California, 2016

Excessive Heat in California, July 29 to 30, 2016

July 29 to 30, 2016 · NWS HNX · 10 events in 2 counties and zones

Strong high pressure over the southwestern continental United States brought triple digit heat to the central California region including the San Joaquin Valley and Kern County desert areas. Excessive heat was observed in parts of the Kern County desert.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
10

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.

Strong high pressure over the southwestern continental United States brought triple digit heat to the central California region including the San Joaquin Valley and Kern County desert areas. Excessive heat was observed in parts of the Kern County desert.

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 Jul 29, 1:58 AM PST, 8 hours 2 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 29, 1:58 AM PST, 8 hours 2 minutes before
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Event by event

10 excessive heat. Local standard time, as filed.

Excessive Heat, Se Kern Cty Desert

When
July 29, 10:00 AM PST to 7:00 PM PST
Where
Se Kern Cty Desert forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS

Mojave ASOS (KMHV) reported a high temperature of 108 degrees on 7/29.

Excessive Heat, Se Kern Cty Desert

When
July 29, 10:00 AM PST to 7:00 PM PST
Where
Se Kern Cty Desert forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet

Red Rock Canyon APRS (D9138) reported a high temperature of 110 degrees on 7/29.

Excessive Heat, Se Kern Cty Desert

When
July 29, 10:00 AM PST to 7:00 PM PST
Where
Se Kern Cty Desert forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet

California City APRS (C9012) reported a high temperature of 111 degrees on 7/29.

Excessive Heat, Indian Wells Vly

When
July 29, 10:00 AM PST to 7:00 PM PST
Where
Indian Wells Vly forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet

Ridgecrest APRS (C9067) reported a high temperature of 115 degrees on 7/29.

Excessive Heat, Indian Wells Vly

When
July 29, 10:00 AM PST to 7:00 PM PST
Where
Indian Wells Vly forecast zone
Reported by
RAWS

Indian Wells Canyon RAWS (IWLC1) reported a high temperature of 106 degrees on 7/29.

Excessive Heat, Indian Wells Vly

When
July 30, 10:00 AM PST to 7:00 PM PST
Where
Indian Wells Vly forecast zone
Reported by
RAWS

Indian Wells Canyon RAWS (IWLC1) reported a high temperature of 104 degrees on 7/30.

Excessive Heat, Indian Wells Vly

When
July 30, 10:00 AM PST to 7:00 PM PST
Where
Indian Wells Vly forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet

Ridgecrest APRS (C9067) reported a high temperature of 110 degrees on 7/30.

Excessive Heat, Se Kern Cty Desert

When
July 30, 10:00 AM PST to 7:00 PM PST
Where
Se Kern Cty Desert forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet

Red Rock Canyon APRS (D9138) reported a high temperature of 107 degrees on 7/30.

Excessive Heat, Se Kern Cty Desert

When
July 30, 10:00 AM PST to 7:00 PM PST
Where
Se Kern Cty Desert forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet

California City APRS (C9012) reported a high temperature of 105 degrees on 7/30.

Excessive Heat, Se Kern Cty Desert

When
July 30, 10:00 AM PST to 7:00 PM PST
Where
Se Kern Cty Desert forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS

Mojave ASOS (KMHV) reported a high temperature of 106 degrees on 7/30.

What these are

Excessive Heat
Heat at or above the local excessive heat warning criteria, or heat that caused deaths.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in California in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in California, July 2016

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 649292, 649293, 649294, 649295, 649296, 649297, 649298, 649299, 649300, 649301.