High Wind and Strong Wind in California, May 11, 2018

Name: High Wind and Strong Wind in California, May 11, 2018
Start: 2018-05-11T13:14
End: 2018-05-11T15:27
Location: California

May 11, 2018 · NWS HNX · 5 events in 4 counties and zones

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $2,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 5

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.

High pressure built over Central California on May 3 and kept warm temperatures, dry conditions and generally light winds over the area. However, an upper level low pressure system moved into the Pacific Northwest on May 10 then dropped into the Great Basin on May 11. This resulted in increased surface pressure gradients which produced strong winds over portions of the area during the afternoon of May 11. There were a few reports of minor wind damage in the San Joaquin Valley and some low impact indicator stations in the Kern County Mountains and Deserts reported winds gusts exceeding 70 mph.

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 May 11, 1:29 AM PST, 11 hours 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 11, 1:29 AM PST, 11 hours 45 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service San Joaquin Valley - Hanford CA
229 AM PDT Fri May 11 2018

.SYNOPSIS...
A slow moving system will keep temperatures around where they have
been the last several days, though this is still slightly above
the seasonal norm. This system will also keep a slight chance of
thunderstorms in the forecast across the higher terrain of the
Central Sierra Nevada Range.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Relatively tight pressure gradient continues across the Southern
Sierra and eastern Kern County early this morning. Surface winds
across the passes continue to be quite breezy as a result. This
gradient is expected to increase once daylight breaks, which will
kick winds up a bit across mainly the eastern slopes of the Sierra
and across the Mojave Desert. A Wind Advisory is in effect for
the aforementioned area from noon to 10 PM.

As the closed low currently dropping out of the PacNW settles into
the Great Basin that gradient will diminish allowing winds to
settle down. This low settles its center will wobble around the
region for several days though not change much in its overall
position across the region.

This will keep things fairly consistent across the area from day
to day, at least through early next week. Given this lows position
afternoon/evening thunderstorms over the higher terrain of the
Central Sierra will be possible as cold air aloft is ushered into
the area.

Model progs are fairly consistent that another closed low will
push onshore mid week, which will kick the aforementioned one out.
However, this is where the consistency ends as where it will move
in along the west coast varies quite a bit. Nevertheless, it
should take the first lows place quickly so have left a fairly
persistent forecast in place, outside of a cooling trend mid to
late next week.

&&

.AVIATION...
Wind gusts in excess of 35 knots can be expected through and below
the mountain passes of Kern county during the next 24 hours.
Otherwise,  VFR conditions will prevail across the Central CA
Interior through at least Friday.

&&

.AIR QUALITY ISSUES...
None.

&&

.CERTAINTY...

The level of certainty for days 1 and 2 is medium.
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...
Wind Advisory from noon today to 10 PM PDT this evening
CAZ095-098-099.

&&

Meadows

weather.gov/hanford

Event by event

3 high wind, 2 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Kern Cty Mtns

When: May 11, 1:14 PM PST
Where: Kern Cty Mtns forecast zone
Measured: 63 kt (72 mph) measured gust
Reported by: RAWS

The Jawbone Canyon RAWS reported a peak wind gust of 73 mph.

High Wind, Indian Wells Vly

When: May 11, 1:26 PM PST
Where: Indian Wells Vly forecast zone
Measured: 73 kt (84 mph) measured gust
Reported by: RAWS

The Indian Wells Canyon RAWS reported a peak wind gust of 84 mph.

Strong Wind, W Central S.J. Valley

When: May 11, 2:01 PM PST
Where: W Central S.J. Valley forecast zone
Measured: 30 kt (35 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: Law Enforcement

California Highway Patrol reported a power pole fell onto the roadway and blocked the eastbound lane on west Harlan Ave. near south Marks Ave.

Strong Wind, E Central S.J. Valley

When: May 11, 2:45 PM PST
Where: E Central S.J. Valley forecast zone
Measured: 30 kt (35 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: Law Enforcement

California Highway Patrol reported a large tree branch fell onto the roadway in the Stevinson area near 3rd Ave. and Nelander Rd.

High Wind, Kern Cty Mtns

When: May 11, 3:27 PM PST
Where: Kern Cty Mtns forecast zone
Measured: 62 kt (71 mph) measured gust
Reported by: RAWS

The Bird Springs Pass RAWS reported a peak wind gust of 71 mph.

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
Strong Wind: Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in California in 2018 Every state in 2018 This day in weather history Warnings in California, May 2018

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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 744654, 744653, 744656, 744657, 744655.