Tornado and Debris Flow in California, February 13 to 17, 2019

Name: Tornado and Debris Flow in California, February 13 to 17, 2019
Start: 2019-02-13T06:00
End: 2019-02-17T21:00
Location: California

February 13 to 17, 2019 · NWS HNX · 23 events in 11 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 23

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.

A deep moisture plume moved through central California on February 13 and 14 as a strong low pressure system approached the area. Heavy rainfall and strong southerly winds impacted the area as this moisture moved through the area. Several reports of winds gusts exceeding 60 mph were reported and snow levels rose to near 9000 feet which resulted in widespread flooding in the area and several road closures from flooding and debris flows were reported. A strong cold front pushed through the area during the morning of February 15 which resulted in snow levels plummeting to around 5000 feet. Thunderstorms broke out in the colder and unstable post-frontal airmass and several reports of small hail were observed in the San Joaquin Valley. In addition, a small EF 0 tornado briefly touched down n ear Yosemite Lakes and funnel clouds were observed in the San Joaquin Valley. A colder system moved into the area on February 16 and snow levels lowered further down to 1500 feet. Low elevation snowfall on February 16 and 17 resulted in numerous road closures and travel delays and there were several reports of 10 to 20 inches of new snowfall reported in the Southern Sierra Nevada between the evening of February 15 and the evening of February 17. Rainfall totals between February 13 and February 17 were generally between 3 and 7 inches of liquid precipitation in the higher elevations of the Southern Sierra Nevada with 2 to 5 inches in the adjacent foothills. Much of the San Joaquin Valley picked up between a half inch and an inch and a half of rainfall during this period while the Tehachapi Mountains generally picked up between 1 to 2 inches of liquid precipitation during the 5 day period.

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 Feb 13, 4:11 AM PST, 1 hour 49 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 13, 4:11 AM PST, 1 hour 49 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service San Joaquin Valley - Hanford CA
411 AM PST Wed Feb 13 2019

.SYNOPSIS...
Wet and windy through Thursday with very heavy precipitation over
the Southern Sierra and foothills. Cool and showery Friday through
the weekend.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Precipitation has begun across the region in what looks to be a
very active 48 hours ahead. Regional radar imagery showing only
light to moderate precip across central CA at this time with the
focus of the heavy precip over NorCal for now. Strong southerly
flow ahead of the low has resulted in windy conditions across the
Sierra foothills already. A few gauges have gusted near 50 mph
and a peak gust of 71 mph was measured by the Penon Blanco gauge.
A Wind Advisory has been issued through 10 PM tonight. 24hr trends
show temperatures across the San Joaquin Valley around 20 degrees
higher than this time yesterday. This is evidence of strong warm
air advection occurring which will push snow levels much higher
through the day. Snow is currently falling at around 5000 feet.

Moisture plume with 1.5" PW (3+ standard deviations above average)
just off the coast. Atmospheric River will be focused on NorCal
this morning then sliding south through the day into CenCal. This
rich moisture will be accompanied by ~45 knot southwesterly flow
at 850mb to produce strong orographic enhancement. As mentioned
before, snow levels will rise through the day to near 8000 feet
this afternoon. The AR will gradually shift over SoCal Thursday
as the upper low gets kicked inland. The So Sierra and foothills
will experience periods of moderate to heavy precip during the
next 48 hours. A Winter Storm Warning is in effect for the Sierra
through 10 PM Thursday. Latest guidance has up to 8" liquid QPF
over the Sierra. So several feet of new snow is likely over the
higher elevations. A Flood Watch is in effect below 5000 feet
where very heavy rainfall is expected. Also, higher snow levels
will bring additional runoff from melting snow. The burn scar
areas will be most susceptible to mud and debris flows. Rainfall
across the San Joaquin Valley will be considerably less than the
mountains due to rain shadowing. The NAM12 does a fairly good job
depicting this and the latest run has less than a tenth of an inch
across parts of the west side and southern end of the valley.

The other significant impact will be from winds. Wind Advisories
are in effect for the San Joaquin Valley and Sierra foothills as
well as the Tehachapi Mountains. A tightening pressure gradient
combined with strong southerly low level flow will produce very
windy conditions through the Grapevine along Interstate 5. Winds
will remain gusty across the central SJV on Thursday. The desert
in Kern County will see winds pick up Thursday afternoon and may
reach advisory levels, especially on Friday.

The AR event will come to and end by Friday morning but unsettled
conditions will likely continue through the weekend as a couple
of cold systems drop down from the north. Moisture will be much
less with these systems, but snow levels are progged to fall to
2000-3000 feet. Dry conditions return early next week with the
ECMWF suggesting more precip possible by next Wednesday.

&&

.AVIATION...
Increasing cloud cover with areas of mountain obscuring in low
clouds and precipitation in the high Sierra Nevada after 03Z Wed and
overspreading over the lower sierra foothills and the Tehachapi
Mountains around 15Z Wed. Areas of MVFR with local IFR in low clouds
and showers in the San Joaquin Valley after 15Z Wed. Increasing wind
+35kt gusts over the high sierra after 03z overspreading into the
San Joaquin Valley and Tehachapi Mountains by 12z Wed. Otherwise,
VFR conditions can be expected over 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 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...
Flood Watch through Thursday morning CAZ093>097.

Winter Storm Warning until 10 PM PST Thursday ABOVE 5000 FEET
FOR THE CAZ096-097.

Wind Advisory until 10 PM PST this evening CAZ095.

Wind Advisory until 10 PM PST this evening CAZ093-094.

Flood Watch through Thursday morning CAZ089>092.

Wind Advisory until 10 PM PST this evening CAZ091-092.

Wind Advisory until 4 PM PST Thursday CAZ089-090.

&&

public...DCH
avn/fw...Dudley
synopsis...DCH

weather.gov/hanford

In the hours before

Local storm report, Feb 13, 1:13 AM PST, 4 hours 47 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HANFORD CA
113 AM PST WED FEB 13 2019

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0112 AM     NON-TSTM WND DMG 20 NW MIDPINES          37.74N 120.19W
02/13/2019                   MARIPOSA           CA   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TREE BLOWN DOWN AT GREELEY HILL AND PRIEST
            ROADS.

&&

JBD

The radar

The San Joaquin Valley radar (KHNX), 83 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 16:58 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

9 high wind, 8 flood, 2 funnel cloud, 1 debris flow, 1 tornado, 1 heavy snow, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, S Sierra Mtns

When: February 13, 6:00 AM PST
Where: S Sierra Mtns forecast zone
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by: RAWS

The Crane Flat RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 59 mph.

Debris Flow, Tulare

When: February 13, 9:00 AM PST to 12:00 PM PST
Where: Tulare County, 6.19 mi E of Milo to 6.06 mi E of Milo
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 36.228, -118.709

The Tulare County Emergency Manager reported a mudslide at the intersection of Bear Creek Road and Balch Park Road.

Flood, Mariposa

When: February 13, 12:01 PM PST to 3:01 PM PST
Where: Mariposa County, 0.33 mi NE of Briceburg to 0.42 mi NE of Briceburg
Cause: Heavy Rain / Burn Area
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 37.604, -119.966

California Highway Patrol reported the westbound lanes on State Route 140 near Bull Creek near Briceburg were completely covered with debris due to heavy rain.

High Wind, Se S.J. Valley

When: February 13, 12:11 PM PST
Where: Se S.J. Valley forecast zone
Measured: 63 kt (72 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Law Enforcement

The Grapevine CHP weigh station measured a peak wind gust of 73 mph.

High Wind, W Central S.J. Valley

When: February 13, 2:27 PM PST
Where: W Central S.J. Valley forecast zone
Measured: 58 kt (67 mph) measured gust
Reported by: RAWS

The Panoche Road RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 67 mph.

High Wind, W Central S.J. Valley

When: February 14, 4:20 AM PST
Where: W Central S.J. Valley forecast zone
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) measured gust
Reported by: RAWS

The Alcalde RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 63 mph.

High Wind, S Sierra Mtns

When: February 14, 6:52 AM PST
Where: S Sierra Mtns forecast zone
Measured: 81 kt (93 mph) measured gust
Reported by: RAWS

The Mount Tom RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 93 mph.

High Wind, S Sierra Mtns

When: February 14, 7:00 AM PST
Where: S Sierra Mtns forecast zone
Measured: 66 kt (76 mph) measured gust
Reported by: RAWS

The Crane Flat RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 76 mph.

Flood, Kern

When: February 14, 10:37 AM PST to 1:37 PM PST
Where: Kern County, 2.21 mi S of Havilah
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 35.488, -118.526

California Highway Patrol reported 4 feet of roadway on Caliente-Bodfish Road were washed away.

High Wind, S Sierra Foothills

When: February 14, 11:00 AM PST
Where: S Sierra Foothills forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Utility Company

The PG&E station at Penon Blanco measured a peak wind gust of 70 mph.

High Wind, Tulare Cty Mtns

When: February 14, 11:10 AM PST
Where: Tulare Cty Mtns forecast zone
Measured: 69 kt (79 mph) measured gust
Reported by: RAWS

The Bear Peak RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 79 mph.

Flood, Mariposa

When: February 14, 12:24 PM PST to 3:24 PM PST
Where: Mariposa County, Catheys Vly to 0.09 mi NE of Catheys Vly
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 37.430, -120.100

California Highway Patrol reported roadway flooding on State Route 140 near Hornitos Road on both lanes.

High Wind, Sw S.J. Valley

When: February 14, 12:31 PM PST
Where: Sw S.J. Valley forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Amateur Radio

The APRS station in Taft reported a peak wind gust of 58 mph.

Flood, Kern

When: February 14, 3:06 PM PST to 9:06 PM PST
Where: Kern County, 0.82 mi SSW of Kernvale to 0.75 mi SSW of Kernvale
Cause: Heavy Rain / Burn Area
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 35.609, -118.484

California Highway Patrol reported blocked culverts and roadway completely flooded on Lake Isabella Blvd. at Elizabeth Morris Road.

Flood, Fresno

When: February 14, 8:55 PM PST to 11:55 PM PST
Where: Fresno County, 3.94 mi N of Huron
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 36.257, -120.102

California Highway Patrol reported State Route 269 was closed north of State Route 198 due to heavy rainfall which flooded the road.

Tornado, Madera

When: February 15, 9:45 AM PST to 9:50 AM PST
Where: Madera County, 5.3 mi SE of Knowles to 5.29 mi SE of Knowles
Rating: EF0
Path length: 0.56 mi
Path width: 25 yd
Reported by: Social Media
Coordinates: 37.160, -119.810

An EF 0 tornado near Yosemite Lakes was determined by video and pictures posted on Facebook.

Funnel Cloud, Fresno

When: February 15, 1:40 PM PST
Where: Fresno County, 1.31 mi ENE of Sanger
Reported by: Social Media
Coordinates: 36.710, -119.550

Social media posts of a funnel cloud in Sanger at 1340 PST.

Funnel Cloud, Fresno

When: February 15, 1:45 PM PST
Where: Fresno County, 3.04 mi NE of Laton
Reported by: NWS Employee
Coordinates: 36.460, -119.640

An off duty NWS employee reported a funnel cloud on State Highway 43 between Hanford and Selma.

Flood, Fresno

When: February 15, 2:03 PM PST to 4:03 PM PST
Where: Fresno County, 0.86 mi S of (Fat) Air Terminal to 0.88 mi S of (Fat) Air Terminal
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Social Media
Coordinates: 36.758, -119.719

Video obtained through social media indicated flooding at the intersection of Peach Ave. and Olive Ave. in Fresno.

Flood, Fresno

When: February 15, 2:49 PM PST to 5:49 PM PST
Where: Fresno County, 2.9 mi NNE of Navelencia to 2.81 mi NE of Navelencia
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 36.716, -119.353

California Highway Patrol reported 6 to 8 inches of water rushing over the roadway on State Route 180 near Cove Ave.

Flood, Tulare

When: February 15, 4:19 PM PST to 7:19 PM PST
Where: Tulare County, 1.95 mi NNW of Exeter to 1.85 mi NNW of Exeter
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 36.327, -119.140

California Highway Patrol reported one foot of water covering the left lane of eastbound State Route 198 just west of Exeter Blvd.

Heavy Snow, S Sierra Mtns

When: February 16, 9:00 PM PST to February 17, 9:00 PM PST
Where: S Sierra Mtns forecast zone
Reported by: SNOTEL

The Horse Meadow SNOTEL picked up an estimated 20 inches of new snow.

Hail, Kern

When: February 17, 4:20 PM PST
Where: Kern County, Buttonwillow
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Social Media
Coordinates: 35.400, -119.470

Facebook posts indicating penny sized hail in Buttonwillow. Time estimate was based on radar.

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
Debris Flow: A fast-moving slurry of mud, rock and debris, usually on a slope soaked by heavy rain or stripped by a fire.
Flood: Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.
Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.
Funnel Cloud: A rotating column of cloud extending from a thunderstorm that did not reach the ground.
Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in California in 2019 Every state in 2019 This day in weather history The tornado archive for California, 2019 Warnings in California, February 2019

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: 798006, 798028, 798016, 798008, 798007, 798013, 798009, 798011, 798017, 798012, 798010, 798018, 798014, 798019, 798020, 798027, 798024, 798025, 798021, 798022, 798023, 798015, 798026.