Breezy north winds developed behind a departing low pressure system, bringing down multiple trees in the Sacramento metro area.
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 STO wrote it up.
Breezy north winds developed behind a departing low pressure system, bringing down multiple trees in the Sacramento metro area.
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 Sacramento, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 31, 3:02 AM PST, 5 hours 58 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Sacramento CA 402 AM PDT Fri Mar 31 2017 .SYNOPSIS... Gusty north winds through this evening. Dry and warm conditions Saturday and Sunday except for a slight chance of showers northern mountains and Sierra Sunday afternoon and night. Next chance of light precipitation late next week with heavier precipitation possible next weekend. && .DISCUSSION... Northern California currently between an upper low pressure system over the southern Great Basin and building high pressure over the eastern Pacific. Northerly flow between the two systems combined with a 10 mb surface gradient from MFR to SAC bringing breezy north winds to northern California. Central valley winds running in the teens this morning. Some higher elevations showing wind gusts in excess of 30 mph and expect these stronger winds to surface down into the valley later this morning. Have issued a wind advisory for the valley and coast range through this evening after which surface and upper gradients should relax. Warm and dry weather expected Saturday under upper level ridging with breezy but lighter north winds continuing. Warming airmass will bring daytime highs up to between 10 to 15 degrees above normal. A short wave trough moving through the Pacific northwest will flatten the ridge a bit on Sunday bringing a little cooler temperatures although daytime highs will remain well above normal. By Sunday afternoon this shortwave will bring a slight threat of showers to the northern mountains with this threat shifting southward into the Sierra Cascade range Sunday night. Upper ridge axis shifts over the west coast on Monday bringing fair skies to the entire forecast area with breezy north winds continuing. && .EXTENDED DISCUSSION (Tuesday THROUGH Friday) Models point to strong upper ridging over Interior NorCal through the first half of next week with dry weather and above normal high temperatures. Models have trended to a slower progression of the the ridging and upstream trough. Weather looks to remain dry through Wednesday. Potential for atmospheric river to setup over the forecast area Thursday into the weekend. && .AVIATION... Strong northerly flow aloft as Eastern Pacific ridge builds inland with VFR conditions next 24 hrs. Northerly surface winds gusts to 25 kts early this morning then areas up to 35 kts after 16z. JClapp && .STO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Wind Advisory from 8 AM this morning to 11 PM PDT this evening for Carquinez Strait and Delta-Central Sacramento Valley-Clear Lake/Southern Lake County-Mountains Southwestern Shasta County to Northern Lake County-Northern Sacramento Valley-Northern San Joaquin Valley-Southern Sacramento Valley. &&
2 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A gust to 44 MPH was reported at 11:49 AM at Sacramento Executive Airport. At 10:27 AM a tree came crashing down on top of a car outside the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in downtown Sacramento, narrowly missing a woman feet away.
A gust to 44 MPH was reported at 11:49 AM at Sacramento Executive Airport. In Citrus Heights very large oak tree, estimated to be nearly 400 years old and 19 feet around, came crashing down on a truck and car. This downed tree almost hit a man and his son.
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: 687495, 687698.