September started off extremely hot, as high pressure built over the area. This led to unseasonably hot temperatures for most of northern California with widespread triple digit heat forecast, accompanied by little overnight relief for the Labor Day weekend.
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 STO wrote it up.
September started off extremely hot, as high pressure built over the area. This led to unseasonably hot temperatures for most of northern California with widespread triple digit heat forecast, accompanied by little overnight relief for the Labor Day weekend. Between September 5 and September 8, one county in the Sacramento Valley recorded five heat related visits to the emergency room; however, as of this time, no deaths were reported. On the tail of this heat wave, critical fire weather conditions occurred due to a trough sliding into the Great Basin area. Gusty winds led to 83 reports of wind related damage or hazards to a utility company across all of northern California, including areas served by NWS Eureka and NWS Monterey. Damage locations in the events are estimated by the map provided to the public. Gusty winds also wreaked havoc on the North Complex.
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 Sacramento, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 7, 1:26 PM PST, 7 hours 34 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Sacramento CA 226 PM PDT Mon Sep 7 2020 .SYNOPSIS... Dangerous, record-breaking heatwave will impact the region into the evening. Critical fire weather concerns will return tonight into early Wednesday with gusty north to east wind and low humidity. Smoke and haze from wildfires will continue to impact air quality and temperatures today and tonight. && .DISCUSSION... Strong high pressure will bring record heat to the interior valley again today with temperatures 106 to 112 over the central valley. Today, the main smoke is from the wildfires in the coastal range and have been impacting some of the temperatures so far today. Tonight a low pressure area will move south through the Eastern Great Basin and Rockies and result in strong surface high pressure developing over the Great Basin. This will bring breezy to windy conditions starting later this evening over the north. Very high fire danger will result due to the strong winds, low humidities and dry fuels. The good news is that it will also bring in some cooler air into the region. The bad news is that the cooler air will allow for stronger winds to develop later tonight and on Tuesday. The current forecast has continued that trend and has increased the winds. The smoke and haze is expected to dramatically improve overnight and tomorrow morning as north to east winds pick up and push the smoke along and off the coast. Expect northerly winds for the valley around 15 to 30 mph with gusts 25 to 40 mph. The strongest winds will be over the westside of the valley. Northeast to east winds for the Mountains and foothills around 15 to 30 mph with gusts 25 to 55 mph. Local favored locations will likely have stronger winds and the lighter winds are expected over portions of the lower elevations of the Motherlode. The winds will decrease Tuesday night for most areas but will increase once again in the mountains and foothills for areas prone to easterly winds. Winds may also stay up a little bit over the westside of the valley. Lighter northerly winds on Wednesday will remove the widespread high fire danger but locally some gusty winds may persist along the far westside of the valley during the day. Temperatures will generally cool slightly over Tuesdays highs in the north and mountains with a little bit better cooling over the southern valley and delta areas. High pressure will continue on Thursday with better flow expected through the Delta. Winds will be southerly in the Sacramento valley and temperatures are expected to decrease slightly over Wednesdays highs. Records/Day........... Monday........ Tuesday Redding............... 108/1923...... 109/1923 Redding Airport....... 102/2004...... 105/2011 Red Bluff............. 109/1957...... 112/1944 Sacramento............ 107/1923...... 107/1944 Sacramento Executive.. 103/1957...... 102/1957 Stockton.............. 104/1977...... 103/1977 Modesto............... 103/1998...... 104/1944 && .EXTENDED DISCUSSION (Friday THROUGH Monday)... Upper ridge over the area Friday slowly shifts into the Great Basin through the weekend. Short wave trough approaches the West Coast on Monday. Dry weather expected with high temperatures remaining about 5-10 degrees above normal through the extended forecast period. && .AVIATION... Areas of MVFR conditions will be possible the next 24 hours at TAF sites due to wildfire smoke, otherwise VFR conditions expected. Increasing north winds from north to south stating after 22z. Winds become strong out of the north after 15z gusting up to 35 knots. && .STO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Excessive Heat Warning until 10 PM PDT this evening for Burney Basin / Eastern Shasta County-Carquinez Strait and Delta-Central Sacramento Valley-Motherlode-Mountains Southwestern Shasta County to Western Colusa County-Northeast Foothills/Sacramento Valley-Northern Sacramento Valley-Northern San Joaquin Valley- Shasta Lake Area / Northern Shasta County-Southern Sacramento Valley-West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada-Western Plumas County/Lassen Park. Red Flag Warning from 10 PM this evening to 8 AM PDT Wednesday for Burney Basin and Northeast Plateau in Shasta County Including Northwest Lassen NF north of Lassen NP-Carquinez Strait and Delta-Central Sacramento Valley in Glenn, Colusa, Yuba, Northern Sutter, and Butte County Below 1000 Ft-Eastern Mendocino NF-Eastern Portion of Shasta/Trinity NF-Northern Motherlode From 1000 to 3000 Ft. Includes portions of Nevada- Yuba-Placer-Amador and ElDorado Units-Northern Sacramento Valley to Southern Tehama County Line Below 1000 Ft-Northern San Joaquin Valley in San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties Below 1000 ft-Northern Sierra Foothills from 1000 to 3000 Ft. Includes portions of Shasta-Trinity and Butte Units-Northern Sierra Including Lassen NP and Plumas and Lassen NF/S West of the Sierra Crest (West of Evans Peak-Grizzly Peak-Beckworth Peak)- Northern Sierra Including the Tahoe and ElDorado NF/S West of the Sierra Crest-Southeast Edge Shasta-Trinity NF and Western Portions of Tehama-Glenn Unit-Southern Motherlode From 1000 to 3000 Ft. Includes portions of Calaveras-Tuolumne Unit-Southern Sacramento Valley in Yolo-Sacramento Far Western Placer, southern Sutter and Solano County Below 1000 Ft-Stanislaus NF West of the Sierra Crest. Wind Advisory from midnight tonight to 6 PM PDT Tuesday for Carquinez Strait and Delta-Central Sacramento Valley-Motherlode- Mountains Southwestern Shasta County to Western Colusa County- Northeast Foothills/Sacramento Valley-Northern Sacramento Valley- Northern San Joaquin Valley-Shasta Lake Area / Northern Shasta County-Southern Sacramento Valley-West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada-Western Plumas County/Lassen Park. &&
3 strong wind, 2 high wind, 1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
A utility company reported 9 reports of wind related damage or hazards in Shasta County, 4 of which occurred in zone 13. Mesonet stations reported peak wind gusts between 50 and 56 mph. Damage related costs are estimated.
A utility company reported 9 reports of wind related damage or hazards in Shasta County, 5 of which occurred in zone 66. There were 5 other reports of wind related damage or hazards in zone 66, 1 report in Tehama County and 4 reports in Butte County. Mesonet stations reported peak wind gusts between 40 and 66 mph. Damage related costs are estimated.
A utility company reported 9 reports of wind related damage or hazards in or near Plumas County. Peak gusts are estimated to be between 45 and 60 based on mesonet stations surrounding zone 68. Damage related costs are estimated.
A utility company reported 14 reports of wind related damage or hazards in zone 69 spanning, Sierra, Nevada, Placer, El Dorado, and Toulumne counties. Mesonet stations reported peak wind gusts between 38 and 61 mph. Damage related costs are estimated.
A utility company reported 15 reports of wind related damage or hazards in zone 67 spanning, Sierra, Nevada, Placer, El Dorado, Amador, and Toulumne counties. Mesonet stations reported peak wind gusts around 50 mph. Damage related costs and are estimated.
Immediate evacuation orders where given to Berry Creek, Brush Creek, Forbestown, Clipper Mills, and Feather Falls areas the evening of September 8. Later that night gusty north and east winds continued to push the fires from the North Complex down the terrain, which would eventually make a run into Butte County and down to the Lake Oroville area. The US Forest Service and CalFire reported that the event lead to 16 casualties and around 2,455 structures being destroyed.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
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, September 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: 922714, 922716, 922719, 922720, 922721, 922725.