z WRF/GFS INDICATE THIS LOW CENTER WILL APPROACH THE
COAST TONIGHT THEN A PIECE OF ENERGY WILL BREAK OFF FROM IT AND
PUSH ACROSS THE PAC NW AND NORCAL ON WEDNESDAY...RESULTING IN
AREAS OF BLOWING DUST ACORSS THE WEST SIDE OF THE SAN JOAQUIN
VALLEY THIS EVENING AHEAD OF A STRONG COLD FRONT. THE FRONT WILL
CROSS OUR AREA TONIGHT...RESULTING IN A MUCH MUCH COOLER AND
UNSETTLED AIRMASS SPREADING INTO OUR AREA ON WEDNESDAY WITH
DAYTIME TEMPERATURES EXPECTED TO BE 10-15 DEG F LOWER THAN TODAY.
RH AND OMEGA PROGS ARE SHOWING A SHOT OF DEEP MOISTURE AND UVM
MOVING ACROSS NORCAL LATE TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY RESULTING A PERIOD
OF LIGHT PRECIPITATION ACROSS OUR AREA EXCEPT THE KERN COUNTY
DESERTS. ABOVE 5000 FEET...5 TO 10 INCHES OF NEW SNOWFALL CAN BE
EXPECTED OVER THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA NEAR YOSEMITE WITH LESSER
AMOUNTS FURTHER SOUTH. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT
FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 5000 FEET NORTH OF KINGS CANYON FROM LATE
THIS EVENING UNTIL LATE WEDNESDAY EVENING. ACROSS THE SAN JOAQUIN
VALLEY...A TENTH TO A QUARTER OF AN INCH OF RAINFALL IS LIKELY
FROM FRESNO COUNTY NORTHWARD AND UP TO A TENTH OF AN INCH OF
RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE OVER THE SOUTH VALLEY LATE TONIGHT THROUGH
WEDNESDAY EVENING.

THE LOW CENTER IS THEN PROGGED TO DROP SOUTHWARD ALONG THE CA
COAST THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT THEN MOVE EAST OVER SOCAL FRIDAY
AND FRIDAY NIGHT...BRINGING A PERIOD OF SHOWERY WEATHER TO OUR
AREA. THE MODELS ARE HAVING A VERY DIFFICULT TIME WITH THE
MOISTURE CONTENT OF THIS FEATURE SO FORECASTER CONFIDENCE FOR
THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT IS LOW. WHAT IS CERTAIN IS THAT
TEMPERATURES WILL BE BELOW SEASONAL NORMALS ON BOTH DAYS AND THERE
WILL BE AN UNSTABLE AIRMASS OVER OUR AREA WITH THE LOW CENTER
BEING SITUATED CLOSE TO THE COAST SO WILL CONTINUE TO MENTION THE
POSSIBILITY OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE CENTRAL VALLEY ON THURSDAY
AND OVER PORTIONS OF THE VALLEY AND THE KERN DESERTS ON FRIDAY AS
CAPES AND LI/S WILL BE SUFFICIENT FOR AT LEAST ISOLATED
THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT ON BOTH DAYS. THERE IS LESS CERTAINTY IN
HOW MUCH PRECIPITATION OUR AREA WILL RECEIVE AND THAT WILL BE VERY
MUCH DEPENDENT ON THE EVENTUAL TRACK OF THE UPPER LOW. HAVE
INCREASED POPS AND SKY COVER FOR THIS PERIOD...BUT WILL HOLD OFF
ON ISSUING ANY WINTER WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS DURING THIS TIME FRAME
UNTIL FORECASTER CONFIDENCE IMPROVES IN REGARDS TO HOW MUCH
MOISTURE WILL IMPACT OUR AREA. WITH SNOW LEVELS EXPECTED TO BE
BELOW 4000 FEET BY FRIDAY THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT TRAVEL MAY
BE ADVERSELY IMPACTED ALONG INTERSTATE 5 OVER THE GRAPEVINE AREA
AND ALONG HIGHWAY 58 OVER THE TEHACHAPI AREA.

THE MEDIUM RANGE MODELS ARE IN FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT INDICATING
THE UPPER LOW WILL PUSH INTO THE DESERT SOUTHWEST BY SATURDAY
WHILE AND UPPER RIDGE AMPLIFIES OFF THE CA COAST...BUT LACK
DETAILS WITH TIMING ON THE RIDGE BUILDING INLAND LATER THIS
WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. REGARDLESS...A WARMING AND DRYING
TREND IS IN STORE ACROSS OUR AREA FOR THE WEEKEND THROUGH THE
MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK WITH TEMPERATURES EXPECTED TO RISE TO WELL
ABOVE SEASONAL NORMALS BY NEXT MONDAY.

&&

.AVIATION...
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY...LCL IFR VSBYS WILL BE POSSIBLE ALONG THE
WEST SIDE OF THE VALLEY THIS EVENING UNTIL 15Z WEDNESDAY DUE TO
WIND GUSTS TO 30KT BELOW THE COASTAL MOUNTAIN PASSES. OTHERWISE
MVFR CONDITIONS IN AREAS OF RAIN AFTER 15Z.

SIERRA NEVADA...MOUNTAIN OBSCURATIONS AND SNOW DEVELOPING BY 06Z
MAINLY NORTH OF THE KINGS RIVER. SNOW AND OBSCURATIONS EXTENDING
INTO THE TULARE MOUNTAINS AFTER 12Z.

KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS AND DESERT...VFR CONDITIONS UNTIL 18Z. THAN
MOUNTAIN OBSCURATIONS AND RAIN DEVELOPING THEREAFTER OVER
THE TEHACHAPI MOUNTAINS. VFR CONDITIONS IN THE THE KERN COUNTY
DESERT DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

&&

.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 LOW.

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 03-05       84:1929     46:1981     57:1890     31:1971
KFAT 03-06       86:1899     48:1952     54:2011     31:1971
KFAT 03-07       84:1899     48:1918     57:1986     30:1969

KBFL 03-05       86:1929     50:1981     58:1975     30:1923
KBFL 03-06       82:1972     51:1958     57:1972     30:1903
KBFL 03-07       83:1993     51:1919     63:1975     28:1907
&&

.HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 10 PM PST
WEDNESDAY ABOVE 5000 FEET FOR THE CAZ096.

&&

PUBLIC...DS
AVN/FW...MV
SYNOPSIS...BSO

WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD

Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 5, 4:25 AM PST, 9 hours 53 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
425 AM PST TUE MAR 5 2013

CAZ096-061300-
SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON-
425 AM PST TUE MAR 5 2013

...SNOW IN THE SIERRA NEVADA...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA
FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT ABOVE 5000 FEET BEGINNING
AT 10 PM PST THIS EVENING. FOR DETAILS..PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST
WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE /SFOWSWHNX/ ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN HANFORD.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT ABOVE 5000 FEET THROUGH 10
PM PST WEDNESDAY EVENING. FOR DETAILS..PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST
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>092-061300-
WEST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-EAST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-
SOUTHWESTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-SOUTHEASTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-
425 AM PST TUE MAR 5 2013

...DUST THIS EVENING THEN THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE THURSDAY AND
FRIDAY...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

GUSTY SOUTHERLY WINDS MAY CREATE AREAS OF BLOWING DUST THIS
EVENING...ESPECIALLY IN MERCED AND WESTERN FRESNO COUNTIES.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THURSDAY AND
FRIDAY.

.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.

CAZ098-099-061300-
INDIAN WELLS VALLEY-SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT-
425 AM PST TUE MAR 5 2013

...THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE KERN COUNTY DESERTS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY AFTERNOON
AND EVENING...ESPECIALLY OVER THE SOUTHERN DESERT NEAR
ROSAMOND...EDWARDS AFB AND BORON.

.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

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 strong wind, 3 flood, 1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Strong Wind, Sw S.J. Valley

When: March 5, 2:18 PM PST to March 6, 3:25 AM PST
Where: Sw S.J. Valley forecast zone
Measured: 45 kt (52 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $3,000
Reported by: Mesonet

Strong Wind, W Central S.J. Valley

When: March 5, 8:01 PM PST to March 6, 3:25 AM PST
Where: W Central S.J. Valley forecast zone
Measured: 45 kt (52 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $3,000
Reported by: Mesonet

Flood, Tulare

When: March 7, 7:24 PM PST to 8:24 PM PST
Where: Tulare County, 3.62 mi WSW of Springville to 4.07 mi WSW of Springville
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 36.110, -118.880

Road flooding was reported at Highway 190 and Success Valley Drive.

Winter Weather, Kern Cty Mtns

When: March 7, 10:00 PM PST to March 9, 4:00 AM PST
Where: Kern Cty Mtns forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Flood, Kern

When: March 8, 8:37 AM PST to 9:37 AM PST
Where: Kern County, 1.83 mi WSW of Magunden to 2.72 mi ESE of Magunden
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: Fire Department/Rescue
Coordinates: 35.360, -118.930

Road flooding was reported at Edison Highway and Fairfax Road.

Flood, Kings

When: March 8, 10:55 AM PST to 11:55 AM PST
Where: Kings County, 8.38 mi E of Hanford Muni Arpt to 8.27 mi E of Hanford Muni Arpt
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 36.330, -119.480

Road flooding was reported at Highway 198 and 1st Avenue.

Strong Wind, Kern Cty Mtns

When: March 8, 3:27 PM PST to March 9, 4:00 AM PST
Where: Kern Cty Mtns forecast zone
Measured: 49 kt (56 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: Mesonet

Strong Wind, Se Kern Cty Desert

When: March 8, 3:27 PM PST to March 9, 4:00 AM PST
Where: Se Kern Cty Desert forecast zone
Measured: 45 kt (52 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: Mesonet

What these are

Strong Wind: Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.
Flood: Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.
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

Every storm in California in 2013 Every state in 2013 This day in weather history Warnings in California, March 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: 442268, 442267, 442264, 442269, 442263, 442261, 442265, 442266.