Cold in California, September 2, 2019

Name: Cold in California, September 2, 2019
Start: 2019-09-02T17:12
End: 2019-09-02T17:45
Location: California

September 2, 2019 · NWS STO · 1 event in 1 county or zone

High pressure led to hot and dry weather over Labor Day weekend. Local waters ways were still running cold around 60 to 65 degrees.

The toll

Deaths: 1
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 STO wrote it up.

High pressure led to hot and dry weather over Labor Day weekend. Local waters ways were still running cold around 60 to 65 degrees.

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 Sep 2, 1:25 PM PST, 3 hours 47 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 2, 1:25 PM PST, 3 hours 47 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Sacramento CA
225 PM PDT Mon Sep 2 2019

.SYNOPSIS...
Above normal temperatures next few days. Monsoon moisture will
creep north for a threat of afternoon mountain thunderstorms over
the Wednesday. Near normal daytime temperatures Thursday and the
end of the week.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Upper high centered over the four corners will keep above normal
temperatures over NorCal through Wednesday. Monsoonal moisture is
pooling over SoCal on the backside of the high and will spread
north through the state into mid-week. Upper level low moving
east form the eastern Pacific will move to just offshore of Eureka
Wednesday. This will combine with the northward spreading
moisture to bring isolated thunderstorms over the mountains,
especially over the coastal range and Shasta county. A few of the
storms could be on the dry side and a fire wx product for
lightning may be necessary in future forecasts. Lowering heights
and some increase in cloud cover will allow temps to cool back to
near normal levels Wednesday/Thursday. Upper low is expected shift
north into Oregon Thursday, increased westerly flow south of the low
over NorCal will likely push thunderstorm activity east into
Nevada.

&&

.EXTENDED DISCUSSION (Friday THROUGH Monday)...

A brief period of ridging is forecast for Friday, which will
bring another day of mostly clear skies to region. Another trough
is expected to pass over the PacNW through over the weekend, which
could bring some chances for some showers and storms over the
coastal range, Cascades, and Sierra.

Temperatures will be near normal, a few degrees either side of 90
degrees through the weekend.

&&

.AVIATION...

VFR conditions next 24 hours. Winds remain below 10 knots except
for west to southwest flow of 10-15 kts, gusts up to 25 kts, in
the Delta.

&&

.STO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
None.
&&

Event by event

1 cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Cold/Wind Chill, Motherlode/Camptonville to Groveland

When: September 2, 5:12 PM PST to 5:45 PM PST
Where: Motherlode/Camptonville to Groveland forecast zone
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: Newspaper

Multiple news outlets reported that a 41 year old man had either fallen or jumped off a boat on the evening of September 2. A music event was on going at this time, but given that the water was dark and murky, the man was unable to be retrieved. Local law enforcement was able to recover the man's body about 45 minutes after he fell in and tried to resuscitate him, but failed. The corner ruled the man's death a drowning.

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
Cold/Wind Chill, Motherlode/Camptonville to Groveland	2019-09-02	41	Male	In Water	Direct

What these are

Cold/Wind Chill: Cold or wind chill below warning criteria that caused deaths, injuries or damage.

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, September 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: 858274.