A Pacific Northwest low pressure system moving southeast into the Great Basin area in southern Nevada region and the cold front associated with this low continued to move through south central California region. Strong upper southeasterly jet streak moving around the periphery of the aforementioned low and accompanying jet dynamics coupled with strong pressure gradients brought strong winds to…
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.
A Pacific Northwest low pressure system moving southeast into the Great Basin area in southern Nevada region and the cold front associated with this low continued to move through south central California region. Strong upper southeasterly jet streak moving around the periphery of the aforementioned low and accompanying jet dynamics coupled with strong pressure gradients brought strong winds to the Kern County Desert areas.
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 Apr 25, 3:18 AM PST, 9 hours 42 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA 418 AM PDT MON APR 25 2016 .SYNOPSIS...BLUSTERY WINDS AND BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES WILL OCCUR THROUGHOUT THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA THROUGH THIS EVENING IN THE WAKE OF A STORM SYSTEM OVER THE GREAT BASIN. A FEW SHOWERS WILL LINGER OVER THE MOUNTAINS TODAY AS WELL. A WEAK RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL BRING DRY WEATHER AND MUCH LIGHTER WINDS TO THE REGION FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. A PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM COULD BRING WET WEATHER INTO THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA INTERIOR WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL AVERAGE COOLER THAN NORMAL THROUGH THURSDAY. && .DISCUSSION...AN UPPER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM DROPPED INTO THE GREAT BASIN WITH AN ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT PUSHING SOUTHWARD THROUGH CENTRAL CA ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON. AN UNSTABLE AIRMASS BEHIND THE COLD FRONT ALONG WITH FAVORABLE JET DYNAMICS PROVIDED FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT IN THE SOUTH SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY ON SUNDAY EVENING. SEVERAL SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS WERE ISSUED ON SUNDAY EVENING AND THERE WERE SOME REPORTS OF LARGE HAIL IN STRATFORD...TULARE AND NEAR BAKERSFIELD. IN THE WAKE OF THE CONVECTION AS THE LOW SLOWLY MOVES EAST...SOME UPSLOPE CLOUDS PERSIST OVER THE SOUTH END OF THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AS WELL AS OVER THE VALLEY FACING SLOPES OF THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA AND TEHACHAPI MOUNTAINS WHILE SKIES HAVE BEEN CLEARING OUT ELSEWHERE ACROSS OUR AREA. THE 06Z WRF IS INDICATING A SECONDARY VORT MAX DROPPING SOUTHWARD OVER CENTRAL CA TODAY WHICH WILL PROVIDE FOR CHANCES OF SHOWERS OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS TODAY. MEANWHILE...INCREASED ONSHORE SURFACE P-GRADS AND A STRONG NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST ORIENTED UPPER JET MAX PROVIDE FOR ENOUGH POST-FRONTAL SUBSIDENCE FOR STRONG WINDS LATE TODAY OVER THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS. MAV GUIDANCE IS TRENDING STRONGER WITH WINDS AND IS NOW INDICATING SUSTAINED WINDS NEAR 60 KT IN MOJAVE LATE TODAY AND ABOVE 40 KT IN PORTIONS OF THE KERN COUNTY DESERTS. WE HAVE UPGRADED THE EXISTING HIGH WIND WATCH WHICH...WAS IN EFFECT FOR THESE AREAS FROM 900 AM THIS MORNING TO 11 PM THIS EVENING...TO A HIGH WIND WARNING AS A RESULT AS STRONG WINDS WILL PROVIDE FOR DANGEROUS TRAVELING CONDITIONS IN THESE AREAS LATE THIS MORNING THROUGH THIS EVENING. WE HAVE ALSO EXPANDED THE WIND ADVISORY FOR PORTIONS OF THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY TO INCLUDE PORTIONS OF THE EAST CENTRAL VALLEY AS WELL AS ACROSS THE WEST SIDE AS GUIDANCE IS INDICATING STRONG WINDS FROM LATE THIS MORNING THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING FOR PORTIONS OF THE VALLEY. THE WINDS WILL DIMINISH BY LATE TONIGHT AS A SHORTWAVE RIDGE BRIEFLY ESTABLISHES ITSELF OVER CENTRAL CA. THE RIDGE WILL ALSO PROVIDE FOR A RECOVERY IN TEMPERATURES ACROSS OUR AREA AFTER AN UNSEASONABLY COOL DAY TODAY. IT WILL ALSO PROVIDE FOR MAINLY CLEAR SKIES AND DRY CONDITIONS ON TUESDAY. THE NEXT UPPER LOW THAT WILL IMPACT OUR AREA WILL DROP INTO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA BY WEDNESDAY MORNING. THIS SYSTEM WILL BRING INCREASED CLOUDS...CHANCES OF PRECIPITATION AND CONTINUED BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES TO OUR AREA FOR WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. THE MEDIUM RANGE MODELS AND THEIR ENSEMBLE MEMBERS ARE INDICATING A DRY UPPER RIDGE AMPLIFYING OFF THE CA COAST ON FRIDAY AND THE MOD TREND IS INDICATING STRONG POSITIVE REGRESSION SHOWING INCREASED CONFIDENCE IN A TREND TOWARD WARMER TEMEPRATURES AND DRIER CONDITIONS FOR OUR AREA LATER IN THE WEEK ENOUGH INSTABILITY WILL REMAIN OVER THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA FOR A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS. ANOTHER UPPER LOW IS PROGGED TO DROP SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE GREAT BASIN OVER THE WEEKEND WHICH MIGHT SLOW DOWN THE WARMING TREND WITH INCREASED NORTHERLY FLOW OVER OUR AREA AND PROVIDE FOR ENOUGH INSTABILITY FOR A FEW MOUNTAIN SHOWERS ON SATURDAY. THE RIDGE IS THEN PROGGED TO STRENGTHEN OVER THE WESTERN CONUS COAST EARLY NEXT WEEK FOR DRY CONDITIONS AND ABOVE NORMAL TEMEPRATURES. && .AVIATION...MVFR CEILINGS CAN BE EXPECTED ALONG THE NORTH FACING SLOPES OF THE TEHACHAPI MOUNTAINS AND ALONG THE WEST SLOPES OF THE SIERRA NEVADA UNTIL 19Z TODAY WITH IMPROVEMENT TO VFR THIS AFTERNOON. STRONG WINDS OF 35 KNOTS OR GREATER WILL OCCUR THROUGH AND BELOW THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAIN PASSES UNTIL 06Z TUESDAY AND ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY BETWEEN 19Z TODAY AND 03Z TUESDAY. VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL ELSEWHERE OVER THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA INTERIOR DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. && .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. CERTAINTY LEVELS INCLUDE LOW...MEDIUM...AND HIGH. PLEASE VISIT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/HNX/CERTAINTY.PHP FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AN/OR TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK. && .HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO 11 PM PDT THIS EVENING CAZ095-098-099. WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 9 AM PDT THIS MORNING CAZ095-098-099. WIND ADVISORY FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO 8 PM PDT THIS EVENING CAZ089>091. && PUBLIC...DS AVN/FW...DURFEE SYNOPSIS...DURFEE WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HANFORD CA
1255 PM PDT MON APR 25 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0914 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 13 W RED ROCK CANYON 35.29N 118.23W
04/25/2016 E59 MPH KERN CA MESONET
JAWBONE CANYON RAWS
&&
BSOPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HANFORD CA
1256 PM PDT MON APR 25 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0810 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 15 NNE OYNX 35.88N 118.08W
04/25/2016 E63 MPH TULARE CA PUBLIC
BEAR PEAK RAWS. ELEVATION 8,228 FT.
&&
BSOPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HANFORD CA
1258 PM PDT MON APR 25 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0426 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 2 NW INDIAN WELLS VALLE 35.68N 117.89W
04/25/2016 E73 MPH KERN CA MESONET
INDIAN WELLS CANYON RAWS (JUST WEST OF HWY
14)
&&
BSOPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HANFORD CA
100 PM PDT MON APR 25 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0335 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 6 NW MOJAVE 35.11N 118.27W
04/25/2016 E63 MPH KERN CA OFFICIAL NWS OBS
APRS LOCATED AT CACHE CREEK CHP STATION
&&
BSOPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HANFORD CA
129 PM PDT MON APR 25 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0119 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 4 NNE MOJAVE 35.10N 118.14W
04/25/2016 0 MPH KERN CA BROADCAST MEDIA
CLOSURE OF WESTBOUND HWY 58 AT JUNCTION WITH
HWY 14 DUE TO OVERTURNED SEMI-TRUCKS. GUSTS
AROUND 60 MPH HAVE BEEN REPORTED AT NEARBY
AIRPORT SINCE AROUND 12:00 PM PDT.
&&
BSOPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HANFORD CA
143 PM PDT MON APR 25 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0140 PM HAIL 5 W FISH CAMP 37.47N 119.74W
04/25/2016 E0.25 INCH MARIPOSA CA TRAINED SPOTTER
HAIL MIXED WITH SNOW; TEMPERATURE AROUND 40
DEGREES. ELEVATION ABOUT 3,500 FEET.
&&
BSO4 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Received report from Mojave ASOS between 1300 PST and 1430 PST of 45 to 50 mph sustained winds and peak wind gust of 61 mph at 1340 PST.
Received report of road closures due to high winds at west bound California state route 58 and California state highway 14 near exit 167 both near Mojave California from 23ABC news in Bakersfield.
Received report of semi-trucks overturned on California state highway 14 around exit 167 near Mojave California from Bakersfield 23ABC news.
Received report from Red Rock Canyon APRS of sustained winds of 27-38 mph and peak wind gusts of 59 mph between 1621 PST and 1654 PST.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in California, April 2016
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: 633239, 633242, 633246, 633251.