The cold front which moved into the area during the morning of February 2 brought strong winds to the area by late afternoon as pressure gradients increased. Winds gusts exceeding 40 mph were reported in the San Joaquin Valley and several gusts exceeding 60 mph were reported across the Kern County Mountains and Deserts with a few low impact indicator sites measuring gusts above 80 mph.
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.
The cold front which moved into the area during the morning of February 2 brought strong winds to the area by late afternoon as pressure gradients increased. Winds gusts exceeding 40 mph were reported in the San Joaquin Valley and several gusts exceeding 60 mph were reported across the Kern County Mountains and Deserts with a few low impact indicator sites measuring gusts above 80 mph. The winds downed several trees and power poles and also flipped over two big rigs near Mojave during the evening. The winds decreased during the morning of February 3 as pressure gradients diminished.
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 2, 4:10 PM PST, 50 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Hanford CA 410 PM PST Sun Feb 2 2020 ...Updated Air Quality Section... .SYNOPSIS... Blustery and much colder weather can be expected tonight in the wake of a cold front with spotty light precipitation in the mountains. Otherwise, dry weather will prevail over the district through Saturday. Monday through Wednesday will be unseasonably cool with frost and sub freezing temperatures each night in the San Joaquin Valley and the Kern county desert. Temperatures will warm to slightly above normal later in the week. && .DISCUSSION...Northwesterly winds have increased over the northern part of the San Joaquin Valley as of this writing. Those winds are associated with a cold front that will sweep quickly southward through the CWA and be south of Kern county by dusk. Blustery winds behind this front will usher one of the coldest air masses so far this Winter into the district. Although limited on moisture, this system will bring light precipitation to the mountains through this evening. As colder air blasts into the region, snow levels will rapidly lower behind the front, down to about 2500 feet by the time precipitation shuts off later this evening. Any roads that are wet will become icy above this elevation and a dusting or more of snow on top of that could pose a potentially serious travel hazard for motorists through the Kern county mountain passes early tonight. We're not expecting much more than a dusting of snow in the mountains from this system. Nonetheless, some locations above 4000 feet could pick up a few inches of snow before midnight. Afterwards, there'll be nothing more than lingering flurries over the mountains (and foothills) as much drier air invades the district. Strong winds will also be a major impact in the wake of this Arctic front this afternoon into tonight with areas of blowing dust and locally reduced visibility in the San Joaquin Valley and the Kern county desert. Peak wind gusts will range from about 35 mph in the San Joaquin Valley to as high as 80 mph right below the Kern county mountain passes and over exposed ridges in the Sierra. Hikers and campers over the high Sierra should be prepared for fiercely cold (below zero) wind chill temperatures tonight. By late tonight, winds will diminish where they've been gusty. Although a northerly wind will redevelop over the northern and western San Joaquin Valley by Monday afternoon, we're not expecting gusts much higher than 25 mph in these areas. Other than some leftover clouds along the west facing slopes of the Sierra and the north facing slopes of the Tehachapi mountains Monday morning, Monday will be bright and sunny but unseasonably chilly over the district. Skies will remain cloud-free through Wednesday. However, the nights will be downright cold early this week with frost and sub freezing temperatures in the San Joaquin Valley and the Kern county desert. Thermometer readings will plummet into the teens in the coldest locations of the desert Monday night and Tuesday night and bottom out in the mid 20s in the coldest locations of the San Joaquin Valley both nights. A modest day to day warming trend will take place after midweek as an upper level ridge of high pressure over the Eastern Pacific gradually builds into the Golden State. Afternoon temperatures will finally rebound to seasonable levels Thursday then warm to slightly above normal Friday and Saturday. Nightly temperatures will still be rather chilly, but not nearly as cold as early this week. The longer range models forecast retrogression of the eastern Pacific ridge Saturday and bring another cold storm system southward into California by next Sunday. If so, this storm will bring welcome precipitation into at least the mountains one week from today, so stay tuned. && .AVIATION... MVFR ceilings will prevail in the foothills and higher elevations of the Sierra and the north and west facing slopes of the Kern county mountains through 15z Monday. Local IFR conditions and mountain obscurations can be expected in the Sierra through 08z Monday and will persist in the upslope regions of the Tehachapi mountains through 15z Monday. Additionally, wind gusts of 35 knots or greater can be expected in some locations of the San Joaquin Valley through 06z Monday and in the Kern county mountains and desert until 12z Monday with local IFR visibilities in blowing dust. VFR conditions can be expected elsewhere over the central California interior during the next 24 hours. && .AIR QUALITY ISSUES...None. Further information is available at Valleyair.org && .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... High Wind Warning from 4 PM this afternoon to 4 AM PST Monday for CAZ195>199. Winter Weather Advisory from 5 PM this afternoon to midnight PST tonight for CAZ196-197. Freeze Watch from late Monday night through Tuesday morning for CAZ179>189. Wind Advisory until 10 PM PST this evening for CAZ179>189. && synopsis...Durfee public/fw...Durfee aviation....BS PIO/IDSS...BS weather.gov/hanford
23 high wind, 5 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Public reports of trees blown down in the housing area of Lemoore Naval Air Station.
The Bear Peak RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 63 mph.
The Indian Wells Canyon RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 73 mph.
Walker Pass measured a peak wind gust of 59 mph.
The Bird Springs Pass RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 80 mph.
The Blue Max RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 83 mph.
Public report of a tree falling on a vehicle in Dinuba due to strong winds.
The Southern California Edison station at Tehachapi east Valley Blvd. measured a peak wind gust of 60 mph.
A trained spotter reported a large tree was blown down in Tehachapi.
The Southern California Edison station at Tehachapi Willow Springs measured a peak wind gust of 60 mph.
California Highway Patrol reported a big rig flipped over due to strong cross winds 4 NE Mojave.
The Southern California Edison station at Little Oak Canyon measured a peak wind gust of 89 mph.
California Highway Patrol reported a big rig was blown over in a 65 mph cross wind 4 N Mojave.
California Highway Patrol reported downed power poles 6 WSW Rosamond.
Pescado Creek measured a peak wind gust of 75 mph.
The PG&E station at Pampa Peak measured a peak wind gust of 59 mph.
California Highway Patrol reported a tree blown over blocking traffic lanes 1 NNE Lake Isabella.
The Southern California Edison station at Walker Basin Sand Canyon measured a peak wind gust of 72 mph.
The Southern California Edison station at Cache Creek measured a peak wind gust of 72 mph.
The Walker Pass near Jacks Creek RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 59 mph.
The Southern California Edison station at Tehachapi East Valley measured a peak wind gust of 62 mph.
California Highway Patrol reported a large tree blocking the roadway 3 WSW Weldon.
The Southern California Edison station at Tehachapi Oak Creek measured a peak wind gust of 63 mph.
The CHP station at Cache Creek measured a peak wind gust of 64 mph.
Red Rock Canyon measured a peak wind gust of 58 mph.
The Jawbone Canyon RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 90 mph.
The Southern California Edison station at Walker Basin Ox Court measured a peak wind gust of 63 mph.
The Laurel Mountain RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 61 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in California, February 2020
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: 867437, 867283, 867284, 867281, 867264, 867263, 867438, 867278, 867439, 867277, 867440, 867262, 867442, 867443, 867265, 867280, 867445, 867266, 867267, 867279, 867275, 867446, 867274, 867268, 867282, 867261, 867270, 867276.