A upper level trough moved southeast along the Sierra Nevada range on the day of the 30th. Upper level northwest flow helped increases the surface wind as the pressure gradient at the surface tightened.
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 upper level trough moved southeast along the Sierra Nevada range on the day of the 30th. Upper level northwest flow helped increases the surface wind as the pressure gradient at the surface tightened. This resulted in strong and gusty winds across most of the area. Several reports of wind gusts above 40 mph were reported in the San Joaquin Valley while several reports of winds gusts above 50 mph were reported in the Kern County Mountains and Deserts while some indicator ridge tops had gusts exceeding 90 mph. The strong winds produced blowing dust across portions of the southern San Joaquin Valley and Kern County Deserts. In addition there were several reports of downed trees and power lines which resulted power outages across parts of the San Joaquin Valley.
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 Mar 30, 1:15 PM PST, 45 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service San Joaquin Valley - Hanford CA 215 PM PDT Thu Mar 30 2017 .SYNOPSIS... A fast moving storm system dropped into the Great Basin today. This storm brought windy conditions to the area along with some showers, mainly over the mountains. High pressure will return for more springlike conditions during the weekend into early next week. && .DISCUSSION... A change was ushered into the district overnight as clouds, winds and spotty showers occurred today. While much of the Central California Interior has cleared out today, a few lingering showers and cloud cover continues over the Sierra Nevada and much of Kern County. At this point, winds have become the main concern for today as surface wind speeds reach 30 mph with occasional gusts to near 40 mph. Over the higher terrain of the Sierra Nevada and the Tehachapi Range, winds have been able to gusts up to 60 mph. A wind advisory remains in effect for the valley and a Wind warning for the Tehachapi Range until near 11 PM PDT this evening. Model still predicting a short break in the weather over the weekend as a short-wave ridge shifts through the region. While Friday morning may see a continuation of breezy winds and a few clouds over the Sierra Crest, the overall trend is for a short duration warm-up and sunshine. The ridge pattern will be tilted (or flat) which will support the introduction of another trof into the region early next week. Warming that may occur over the region on Friday and Saturday will stop by Sunday as the region goes into a cooling trend. Models showing higher confidence in breaking down the ridge by the end of the weekend as another storm moves into the region. The next storm will begin moving into the region by late Sunday night into early Monday morning. The transitory ridge will allow another trof to enter the region early next week. While more uncertainty exist with the second storm system, clouds and winds could reach the Central California Interior on around Monday. Higher confidence level exist with the timing of this storm then with the amplitude. Because of the higher confidence in timing, will expect another ridge pattern over the region toward the middle of next week. && .AVIATION... In the San Joaquin Valley, Windy conditions continue until 06Z Friday. In the Southern Sierra Nevada and adjacent foothills, scattered showers until 06z Friday with local IFR conditions and mountain obscuration over the sierra high country. In the Tehachapi Mountains, areas of MVFR and local mountain obscuring IFR in low clouds thru 06Z Fri with wind gusts above 50KT possible til 06Z. Across the Kern County Deserts, wind gusts above 50KT possible thru 06Z. Otherwise, VFR conditions can be expected across the central CA interior for 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 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 until 11 PM PDT this evening CAZ095-098-099. Wind Advisory until 11 PM PDT this evening CAZ089>091. && public/avn/fw...Molina synopsis...Molina weather.gov/hanford
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HANFORD CA
1208 PM PDT THU MAR 30 2017
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0806 AM HEAVY RAIN 5 W FISH CAMP 37.47N 119.74W
03/30/2017 M0.17 INCH MARIPOSA CA TRAINED SPOTTER
24 HOUR RAINFALL TOTAL OF 0.17 INCHES NEAR
PONDEROSA BASIN IN MARIPOSA COUNTY.
&&
JA1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Several reports of power outages occurred in Fresno and Reedley as a result of strong wind gusts.
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, March 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: 687195.