Name: High Wind in California, November 13, 2020
Start: 2020-11-13T17:27
End: 2020-11-13T21:40
Location: California

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 4

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 the Pacific Northwest and northern California on November 13. This system brought some light precipitation to the Sierra Nevada north of Fresno County as several stations in Mariposa County picked up between a tenth and a quarter inch of liquid precipitation and up to two inches of new snowfall was reported over higher elevations in Yosemite National Park. Several stations in the Sierra Nevada and adjacent foothills of Madera County picked up a few hundredths of an inch to a tenth of an inch. Further south and in the San Joaquin Valley, most stations observed only trace amounts of precipitation as the system fizzled out upon reaching central California. However, it did produce strong winds across the mountains and deserts of Kern County between the early afternoon of November 13 and the early morning of November 14 as an area of strong subsidence moved over the area. Several stations in the Kern County Mountains and Deserts measured wind gusts above 45 mph while a few low impact indicator sites measured gusts exceeding 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 Nov 13, 3:55 PM PST, 1 hour 32 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 13, 3:55 PM PST, 1 hour 32 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED
National Weather Service Hanford CA
355 PM PST Fri Nov 13 2020

.UPDATE...Updated Air Quality Section.

&&

.SYNOPSIS...A weak system passing through the region will bring
strong winds along the crests of the Sierra and into the Kern
county mountains and desert. Light precipitation is possible this
afternoon through Saturday morning mainly north of Fresno County.
Temperatures will slowly moderate into next week, with above
average temperatures returning to the area by the start of next
week.

&&

.DISCUSSION...Weak weather disturbance will move across the
forecast area this evening... mainly north of Fresno county. Light
precipitation is possible with the system. Snow levels are around
8000 feet now and are expected to drop to around 6000 feet around
daybreak Saturday. Up to 2 inches are possible in the higher
elevations of Yosemite National Park. A few light showers and some
sprinkles will dot the lower elevations overnight with little or
no measureable rain expected in the SJV. Temperatures will stay
around normal for this time if year through Monday. We are then
expecting a brief warming trend Tuesday before cooling right back
down on Wednesday.

A cold front is forecast to move into the region on Wednesday.
Current forecast guidance is trending dry with this feature as it
quickly moves through the region by Thursday morning. A zonal
flow sets up across the region Friday with steady temperatures and
mostly clear skies.

&&

.AVIATION...Reduced visibilities and ceilings in the Sierra in
precipitation through 18z tomorrow. Local MVFR visibility in
ground fog is possible in the San Joaquin Valley from 12z until
18z Saturday. Strong winds will be likely through 15z Saturday for
locations through and below the Kern county mountain passes and
into the desert. Otherwise, VFR conditions will prevail over the
central California interior during the next 24 hours.

&&

.AIR QUALITY ISSUES...
On Saturday November 14 2020... Fireplace/Wood Stove Burning
Status is: No Burning Unless Registered in Fresno... Kern...
Kings... Madera... Merced and Tulare Counties.
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...
Wind Advisory until 2 AM PST Saturday for CAZ195>199.

&&

public/aviation/fire weather....JDB
pio/idss........................CMC

weather.gov/hanford

Event by event

4 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Tehachapi Area

When: November 13, 5:27 PM PST
Where: Tehachapi Area forecast zone
Measured: 76 kt (87 mph) measured gust
Reported by: RAWS

The Bird Springs Pass RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 88 mph.

High Wind, Tehachapi Area

When: November 13, 6:14 PM PST
Where: Tehachapi Area forecast zone
Measured: 64 kt (74 mph) measured gust
Reported by: RAWS

The Jawbone Canyon RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 74 mph.

High Wind, Kern County Desert

When: November 13, 7:24 PM PST
Where: Kern County Desert forecast zone
Measured: 54 kt (62 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet

The CHP station at Cache Creek measured a peak wind gust of 62 mph.

High Wind, Kern County Desert

When: November 13, 9:40 PM PST
Where: Kern County Desert forecast zone
Measured: 54 kt (62 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Utility Company

The Southern California Edison Station in Cache Creek measured a peak wind gust of 62 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 2020 Every state in 2020 This day in weather history Warnings in California, November 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: 920652, 920653, 920654, 920655.