Breezy winds developed across interior northern California on February 23 as a shortwave trough slid across the Pacific Northwest. High pressure was developing east of the region causing the pressure gradient to tighten over the region.
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.
Breezy winds developed across interior northern California on February 23 as a shortwave trough slid across the Pacific Northwest. High pressure was developing east of the region causing the pressure gradient to tighten over the region.
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 Feb 23, 2:50 AM PST, 7 hours 5 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Sacramento CA 250 AM PST Tue Feb 23 2021 .SYNOPSIS... Warm and dry weather continues today with cooler weather expected for the remainder of the week. Breezy northerly winds thru mid- week, strongest on Wednesday. A passing weather system may bring a few showers to the northern Sierra on Saturday, then better precipitation chances return next week. && .DISCUSSION... Satellite imagery shows plenty of high clouds moving across NorCal as the upper-level front moves in ahead of the strong short-wave pushing across the PacNW early this morning. A modest barrier jet has developed along the western edge of the Sacramento Valley with northerly gusts in the teens to lower 30s mph being reported, and enough easterly gradient remains (RNO-SAC presently at 4.5 mbs) for gusts in the 30s mph over the high Sierra, and locally near the southwest facing canyons in the foothills. Northerly breezes will become more widespread through the Central Valley today. It looks like most of the area will remain below wind advisory criteria today, but there is potential for some stronger gusts in the Delta from late morning into mid-afternoon. Cold-advection will likely cool max temps a bit across the northern Sacramento Valley today, but likely won't have much effect further south where there will be potential for daily records in the Sacramento area and across the northern San Joaquin Valley as highs in the lower to mid 70s are expected. Stronger northerly breezes are expected in the Central Valley Wednesday (and stronger easterly breezes over the northern Sierra Wednesday night). A wind advisory has been posted for the Sacramento Valley and Delta from late-morning thru the evening. The forecast surface pressure gradient and upper support aren't looking quite as impressive as the past couple of days, and ensemble meteograms are down slightly on wind speed, but we'll still likely see gusts in the 40-45 mph range in the valley. Temperatures will be down around 5-10 degrees compared to today. Lighter winds and milder temperatures are forecast to return Thursday as ridging briefly rebuilds. Another series of short- waves will pass to the north Friday with perhaps a few showers developing over the far northern mountains Friday night. && .EXTENDED DISCUSSION (Saturday THROUGH Tuesday)... Ensemble guidance shows upper level ridge remains locked in place over the eastern Pacific this weekend. On Saturday, both GEFS and Euro ENS depict a positively-tilted trough digging south from the PacNW through the Great Basin and into California, a typical "inside slider" event. If the pattern holds, this will likely bring another offshore wind event to interior NorCal. Strength of winds are a little uncertain but current forecast has gusts 20 to 35 mph in the Valley and foothills, locally up to 45+ mph over the mountains. There could be a few showers over the mountains with this system, though accumulations would remain limited. Brief ridging returns Sunday with locally gusty north winds lingering. The pattern becomes more uncertain for early next week. Both the GEFS and Euro ENS indicate a trough could bring precipitation chances back into the forecast for early next week. However, location and timing of the trough are quite different with current runs, so confidence is low on specific details at this time. -HEC && .AVIATION... VFR conditions next 24 hours. Northerly winds increasing after 12z with gusts from 20 to 30 knots expected after 15z. Strongest winds expected western Valley and over the Sierra. && .STO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Wind Advisory from 10 AM to 10 PM PST Wednesday for Carquinez Strait and Delta-Central Sacramento Valley-Northern Sacramento Valley-Southern Sacramento Valley. &&
2 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A woman in the city of Davis was injured by a falling tree branch at around 10:25 a.m. on Tuesday, February 23, 2021. She was rushed by emergency responders to a hospital where she died. Wind may have been a factor.
Wind speeds at nearby Davis Airport, within in Yolo County, were 21.9 mph gusting to 35.7 mph at 9:55 am, 25.3 mph gusting to 38.0 mph at 10:35 am, 20.7 mph gusting to 39.1 mph at 10:55 am. Sustained winds briefly met Wind Advisory criteria at that location, but not wind gust criteria. A Wind Advisory was not in effect during that time.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind, Southern Sacramento Valley | 2021-02-23 | Female | Outside/Open Areas | Direct | |
| Strong Wind, Southern Sacramento Valley | 2021-02-23 | Female | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in California, February 2021
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: 945484, 945485.