Name: High Wind in California, September 28, 2019
Start: 2019-09-28T04:27
End: 2019-09-28T14:14
Location: California

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
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 HNX wrote it up.

Temperatures rose back up to above normal levels between September 22 and September 25 with some all time daily records being approached on the 25th. A cooling trend began on the 26th as a large low pressure system approached the Pacific Northwest. As the low moved inland on the 27th and 28th winds increased across the area with several stations in the Kern County Deserts and in the Tehachapi and Lake Isabella areas as well as across the west side of the San Joaquin Valley had gusts exceeding 40 mph. A few low impact indicator sites reported gusts exceeding 60 mph. A few light showers were noted over the higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada during the evening of the 28th as the main cold front pushed through the area. Some light snowfall was observed above 8000 feet in Yosmeite National Park and Tioga Pass was closed for precautionary measures between 400 pm PDT on the 28th until the morning of the 30th. Temperatures also plunged to well below normal levels for the remainder of September.

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 Sep 28, 2:01 AM PST, 2 hours 26 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 28, 2:01 AM PST, 2 hours 26 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Hanford CA
301 AM PDT Sat Sep 28 2019

.SYNOPSIS...A strong cold front will push south across the area
later today bringing much cooler temperatures, light showers over
the Southern Sierra Nevada and strong winds over the Kern County
Mountains and Deserts through the weekend. Temperatures will
remain well below normal through Tuesday then slowly recover
later next week with dry weather prevailing.

&&

.DISCUSSION...WV imagery showing a strong upper trough pushing
into the PAC NW this morning. SREF progs indicating this trough
will dig south and deepen today pushing a strong cold front
southward across central CA. Temperatures are currently trending
6-9 DEG F below this time yday at most locations and will cool
further following the cold front passage later today. The other
impacts from this system besides temperatures plunging to well
below normal levels include a chance of showers over the Southern
Sierra Nevada and adjacent foothills today through Sunday
evening. Snow levels will be around 10000 feet during the onset of
shower activity this morning lowering to 7500 to 8000 feet by
this afternoon lowering further to 5000 to 5500 feet by Sunday
morning. Snowfall accumulations are expected to be light with this
system and accumulations of 1-2 inches are possible north of
Tulare County. Another impact with this system will be strong
winds continuing across the Kern County Mountains and Deserts
through this evening. Wind gusts exceeding 45 mph will be
possible along the ridges and below the passes today and have
already exceeded 50 mph at a few low impact indicator sites this
morning.

WRF indicating the upper trough remaining over CA on Sunday and
Monday. Temperatures will be well below seasonal normals both days
as an unseasonably cool airmass becomes situated across our area.
RH progs are not showing much in the way of moisture on Sunday and
Monday although some higher elevation showers will be possible
over the Southern Sierra Nevada north of Tulare County through
Sunday night.

The models have been trending slower with the eastward progression
of the trough next week. As a result temperatures will remain
well below normal on Tuesday. Medium range progs are suggesting a
gradual rise in temperatures Wednesday and Thursday as a flat
ridge builds into CA although temperatures will remain below
normal. Another system takes aim at the PAC NW by the end of next
week which might knock down temperatures slightly as heights and
thicknesses lower. Precipitation chances plummet after Monday and
mainly dry weather is anticipated for next week.

&&

.AVIATION...Increasing areas of MVFR and mountain obscuring IFR
in showers over the higher elevations of the Southern Sierra
Nevada. Otherwise, VFR conditions will prevail across interior
central CA through at least 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...
Wind Advisory until 11 PM PDT this evening for CAZ196-198-199.

&&

public...DS
aviation....DS

weather.gov/hanford

Event by event

3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Tehachapi Area

When: September 28, 4:27 AM PST
Where: Tehachapi Area forecast zone
Measured: 62 kt (71 mph) measured gust
Reported by: RAWS

The Bird Springs Pass RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 71 mph.

High Wind, Lake Isabella

When: September 28, 2:10 PM PST
Where: Lake Isabella forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Reported by: RAWS

The Bear Peak RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 60 mph.

High Wind, Tehachapi Area

When: September 28, 2:14 PM PST
Where: Tehachapi Area forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: RAWS

The Jawbone Canyon RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 58 mph.

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

More

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: 848322, 848324, 848323.