An upper level low pressure system brought some light precipitation to central California during the morning of January 14 as it moved through the area. precipitation amounts were generally light with much of the central Sierra picking up between a quarter and a half inch of liquid precipitation with the snow level around 8000 feet.
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.
An upper level low pressure system brought some light precipitation to central California during the morning of January 14 as it moved through the area. precipitation amounts were generally light with much of the central Sierra picking up between a quarter and a half inch of liquid precipitation with the snow level around 8000 feet. Several high elevation SNOTEL locations picked up between 2 and 4 inches of new snowfall. Much of the remainder of the area picked up a quarter inch or less of of rainfall. A secondary system followed during the morning of December 15. Although this second system did not produce much precipitation, it was much colder with snow falling as low as 4000 feet and producing icy conditions in the Pine Mountain Club area where several cars became stuck. The main impact form this second system was a brief period of strong winds across the Kern County Mountains and Deserts where several locations measured wind gusts exceeding 45 mph and some low impact indicator sites measured gusts exceeding 60 mph during the early morning of December 15. The winds diminished by late morning as the system moved to the east of the 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 Hanford, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 14, 11:34 PM PST, 3 hours 6 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Hanford CA 1134 PM PST Sat Dec 14 2019 .UPDATE... Issued a Winter Weather Advisory for I-5, although light snow amounts are expected, upslope flow and moisture can provide enough lift for precipitation. Current projected snow levels are below pass level. Possibility that snow doesn't stick or doesn't materialize. Although confidence is only moderate, impacts from any snow near Tejon Pass are large. Wind Advisory was also extended for the Grapevine/I-5 area, and now the whole Wind Advisory has been extended to 4 pm. So any travelers along I-5 during the early morning hours may encounter low visibilities, gusty winds and light snow accumulations. Upslope flow may also necessitate a Dense Fog Advisory for the areas currently in a Wind Advisory, but I will hold off on that for now. However, another threat to keep in mind. && .SYNOPSIS...An upper level system will usher in cooler air, light precipitation, and gusty desert winds this afternoon through early Sunday. Ridging Monday and Tuesday will keep weather quiet before another possible storm system impacts Central California during the middle of next week. && .AVIATION...Mountain obscuring IFR in the Sierra Nevada and Kern County Mountains overnight. Wind gusts over 40 knots possible over the Kern County Mountains and Deserts through Sunday.Otherwise, VFR conditions expected elsewhere across the central CA interior for the next 24 hours. && .AIR QUALITY ISSUES... On Sunday December 15 2019... Fireplace/Wood Stove Burning Status is: No Burning Unless Registered in Fresno and Kern Counties. Further information is available at Valleyair.org && .PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 157 PM PST Sat Dec 14 2019/ SYNOPSIS...An upper level system will usher in cooler air, light precipitation, and gusty desert winds this afternoon through early Sunday. Ridging Monday and Tuesday will keep weather quiet before another possible storm system impacts Central California during the middle of next week. DISCUSSION...WV showing a fast westerly jet stream extending from 150W all the way through central CA and east into the central CONUS. This jet is moving southward as an upper trough deepens over CA in response to an upper shortwave pushing into northwestern CA. This shortwave is progged to drop southeast through the Great Basin tonight as an inside slider and provide the mountains with a chance of light precipitation and bring a period a strong winds to the Kern County Deserts and the Tehachapi areas where a Wind Advisory remains in effect through Sunday morning. Once the aforementioned shortwave moves well east of the area Sunday night a dry upper ridge will build into CA and provide for a couple of days with dry weather with frosty mornings as a cool and dry airmass settles in over our area. The drier airmass will limit fog development in the San Joaquin Valley although some patchy fog will still be possible around sunrise on Monday and Tuesday. Progs are indicating the next trough now moves into central CA Tuesday night and Wednesday although RH progs are indicating that this system will be somewhat moisture deficient with QPF progs indicating a tenth of an inch of liquid precipitation over the Sierra with just a few hundredths of an inch if any over the San Joaquin Valley. The medium range models and ensemble means are indicating another dry ridge moves inland over CA on Thursday and Friday for a warming and drying trend across the area. This will be followed by a potentially strong low pressure system which will is progged to impact our area next weekend. The models are still showing differences with regard to the strength and timing of this system. We will probably have a better idea with regards to impacts to our area from this system by early next week. AVIATION...Mountain obscuring IFR in the Sierra Nevada and Kern County Mountains. Wind gusts over 40 knots possible over the Kern County Mountains and Deserts thru 15z Sunday. Local MVFR in low clouds and showers in the San Joaquin Valley and Sierra foothills. Otherwise, VFR conditions expected elsewhere across the central CA interior for the next 24 hours. AIR QUALITY ISSUES...On Sunday December 15 2019... Fireplace/Wood Stove Burning Status is: No Burning Unless Registered in Fresno and Kern Counties. Further information is available at Valleyair.org 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.html for additional information an/or to provide feedback. && .HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Wind Advisory until 4 PM PST Sunday for CAZ196>199. Winter Weather Advisory until 1 PM PST Sunday for CAZ197. && public...Mattarochia aviation....Mattarochia weather.gov/hanford
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HANFORD CA
1229 AM PST SUN DEC 15 2019
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1200 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 16 SSW TEHACHAPI 34.91N 118.52W
12/15/2019 M54 MPH KERN CA MESONET
MESONET STATION SE283 LITTLE OAK CANYON
(SCE).
&&PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HANFORD CA
1231 AM PST SUN DEC 15 2019
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1200 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 16 SSW TEHACHAPI 34.91N 118.52W
12/15/2019 M54 MPH KERN CA MESONET
MESONET STATION SE283 LITTLE OAK CANYON
(SCE).
&&PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HANFORD CA
1233 AM PST SUN DEC 15 2019
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1200 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 5 NNW MOJAVE 35.12N 118.20W
12/15/2019 M50 MPH KERN CA MESONET
MESONET STATION SE377 CACHE CREEK (SCE).
&&PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HANFORD CA
1235 AM PST SUN DEC 15 2019
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1150 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 5 NNW MOJAVE 35.12N 118.20W
12/14/2019 M54 MPH KERN CA MESONET
MESONET STATION SE377 CACHE CREEK (SCE).
&&PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HANFORD CA
1242 AM PST SUN DEC 15 2019
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1241 AM HEAVY SNOW FISH CAMP 37.48N 119.64W
12/15/2019 M2.0 INCH MARIPOSA CA TRAINED SPOTTER
&&PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HANFORD CA
217 AM PST SUN DEC 15 2019
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1230 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 16 SSW TEHACHAPI 34.91N 118.52W
12/15/2019 M58 MPH KERN CA MESONET
MESONET STATION SE283 LITTLE OAK CANYON
(SCE).
&&6 high wind, 1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
The Southern California Edison Station at Little Oak Canyon measured a peak wind gust of 59 mph.
The Bird Springs Pass RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 82 mph.
The Southern California Edison Station at Cache Creek measured a peak wind gust of 64 mph.
The Jawbone Canyon RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 77 mph.
The Indian Wells Canyon RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 63 mph.
The Blue Max RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 64 mph.
California Highway Patrol reported several vehicles were stuck in snow and ice on Mil Portero Highway and Cuddy Valley Road near Pine Mountain Club.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in California, December 2019
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: 861259, 861252, 861257, 861251, 861256, 861253, 861261.