High Wind in California, May 12 to 14, 2020

Name: High Wind in California, May 12 to 14, 2020
Start: 2020-05-12T09:10
End: 2020-05-14T05:27
Location: California

May 12 to 14, 2020 · NWS HNX · 6 events in 3 counties and zones

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 6

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.

A low pressure system moved through northern California during the morning of May 12. This system pushed a cold front through the area later that day which brought cooler temperatures, isoalted showers and a period of strong winds to the Kern County Deserts as well as to the Lake Isabella and Tehachapi areas in the Kern County Moutnains. The strong winds continued through May 13 and finially tapered off during the morning of May 14. Several stations measured gusts beteeen 40 and 55 mph while a few low imapct indicator stations measured gusts near 70 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 May 12, 5:19 AM PST, 3 hours 51 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 12, 5:19 AM PST, 3 hours 51 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Hanford CA
619 AM PDT Tue May 12 2020

.UPDATE...Updated synopsis, POPs, sky cover, and weather to
reflect current conditions and latest radar and high resolution
forecast data for light showers or sprinkles in Kern County,
mainly western & southern portions, including Bakersfield.

&&

.SYNOPSIS...
A storm system will will bring a slight chance of light rain or
sprinkles this morning and afternoon for portions of the San
Joaquin Valley, Sierra Nevada, and foothills. Breezy conditions in
wind- prone areas in eastern Kern County are possible this
afternoon and evening. Otherwise, expect much cooler weather until
Thursday with high temperatures several degrees below normal for
this time of the year. A brief warmup is possible for Friday and
Saturday before another low pressure system arrives by early next
week.

&&

.DISCUSSION...A low pressure trough will continue to move
southward into Central California early this morning and through
this afternoon. Some gusty winds developed through the passes in the
higher terrain adjacent to the west side of the Central Valley.
For example, gusts reached over 40 miles per hour through Pacheco
Pass for a few hours last evening. An even cooler day is in store
for today with some isolated to scattered showers over the Sierra
Nevada from Tulare County northward during this morning and
afternoon. Light snow is possible along the Sierra Nevada crest at
elevations above 7500 feet today. Some isolated light showers are
likely mainly north of Fresno in the San Joaquin Valley this
morning. Precipitation amounts are progged at a tenth of an inch
or less and closer to a hundredth or two in the SJ Valley. Today's
highs will be several degrees below average, with highs mainly in
the 70s in the lower elevations throughout our portion of Central
California. Gusty westerly winds will pick up by this afternoon
in the Kern County mountain and desert areas, and occasional gusts
around 50 miles per hour are expected.

A zonal flow pattern aloft will continue on Wednesday and
Thursday, so expect little change in temperatures, though with a
slight uptick each day. Daytime highs will remain slightly below
seasonal averages for this period. A weak upper-level ridge will
build off the CA coast by Thursday night, so that temperatures
will continue warm a little more on Friday and even more on
Saturday. While above average temperatures will briefly return
on Friday into the weekend, we do not anticipate highs will warm
to what occurred last weekend. It appears the warmest temperatures
will be on Saturday; highs will warm back to mid to upper 80s at
the warmest locations with a few spots into the lower 90s in the
Kern County desert.

On Sunday, another low pressure system is forecast to arrive, and
high temperatures could lower by a few degrees and possibly back
to around seasonal averages in some areas in the Central Valley.
More noticeable cooling will return by Monday, along with
precipitation chances for mainly Fresno County northward. Some
light snow is once again possible in the higher elevations, or along
the Sierra Nevada crest, but with little or no accumulation. In
summary, a weather pattern fairly typical for the middle of May
will continue, though with occasional relatively cool periods.

&&

.AVIATION...
Isolated light showers will spread southward into the central SJ
this morning, or through 18Z today. Mountain obscurations are
expected due to isolated to scattered showers this morning and
afternoon over the Sierra Nevada for Tulare County northward.
Occasional wind gusts around 40 KT are possible over the ridges
and through and below the Kern County mountain passes during 20Z
today thru 06Z Wednesday. VFR conditions will otherwise prevail
across the central CA interior for 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 from noon today to 11 PM PDT this evening for
CAZ196-198-199.

&&

public...BSO
aviation....Dudley

weather.gov/hanford

Event by event

6 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Lake Isabella

When: May 12, 9:10 AM PST
Where: Lake Isabella forecast zone
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by: RAWS

The Bear Peak RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 59 mph.

High Wind, Lake Isabella

When: May 12, 6:32 PM PST
Where: Lake Isabella forecast zone
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) measured gust
Reported by: RAWS

The Blue Max RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 63 mph.

High Wind, Lake Isabella

When: May 13, 1:18 PM PST
Where: Lake Isabella forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph) measured gust
Reported by: RAWS

The Squirrel Valley Lynch Canyon RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 70 mph.

High Wind, Tehachapi Area

When: May 13, 7:14 PM PST
Where: Tehachapi Area forecast zone
Measured: 58 kt (67 mph) measured gust
Reported by: RAWS

The Jawbone Canyon RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 67 mph.

High Wind, Kern County Desert

When: May 14, 12:05 AM PST
Where: Kern County Desert forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet

The Cache Creek CHP station measured a peak wind gust of 58 mph.

High Wind, Tehachapi Area

When: May 14, 5:27 AM PST
Where: Tehachapi Area forecast zone
Measured: 63 kt (72 mph) measured gust
Reported by: RAWS

The Bird Springs Pass RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 72 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

Every storm in California in 2020 Every state in 2020 This day in weather history Warnings in California, May 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: 881340, 881341, 881344, 881345, 881343, 881342.