Strong Wind in California, November 20, 2019

Name: Strong Wind in California, November 20, 2019
Start: 2019-11-20T07:03
End: 2019-11-20T13:28
Location: California

November 20, 2019 · NWS STO · 3 events in 2 counties and zones

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $56,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 3

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 STO wrote it up.

An upper level trough dipped into central California, which brought rain and even some isolated snow showers to the higher elevation Sierra. Snow accumulation was minimal and mainly south of highway 50. Elsewhere, fuels were still primed for fire growth if ignited The incoming threat of gusty northerly and easterly winds and poor daytime humidity (15-25%) led to a Red Flag Warning. In the end, no major fires broke out from this event, but a utility company did suffer from wind and vegetation related damages.

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 Sacramento, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 20, 3:00 AM PST, 4 hours 3 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 20, 3:00 AM PST, 4 hours 3 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Sacramento CA
300 AM PST Wed Nov 20 2019

.SYNOPSIS...
Unsettled pattern with breezy to windy conditions, cooler
temperatures and showers over mainly the Sierra Nevada south of
I-80. Milder weather returns for the weekend.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Satellite imagery shows the deepening closed low, presently south
of the Bay Area, dropping southward just off the coast. Radar
still showing a few showers in the Sacramento area in the
deformation area to the north of the low. More extensive showers
are occurring along and east of the northern Sierra crest.

Northerly surface pressure gradients have tightened considerably
since Tuesday afternoon and the KMFR-KSAC gradient is now nearly
14 mbs. Northerly wind gusts have been ramping up and we're now
seeing some gusts of 35-45 mph over the northern and western
portions of the Sacramento Valley, and locally in the foothills
and northern Sierra Nevada.

The low will move south into SoCal today with shower chances
becoming mainly confined to the northern Sierra south of Tahoe.
Northerly winds will continue to increase into this afternoon when
gusts are expected to peak as subsidence and upper level support
max out. Gusts of 40-50 mph will be possible in the Sacramento
Valley and surrounding terrain north of Sacramento.

Wrap-around showers may linger tonight along the northern Sierra
crest, but winds will begin to decrease this evening and will be
much lighter on Thursday. Varying amounts of cloudiness are
expected into the start of the weekend with a little milder
temperatures.

&&

.EXTENDED DISCUSSION (Sunday THROUGH Wednesday)...
Eastern Pacific ridging will bring mild and dry weather Sunday,
with highs 5 to 10 degrees above normal, reaching the mid 60s to
around 70 in the Valley and Delta. Winds are forecast to be
northerly but light. Overnight lows in the light winds will be
cool, dropping into the 30s and low 40s for the Valley, foothills,
and Delta.

Model ensembles continue to suggest a shortwave tracking southward
into the Great Basin. Any precipitation should remain north of the
area. The main concern continues to be breezy northerly winds with
low humidity Monday, bringing enhanced fire weather danger.

Confidence is increasing some for a moister system on Tuesday and
Wednesday. While not a very wet system, this could potentially
be the first widespread precipitation event for the area seen in
a while. This could also potentially bring some mountain snow on
Wednesday, which is a major travel day before Thanksgiving.
Confidence in the details is low this far out, though, but the
system will be watched closely to see how it develops.

Temperatures trend downward next week, dropping to below normal by
Wednesday. Valley highs may remain in the 50s. EK

&&

.AVIATION...
VFR conditions the next 24 hrs with winds increasing from north to
south this morning. KRDD and KRBL can expect northerly wind gusts
30-35 knots by around 16Z this morning, with breezy conditions
beginning for Sacramento TAF sites. Northern San Joaquin Valley
TAF sites could see gusts to 20-25 kts after 18Z. EK

&&

.STO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Red Flag Warning until 7 AM PST Thursday for Central Sacramento
Valley in Glenn, Colusa, Yuba, Northern Sutter, and Butte County
Below 1000 Ft-Eastern Mendocino NF-Eastern Portion of
Shasta/Trinity NF-Lake County Portion of Lake-Napa-Sonoma Unit-
Northern Sacramento Valley to Southern Tehama County Line Below
1000 Ft-Northern Sierra Foothills from 1000 to 3000 Ft. Includes
portions of Shasta-Trinity and Butte Units-Northern Sierra
Including Lassen NP and Plumas and Lassen NF/S West of the
Sierra Crest (West of Evans Peak-Grizzly Peak-Beckworth Peak)-
Southeast Edge Shasta-Trinity NF and Western Portions of Tehama-
Glenn Unit-Southern Sacramento Valley in Yolo-Sacramento Far
Western Placer, southern Sutter and Solano County Below 1000 Ft.

Wind Advisory until 10 PM PST this evening for Central
Sacramento Valley-Clear Lake/Southern Lake County-Mountains
Southwestern Shasta County to Northern Lake County-Northeast
Foothills/Sacramento Valley-Northern Sacramento Valley-Shasta
Lake Area / Northern Shasta County-Southern Sacramento Valley-
Western Plumas County/Lassen Park.

Winter Weather Advisory until 7 PM PST this evening for West
Slope Northern Sierra Nevada.

&&

Event by event

3 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Strong Wind, Northern Sacramento Valley

When: November 20, 7:03 AM PST to 1:28 PM PST
Where: Northern Sacramento Valley forecast zone
Measured: 41 kt (47 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $8,000
Reported by: Utility Company

The Lyonsville mesonet station reported a 47 mph wind gust. Gusty northerly and easterly winds were observed across the zone and caused damage. The local utility in Tehama County reported tree and wind related damages and hazards to power distribution equipment in the Cottonwood area. The timing for this event is based on reports across Tehama County.

Strong Wind, Clear Lake/Southern Lake County

When: November 20, 9:00 AM PST to 11:00 AM PST
Where: Clear Lake/Southern Lake County forecast zone
Measured: 42 kt (48 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $16,000
Reported by: Utility Company

The Knoxville Creek mesonet station reported a 48 mph wind gust. Gusty northerly and easterly winds were observed across the zone and caused damage. The local utility in Lake County reported tree and wind related damages and hazards to power distribution equipment in the Middleton and Highlands area. The timing for this event is based on wind reports across Lake County.

Strong Wind, Northern Sacramento Valley

When: November 20, 9:19 AM PST
Where: Northern Sacramento Valley forecast zone
Measured: 39 kt (45 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $32,000
Reported by: Utility Company

The Redding ASOS station reported a 45 mph wind gust. Gusty northerly winds were observed across the zone and caused damage. The local utility in Shasta County reported tree and wind related damages and hazards to power distribution equipment in the Cedar Creek, Girvan, Jessup, and Volta areas. The timing for this event is based on the Redding ASOS report.

What these are

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 2019 Every state in 2019 This day in weather history Warnings in California, November 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: 866457, 866476, 866454.