High Wind, Kern Cty Mtns
- When
- May 17, 6:14 PM PST
- Where
- Kern Cty Mtns forecast zone
- Measured
- 56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- RAWS
The Jawbone Canyon RAWS reported a peak wind gust of 64 mph.
High Wind in California, May 17, 2018
Interaction between an upper trough over the Great Basin and an upper ridge off the California Coast resulted in increased surface pressure gradients over the area from the afternoon of May 17 to the morning of May 18 which in turn produced a period of increased winds over the Kern County Mountains and Deserts. Several reporting stations reported wind gusts exceeding 45 mph during this time frame.
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 1
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.
Interaction between an upper trough over the Great Basin and an upper ridge off the California Coast resulted in increased surface pressure gradients over the area from the afternoon of May 17 to the morning of May 18 which in turn produced a period of increased winds over the Kern County Mountains and Deserts. Several reporting stations reported wind gusts exceeding 45 mph during this time frame.
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 17, 3:10 PM PST, 3 hours 4 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 17, 3:10 PM PST, 3 hours 4 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service San Joaquin Valley - Hanford CA 410 PM PDT Thu May 17 2018 .SYNOPSIS... A low pressure system over Nevada that brought slightly below normal temperatures and breezy winds to central California will continue to move away from the region. Friday through the weekend will be warmer with a slight chance of afternoon thunderstorms near the Sierra crest. && .DISCUSSION... Temperatures today are running a few degrees above 24 hrs ago but highs are still on track to top out a bit below climo. Moisture and energy rotating around the backside of the upper low which is now moving out of Nevada is creating scattered convection drifting southward and approaching the Yosemite area. Also currently providing some upslope cloudiness along the Sierra foothills. The showers and a few thunderstorms are expected to continue to develop and affect the higher elevations of the Sierra through the evening as the low continues to slowly pull away. Gusty winds will continue through and below mountain passes as well. Weak shortwave ridging will set up behind the exiting low pressure system while a weak shortwave trough approaches the California coast. This will allow temps to warm to around seasonal norms Friday and Saturday with a continued threat of Sierra convection each afternoon and evening. Additional shortwave energy dropping south Sunday is progged to close off another upper low near central California by Monday. This brings another cooldown, with highs dropping a bit below climo again Monday, along with increasing chances for convection over the Sierra. Models are similar in drifting the low into the Great Basin area Tuesday into Wednesday, tapering off convection chances over the Sierra and allowing our temperatures to trend upward again, reaching a few degrees above normal by midweek. && .AVIATION... Isolated thunderstorms with local MVFR/IFR conditions are expected near the Sierra crest through 03z Friday, and developing again after 18Z Friday. Otherwise...VFR conditions will prevail 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 high. 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... NONE. && public...JEB avn/fw...JEB synopsis...JEB weather.gov/hanford
Event by event
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
What these are
- High Wind
- Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in South Dakota, May 17 to 18, 2018
- Flash Flooding in West Virginia, May 17 to 18, 2018
- Flash Flood and Debris Flow in Washington, May 17, 2018
- Heavy Rain in Virginia, May 17 to 20, 2018
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, May 17, 2018
- Strong Wind in South Carolina, May 17, 2018
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Nebraska, May 17, 2018
- Flood in Florida, May 17, 2018
- Flash Flood and Flooding in Maryland, May 17 to 21, 2018
- Damaging Winds in Alabama, May 17, 2018
- Flash Flooding and Heavy Rain in Virginia, May 17 to 18, 2018
- Flood and Hail in Texas, May 17, 2018
More
Every storm in California in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings 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: 745483.