Nearly all of the central California Interior was classified as being in an exceptional drought by the end of July, 2021 due to a long term precipitation deficit. As of July 31, 2021, the impacted area has received less than 50% of normal precipitation since July 1, 2020.
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 HNX wrote it up.
Nearly all of the central California Interior was classified as being in an exceptional drought by the end of July, 2021 due to a long term precipitation deficit. As of July 31, 2021, the impacted area has received less than 50% of normal precipitation since July 1, 2020.
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 30, 3:32 PM PST, 8 hours 28 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion UPDATE National Weather Service Hanford CA 432 PM PDT Wed Jun 30 2021 ...Update to Air Quality Issues Section... .SYNOPSIS... High temperatures will be around the century mark in San Joaquin Valley Thursday into early next week. Moisture aloft will continue to allow for a chance of thunderstorms over the Sierra Thursday however a turn to a more southwest flow on Friday and Saturday will diminish the threat. && .DISCUSSION... Plenty of residual moisture over the Sierra this afternoon with precipitable water values running at about 200% of normal. Regional radars and satellite imagery not surprisingly show lots of convection with thunderstorms erupting pretty much the entire length of the Sierra crest from Tioga Pass to near Olancha Peak. With light flow aloft any of these storms has the potential to produce locally heavy rains, and of this of course diminishes the threat of wildfire starts due to lightning. The heat continues over the area today with highs running a few degrees above late June normals however no extremes are noted and not in the forecast. On Thursday, the flow aloft over the Sierra remains light and variable thus thunderstorms are in the forecast again as moisture remains locked in place. By Friday, the flow begins to shift to the south and southwest and this will bring in drier air and reduce the chances of thunderstorms to the crest area mainly north of Kings Canyon. Other locations over the forecast area will have generally clear skies. On Saturday, models bring another shot of moisture from the south into the Sierra on stronger southerly winds. Will keep some slight chance of thunderstorms along the crest as a result. Drier southwest flow sets up for Sunday and Monday and this scenario continues into Tuesday. Convective threat in the Sierra will be minimal during this time frame due to lack of moisture and unfavorable southwest flow. By later next week, forecast models build a strong (6000 meter height at 500 mb) ridge over the Desert Southwest and this will push to the west by next weekend. More very hot weather is on the horizon with some return of southeast monsoonal flow. && .AVIATION... VFR conditions will prevail throughout Central California this morning. MVFR/IFR conditions in and near scattered showers and thunderstorms over the Sierra Nevada, adjacent foothills, and Kern County mountains and desert from 19z this afternoon until 03z this evening. && .AIR QUALITY ISSUES... On Thursday July 1 2021... Unhealthy for sensitive groups in Kern and Tulare Counties and Sequoia National Park and Forest. Further information is available at Valleyair.org && .CERTAINTY... The level of certainty for days 1 and 2 is medium. 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... None. && public...Dudley aviation....Dudley weather.gov/hanford
21 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Much of the West Side Hills was classified as being in an exceptional drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The San Joaquin Confluence in the San Joaquin Valley was classified as being in an exceptional drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The Merced and Madera area in the San Joaquin Valley was classified as being in an exceptional drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The western San Joaquin Valley was classified as being in an exceptional drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The Foggy Bottom area in the San Joaquin Valley was classified as being in an exceptional drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The Fresno area in the San Joaquin Valley was classified as being in an exceptional drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The Tulare County portion in the San Joaquin Valley was classified as being in an exceptional drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
Southern Kings County in the San Joaquin Valley was classified as being in an exceptional drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The western San Joaquin Valley in Kern County was classified as being in an exceptional drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The eastern San Joaquin Valley in Kern County was classified as being in an exceptional drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The Bakersfield area in the San Joaquin Valley was classified as being in an exceptional drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The central Sierra Foothills was classified as being in an exceptional drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The southern Sierra Foothills was classified as being in an exceptional drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The central Sierra was classified as being in an exceptional drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The north Kings River portion of the Sierra Nevada was classified as being in an exceptional drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The Sequoia Kings area of the Sierra Nevada was classified as being in an exceptional drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The Lake Isabella area was classified as being in an exceptional drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The Tehachapi area was classified as being in an exceptional drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The Fort Tejon area was classified as being in an exceptional drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The Indian Wells Valley was classified as being in an exceptional drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The Kern County Desert was classified as being in an exceptional drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
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, July 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: 963978, 963979, 963980, 963981, 963982, 963983, 963984, 963985, 963986, 963987, 963988, 963989, 963990, 963991, 963992, 963993, 963995, 963997, 963998, 964000, 964001.