California, 2020

High Wind in California, June 15 to 17, 2020

June 15 to 17, 2020 · NWS HNX · 7 events in 4 counties and zones

Another strong upper trough moved across the Pacific Northwest and Northern California between the evening of June 15 and the early morning of June 17. This system also prodcued a period of increased wind gusts across the area.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
7

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.

Another strong upper trough moved across the Pacific Northwest and Northern California between the evening of June 15 and the early morning of June 17. This system also prodcued a period of increased wind gusts across the area. Several stations measured gusts exceeding 45 mph, and a few stations reported brief gusts above 60 mph.

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 Jun 15, 12:47 PM PST, 8 hours 39 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 15, 12:47 PM PST, 8 hours 39 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Hanford CA
147 PM PDT Mon Jun 15 2020

.SYNOPSIS...
High temperatures will warm to seasonal levels today. A weak
weather disturbance passing to the north will bring gusty winds
this evening and will lower temperatures several degrees for
Tuesday. Temperatures will then trend upward to several degrees
above average by the end of this week and through the weekend.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Low pressure center in the Gulf of Alaska will swing a cold front
through the region tonight with gusty winds, blowing dust and
increasing clouds this afternoon. Cold core cyclone will slowly
drift SE from the Gulf of Alaska into the PACNW by tomorrow
morning. the associated cold front will swing through here tonight
with some clouds and gusty winds starting later this afternoon.
Hi res models are not producing any precip with the front as the
deepest moisture will remain near the center in the PACNW and
NORCAL.

The front will bring a couple of days respite from the heat
Tuesday and Wednesday across the region. However, our old friend,
the EPAC ridge will be building in over the area thursday and
continue through the weekend with temperatures hovering around
the century mark starting Friday and continuing through Monday in
the SJV and Kern desert area. Dry conditions will prevail through
the extended forecast. there does not appear to be any relief in
sight for the next several days from above normal temperatures and
dry conditions.

&&

.AVIATION...
VFR conditions will prevail for the central California interior
for at least the next 24 hours. Gusty winds up to 35 mph are
possible overnight tonight along the west side of the San joaquin
Valley and Kern county mountains and desert areas.

&&

.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 high.

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 from 5 PM this afternoon to 5 AM PDT Tuesday for
CAZ179>189-196>199.

&&

public/avn/fw...JDB
pio/idss........MV

weather.gov/hanford

Event by event

7 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Indian Wells Valley

When
June 15, 9:26 PM PST
Where
Indian Wells Valley forecast zone
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by
RAWS

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

High Wind, Lake Isabella

When
June 16, 12:32 AM PST
Where
Lake Isabella forecast zone
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Reported by
RAWS

The Blue Max RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 60 mph.

High Wind, Tehachapi Area

When
June 16, 4:27 AM PST
Where
Tehachapi Area forecast zone
Measured
55 kt (63 mph) measured gust
Reported by
RAWS

The Bird Springs Pass RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 63 mph.

High Wind, Lake Isabella

When
June 16, 3:18 PM PST
Where
Lake Isabella forecast zone
Measured
59 kt (68 mph) measured gust
Reported by
RAWS

The Squirrel Valley Lynch Canyon RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 68 mph.

High Wind, Tehachapi Area

When
June 16, 8:14 PM PST
Where
Tehachapi Area forecast zone
Measured
57 kt (66 mph) measured gust
Reported by
RAWS

The Jawbone Canyon RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 66 mph.

High Wind, Kern County Desert

When
June 17, 1:30 AM PST
Where
Kern County Desert forecast zone
Measured
55 kt (63 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Mesonet

The Cache Creek CHP station measured a peak wind gust of 63 mph.

High Wind, Kern County Desert

When
June 17, 1:40 AM PST
Where
Kern County Desert forecast zone
Measured
51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Utility Company

The Southern California Edison Station in Cache Creek measured a peak wind gust of 59 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 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in California, June 2020

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: 886885, 886884, 886880, 886882, 887173, 887174, 887175.