The California drought strength lessened over during the month of January, 2017. 76 precipitation during the month.
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.
The California drought strength lessened over during the month of January, 2017. Fresno received 5.50 of precipitation and Bakersfield received 2.76 precipitation during the month. Fresno had much above normal precipitation with 3.31 above normal. Bakersfield had significantly above normal precipitation with 1.60 above the normal precipitation amounts. Above normal precipitation amounts did allow for continued improvement on drought conditions with an increase in soil moisture and significant reservoir recharge.
The U.S. Drought Monitor continued to report drought conditions across the entire Central California region. However, several reductions in the drought category occurred during the month. The first happened on January 10th across the northern most portions of the area due to above normal rainfall. The trend continued the following week across the Sierra Nevada Range north of Sequoia National Park. This too was due to above normal precipitation and a good amount of snow pack. Valley locations were still experiencing many dry wells even with the above normal precipitation. However, by the 24th valley locations too had a reduction in category as streams and lakes began to fill due to the wet month. Only a small area in southwestern Kern county had the Extreme (D3) category left, though most of the San Joaquin Valley were still under Severe Drought (D2). The month ended with only the San Emigdio Mountains remaining under Extreme Drought (D3).
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 Dec 31, 3:44 PM PST, 8 hours 16 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service San Joaquin Valley - Hanford CA 344 PM PST Sat Dec 31 2016 .UPDATE...Updated air quality issues. && .SYNOPSIS... Low pressure center off the Central California coast will bring in San Joaquin Valley rain and snow to the Kern county mountains tonight. Unsettled weather will continue through Monday. Another storm system is expected to reach the region by Wednesday and remain unsettled through next Saturday. && .DISCUSSION... Tonight...Upper low off the central California coast is providing plenty of lift across the SJV for moderate rain this afternoon. The low center is tracking south into SOCAL this evening with cold air moving in behind it. Snow levels are expected to drop very quickly this evening across the Kern Co mountains. Snow levels are expected to drop down to pass level as the upper low pushes into SOCAL tonight. We currently have a Winter Weather Advisory in effect for dangerous travel across the Grapevine and the Tehachapi passes. Sunday...Weak ridging behind the upper low center moving through will quiet things down a bit. guidance is still trying to provide some shower activity in the Sierra as NW flow aloft will provide some upslope flow for clouds and a few showers Sunday afternoon and evening. We may once again see some patchy fog development in the SJV late Sunday night into Monday morning. Monday and Tuesday...This is where things get difficult as far the forecast goes. All of the guidance had previously been advertising a very cold arctic low center dropping south out of Western Canada into our region by Tuesday. There had been forecast precipitation ahead of the front that was expected to drop south into our area by Wednesday. Well, the guidance has backed off that solution significantly and stalls the front to our North intoNRN Ca. Wednesday and Thursday...New guidance is bringing a weak wave along the stalled arctic front to our north and clips our NRN CWA Wednesday night. Again, this is huge change from the previous forecast with not only chances of precipitation but also temperature forecasts. At this point we are not going to totally buy into this pattern change and will trend towards the new solution. We have lowered pops a bit and warmed up temps a bit, but not really buying into the guidance yet....since it such a huge change. Friday and Saturday...Deep closed low center over the Gulf of AK slips south off the PAC NW coast as airmass modifies a bit. Upper ridge over Baja in conjunction with the deep upper sets up an Atmospheric River situation for potentially heavy precipitation event starting Friday and continuing through Saturday or even longer. With this pattern, warmer temperatures would also be expected with high snow levels. && .AVIATION...Precipitation spreading eastward over San Joaquin Valley with areas of MVFR and local IFR conditions thru 12Z Sun. In the Southern Sierra Nevada, areas of mountain obscuring IFR ceilings in low clouds and precipitation thru around 12Z Sunday for areas mainly north of Kern County. In Kern County, expect MVFR conditions and showers, except IFR ceilings due to mountain obscurations through 18Z Sun. In addition, isolated thunderstorms possible in much of Kern County with gusty winds and heavy rain at times thru 06Z Sunday. Otherwise, VFR conditions are expected through the next 24 hours. && .AIR QUALITY ISSUES... None. && .CERTAINTY... The level of certainty for days 1 and 2 is low. 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... Winter Weather Advisory until midnight PST tonight CAZ095. && public...JDB avn/fw...BSO synopsis...JDB weather.gov/hanford
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HANFORD CA
730 PM PST SAT DEC 31 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0725 PM FLASH FLOOD 3 ENE LAMONT 35.29N 118.86W
12/31/2016 KERN CA LAW ENFORCEMENT
MULTIPLE VEHICLES STUCK IN FLOODED ROADWAY
ON MALAGA RD & MOUNTAIN VIEW RD.
&&
RILEYPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HANFORD CA
1014 PM PST SAT DEC 31 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1000 PM HEAVY SNOW 3 SSW LAKE ISABELLA 35.59N 118.50W
12/31/2016 M2.0 INCH KERN CA PUBLIC
2 INCHES OF SNOW IN BODFISH AS OF 10 PM AT
2,675 FEET.
&&
RILEYPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HANFORD CA
1055 PM PST SAT DEC 31 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0955 PM HEAVY SNOW KEENE 35.22N 118.56W
12/31/2016 U0.0 INCH KERN CA LAW ENFORCEMENT
HIGHWAY 58 CLOSED FROM KEENE TO TEHACHAPI
DUE TO SNOW.
&&
RILEYPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HANFORD CA
1100 PM PST SAT DEC 31 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0644 PM HEAVY SNOW 2 SSW LEBEC 34.82N 118.88W
12/31/2016 U0.0 INCH KERN CA LAW ENFORCEMENT
CHP CLOSED INTERSTATE 5 ALONG THE GRAPEVINE
FROM THE KERN/LOS ANGELES COUNTY LINE TO 25
MILES SOUTH OF BAKERSFIELD DUE TO SNOW. CHP
REOPENED I5 AT 10:30 PM.
&&
RILEY11 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Persistent drought conditions continued to be reported. However, wetting rainfall during the month did lessen the short term impacts across the area.
Persistent drought conditions continued to be reported. However, wetting rainfall during the month did lessen the short term impacts across the area.
Persistent drought conditions continued to be reported. However, wetting rainfall during the month did lessen the short term impacts across the area.
Persistent drought conditions continued to be reported. However, wetting rainfall during the month did lessen the short term impacts across the area.
Persistent drought conditions continued to be reported. However, wetting rainfall during the month did lessen the short term impacts across the area.
Persistent drought conditions continued to be reported. However, wetting rainfall during the month did lessen the short term impacts across the area.
Persistent drought conditions continued to be reported. However, wetting rainfall during the month did lessen the short term impacts across the area. This left only a small area of Extreme Drought (D3) in the Kern County mountainous area.
Persistent drought conditions continued to be reported. However, wetting rainfall during the month did lessen the short term impacts across the area.
Persistent drought conditions continued to be reported. However, wetting rainfall during the month did lessen the short term impacts across the area.
Persistent drought conditions continued to be reported. However, wetting rainfall during the month did lessen the short term impacts across the area.
Persistent drought conditions continued to be reported. However, wetting rainfall during the month did lessen the short term impacts across the area. This left only a small area of the desert locations under Extreme Drought (D3).
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in California, January 2017
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: 673995, 673996, 673997, 673998, 673999, 674000, 674001, 674002, 674003, 674004, 674005.