Wildfire in California, September 1 to 30, 2013

Name: Wildfire in California, September 1 to 30, 2013
Start: 2013-09-01T00:00
End: 2013-09-30T23:59
Location: California

September 1 to 30, 2013 · NWS HNX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

The Rim Fire was partly in Stanislaus NF and Partly in Yosemite National Park. The ignition date was 8/17/13 at 1525 PDT.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $15 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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 Rim Fire was partly in Stanislaus NF and Partly in Yosemite National Park. The ignition date was 8/17/13 at 1525 PDT. The cause was human and the location was 2 Miles Northeast of Buck Meadows. The size was 257,135 acres and containment was reached on 10/6/13 (92% contained as of 9/30/13). Structures Lost: 97 Outbuildings, 11 Primary, 3 Commercial and the cost to containment was $126.3 Million as of 9/30/13. There were no fatalities and known injuries related to the fire. The Rim Fire was the largest wildfire ever on record in the California Sierra Nevada and the 3rd largest in California history.

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 Aug 31, 8:05 PM PST, 3 hours 55 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 31, 8:05 PM PST, 3 hours 55 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
905 PM PDT SAT AUG 31 2013

.UPDATE...
CANCELLED THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS
AND THE KERN COUNTY DESERTS.

&&

.SYNOPSIS...
AN UPPER-LEVEL RIDGE WILL KEEP THE REGION WARM AND DRY THROUGH THE
REMAINDER OF THE LABOR DAY WEEKEND EXCEPT FOR A CHANCE OF
THUNDERSTORMS DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS OVER THE HIGHER
ELEVATIONS OF THE SIERRA NEVADA AND TEHACHAPI MOUNTAINS...AS WELL AS
THE DESERT OF EASTERN KERN COUNTY.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY HAS DIMINISHED ACROSS THE HANFORD WARNING/
FORECAST AREA...SO HAVE CANCELLED THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE
TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS AND THE KERN COUNTY DESERTS. HOWEVER...
THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHERN INYO AND NORTH CENTRAL SAN BERNARDINO
COUNTIES HAVE BEGUN BUILDING WESTWARD AND MAY THREATEN THE HIGHER
ELEVATIONS OF THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA AS WELL AS THE INDIAN
WELLS VALLEY LATER TONIGHT.

BOTH BAKERSFIELD AND FRESNO REACHED THE CENTURY MARK FOR THE LAST
DAY OF AUGUST...DESPITE MID AND HIGH CLOUDS ASSOCIATED WITH THE
TROPICAL AIRMASS MOVING INTO THE STATE...AS WELL AS SMOKE FROM THE
RIM WILDFIRE. THE LOWS AT BOTH CITIES THIS MORNING WERE ONLY ONE
DEGREE SHY OF THE RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURES...WHICH GAVE A
WARM START TO THE DAY.

THE MAIN WEATHER FEATURE REMAINS THE UPPER-LEVEL RIDGE OVER THE
SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES. IT IS A MIX OF TROPICAL /FROM THE
REMNANTS OF FORMER TROPICAL STORM JULIETTE/ AND MONSOONAL MOISTURE
WRAPPING AROUND THE RIDGE THAT BROUGHT THUNDERSTORMS TO THE
REGION...ESPECIALLY THE FRAZIER PARK-LAKE OF THE WOODS AREA AND
THE SOUTHEASTERN TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS. THE 00Z MODELS FORECAST
THE UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH OFF THE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA COAST TO MOVE
ONSHORE SUNDAY AND DISPLACE THE RIDGE SOUTHEASTWARD. HOWEVER...
HISTORICALLY THIS TYPE OF PATTERN HAS BEEN HARD TO DISPLACE AND
WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE TEMPERATURES SUNDAY SIMILAR TO TODAY
ALLOWING FOR SKY COVER AND SMOKE LAYERS.

&&

.AVIATION...
AREAS OF MVFR VISIBILITY IN SMOKE POSSIBLE IN THE SAN JOAQUIN
VALLEY AND ADJACENT HIGHER TERRAIN. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE
EXPECTED OVER THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA AND TEHACHAPI MOUNTAINS AND
KERN COUNTY DESERTS AFTER 18Z SUNDAY. OTHERWISE...VFR CONDITIONS
WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA INTERIOR DURING THE NEXT 24
HOURS.

&&

.PREV DISC... /ISSUED 409 PM PDT SAT AUG 31 2013/

.DISCUSSION...WATER VAPOR IMAGERY AGAIN SHOWED A NARROW CORRIDOR
OF DRY MID LEVELS WAS AGAIN PRESENT ALBEIT FURTHER NORTH OVER
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. TO THE NORTH OF THE CORRIDOR WAS A STREAM OF
MODERATELY MOIST AIR WHICH WAS ASSOCIATED WITH AN UPPER LEVEL LOW
LOCATED WEST OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST COAST. MEANWHILE TO THE
SOUTH WAS AN ABNORMALLY MOIST TROPICAL AIRMASS BEING PUSHED SLOWLY
NORTHWARD BY A BROAD AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED OVER THE
CENTRAL CONUS.

THE TROPICAL MONSOONAL AIRMASS MOVED FURTHER NORTH TODAY AS
PORTRAYED ON THIS MORNINGS WATER VAPOR IMAGERY. SURFACE DEW
POINTS IN SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY WERE RUNNING IN THE LOWER 60
DEGREE TERRITORY. UPPER AIR PROFILES WERE ALMOST CARBON COPIES OF
THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS WITH WEAK VERTICAL INSTABILITY...MOIST MID
TO LOWER LEVELS...AND TOTAL LACK OF VERTICAL SHEAR. ISSUED A FLASH
FLOOD WATCH FOR THE TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS AND KERN COUNTY DESERT
AREAS AS AVAILABLE MOISTURE IS GREATER THAN YESTERDAY AND AGAIN
VERY WEAK STEERING FLOW PRESENT. THESE FACTORS WILL ALLOW FOR AN
INCREASED CHANCE OF LOCALIZED FLOODING WHERE THUNDERSTORMS DO
DEVELOP. THE WATCH WILL BE IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM PDT.

ATTM...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED OVER THE
TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS PROMPTING A SMALL STREAM FLOOD ADVISORY. A
COUPLE OF THUNDERSTORM CELLS DID DEVELOP NEAR THE GRAPEVINE
CORRIDOR JUST SOUTH OF LAKE OF THE WOODS IN WHICH HEAVY RAINFALL
COUPLED WITH PUBLIC REPORTS OF STREET FLOODING AND DEBRIS FLOWS
REQUIRED THE ISSUANCE OF A FLASH FLOOD WARNING. THESE STORMS
FIRED UP DUE TO A VORTICITY MAX THAT WAS MOVING NORTHEASTWARD OVER
THE AREA. WILL BE WATCHING FOR FURTHER CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT THE
NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS OVER THE KERN COUNTY DESERT AREAS WITH THIS
VORT MAX MOVING OVER THOSE AREAS. STORMS HAVE BEEN OF THE PULSE
VARIETY WITH THE LOW TO MID LEVEL DAYTIME INSTABILITY AND HIGHER
ELEVATION MARGINAL INSTABILITY. EXPECTATIONS ARE THAT CONVECTIVE
ACTIVITY WILL DIMINISH THIS EVENING SHORTLY AFTER SUNSET.

THUNDERSTORMS WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE TOMORROW ESPECIALLY IN THE
KERN COUNTY DESERT AND SIERRA CREST AREAS. THUNDERSTORM CHANCES
WILL INCREASE FURTHER NORTH THAN TODAY AS THE MOIST AIRMASS
CONTINUES TO MOVE NORTHWARD. INCREASED CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS
WILL CONTINUE THROUGH AT LEAST MONDAY. THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST LOW
PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE SOUTHWARD AND BRING A MORE ONSHORE FLOW
AND THEREFORE DRIER AND SLIGHTLY COOLER TEMPERATURES. THERE IS
SOME QUESTION AS TO THE TIMING AND SPEED OF THIS FEATURE AS MODEL
DATA THE LAST FEW DAYS HAS BEEN PUSHING THE ARRIVAL OF THIS
FEATURE BACK WITH EACH SUBSEQUENT RUN. TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED
TO REMAIN NEAR NORMAL THROUGH TUESDAY WHEN THE HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE
BUILDS BACK INTO THE REGION AGAIN PUSHING TEMPERATURES BACK INTO
ABOVE NORMAL RANGES.

&&

.AIR QUALITY ISSUES...
PLEASE SEE SFOAQAHNX.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...CALL YOUR LOCAL AIR DISTRICT

SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AIR DISTRICT OFFICES...
    MODESTO      209.557.6400...
    FRESNO       559.230.6000...
    BAKERSFIELD  661.392.5500

MARIPOSA COUNTY AIR DISTRICT OFFICE...209.966.2220

TUOLUMNE COUNTY AIR DISTRICT OFFICE...209.533.5693

&&

.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 08-31      107:2007     69:1964     75:2007     50:1887
KFAT 09-01      107:1888     73:1964     76:2007     51:1964
KFAT 09-02      108:1955     76:2000     77:1998     48:1964

KBFL 08-31      111:1967     79:1966     80:2007     45:1912
KBFL 09-01      107:1902     74:1964     79:2007     53:1901
KBFL 09-02      110:1955     77:1946     78:1998     50:1913

&&

.HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NONE.

&&

PUBLIC...SANGER
AVN/FW...DCH
PREV DISCUSSION...ANDERSEN
SYNOPSIS...BSO

WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD

Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 31, 7:00 PM PST, 5 hours before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
800 PM PDT SAT AUG 31 2013

CAZ097>099-020300-
TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS-INDIAN WELLS VALLEY-
SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT-
800 PM PDT SAT AUG 31 2013

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH CANCELLED...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE KERN COUNTY DESERTS
AND THE TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

THERE WILL BE A DAILY THREAT OF AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS
THROUGH MONDAY. PLEASE SEE THE LATEST SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
/SFOSPSHNX/ FOR 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.

CAZ095-096-020300-
KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS-SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON-
800 PM PDT SAT AUG 31 2013

...AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS...

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

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

THERE WILL BE A DAILY THREAT OF AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS
THROUGH MONDAY. PLEASE SEE THE LATEST SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
/SFOSPSHNX/ FOR 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.

SANGER

WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD

Event by event

1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.

Wildfire, S Sierra Mtns

When: September 1, 12:00 AM PST to September 30, 11:59 PM PST
Where: S Sierra Mtns forecast zone
Property damage: $15 million
Reported by: Park/Forest Service

What these are

Wildfire: A fire burning in wildland vegetation, with its acreage and damage where known.

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, September 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: 510076.