An upper level low pressure system with an associated boundary moving southeast across central California with tightening surface pressure gradients created strong gusty winds in Sierra Nevada Mountains, Kern County Mountains, and Kern County Desert areas.
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.
An upper level low pressure system with an associated boundary moving southeast across central California with tightening surface pressure gradients created strong gusty winds in Sierra Nevada Mountains, Kern County Mountains, and 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 Nov 16, 2:51 AM PST, 9 hours 23 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service San Joaquin Valley - Hanford CA 251 AM PST Wed Nov 16 2016 .SYNOPSIS...A Pacific storm system will bring a change from our recent dry and warmer than normal weather as it moves through the region today. There will be a chance for some light precipitation, mainly in the mountains. Cooler temperatures and increased winds will accompany the system through Thursday, then dry and warming again for the end of the week. Another storm system is expected to impact the area by the first part of next week && .DISCUSSION...Upper trough moving over the coast this morning with a weakening front producing some very light precipitation. Radar shows some very weak echoes and rain gauge reports are generally just a trace to a few hundredths of an inch thus far. Expect some upslope showers through the afternoon as the trough moves inland, then end this evening as it pushes east of the district. The lack of moisture will limit amounts to mainly less than a tenth of an inch. Snow levels are currently around 8000 feet, but will lower through the afternoon. A dusting of snow could occur down to 6000 feet by this evening, with localized one inch amounts above 7000 feet. The more notable impacts from this system will be increased winds and cooler conditions. The onshore surface pressure gradient is ramping up with SFO-LAS nearly 12 MB. Winds are already gusting to around 40 mph through the Kern County mountain passes and will increase further this morning. A wind advisory is in effect for the Kern Co mountains and desert from 10 AM to 10 PM. Winds will also become breezy in the San Joaquin Valley with gusty conditions along the west side. Blowing dust will be possible in these areas. The prolonged period of well above normal temperatures will come to an end today as a colder air mass moves in. Highs are forecast to be near mid November normals today and Thursday. Upper ridging will begin to build in from the Pacific on Thursday with dry conditions and a warming trend to end the week. Temperatures will climb back up to several degrees above normal again by Saturday. Forecast confidence becomes low as we move into the latter part of the weekend and early next week. Medium range models continue to struggle with a trough off the coast. It's looking more likely to be a splitting trough which typically limits precipitation across inland central California. Have made little changes to the current forecast of slight to low chance POPs beginning Saturday night and continuing through Monday. && .AVIATION...In the southern Sierra Nevada and adjacent foothills Increasing areas of MVFR with local IFR in mountain obscuring low clouds and precipitation through 00z Thursday. In the Tehachapi mountains areas of MVFR and local IFR in mountain obscuring upslope low clouds. Areas of wind gusts above 35KT in`the Tehachapi mountains and Kern County deserts 18Z Wed through 06z Thursday. Otherwise... VFR conditions can be expected elsewhere across the central CA interior 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. 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... Wind Advisory from 10 AM this morning to 10 PM PST this evening CAZ095-098-099. && public...DCH avn/fw...JDB synopsis...DCH weather.gov/hanford
9 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong winds with gusts of 58 mph to 72 mph at Jawbone Canyon mesonet (JWBC1) between 1214 PST and 2145 PST.
Strong winds with gusts of 65 mph to 88 mph at Indian Wells Canyon mesonet (IWLC1) between 1326 PST and 1930 PST.
Strong winds with gusts of 58 mph to 71 mph at Blue Max mesonet (TR518) between 1432 PST and 1732 PST.
Strong winds with gusts of 58 mph to 59 mph at Mojave Airport AWOS (KMHV) between 1500 PST and 1530 PST.
Strong winds with sustained 88 mph to 90 mph winds near Tuolumne Meadows mesonet (TUMC1) between 1600 PST and 1800 PST.
Strong winds with gust of 60 mph at China Lake ASOS (KNID) between 1746 PST and 1756 PST.
Strong winds with gusts of 58 mph to 62 mph at Cache Creek mesonet (AU563) between 1758 PST and 2104 PST.
Strong winds with gusts of 58 mph to 64 mph at Waren Siding Mojave mesonet (UP479) between 1830 PST and 1945 PST.
Strong winds with gust of 63 mph at Bear Peak mesonet (BPKC1) between 2110 PST and 2140 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, November 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: 667255, 667247, 667250, 667245, 667243, 667252, 667256, 667259, 667258.