High Wind in California, March 20, 2021

Name: High Wind in California, March 20, 2021
Start: 2021-03-20T13:10
End: 2021-03-20T16:14
Location: California

March 20, 2021 · NWS HNX · 3 events in 2 counties and zones

An upper trough moved into the Pacific Northwest and northern California on March 19 and deepened over the region on March 20. 50 inches of liquid precipitation which was mainly in the form of rain below 8000 feet before snow levels lowered on March 20 before the precipitation ended.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 3

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.

An upper trough moved into the Pacific Northwest and northern California on March 19 and deepened over the region on March 20. This resulted in a warm and moist airmass impacting central California producing widespread preciptiation on March 19 and 20.|Several stations in the Sierra Nevada picked up between 0.75 and 1.50 inches of liquid precipitation which was mainly in the form of rain below 8000 feet before snow levels lowered on March 20 before the precipitation ended. Much of the San Joaquin Valley picked up between 2 and 4 tenths of an inch of rainfall. The mountains and deserts in Kern County generally picked up less precipitation with most mountain locations pickeing up between a tenth and a quarter inch of rainfall and the deserts picking up a tenth of an inch or less. The main impact from this system; however, was post frontal winds in Kern County. Several stations in the Kern County Deserts and in the Tehachapi and Lake Isabella areas measured gusts between 40 and 50 mph. A few low impact indicator sites briefly measured gusts above 57 mph on March 20. The winds diminished during the morning of March 21 as the trough moved east of the area.

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 Mar 20, 3:37 AM PST, 9 hours 33 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 20, 3:37 AM PST, 9 hours 33 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Hanford CA
437 AM PDT Sat Mar 20 2021

.SYNOPSIS...
After some lingering mountain showers this morning, and cooler
than normal temperatures today, dry and warming conditions return
to central California through the middle of next week. Another low
pressure system may impact the area by the end of next week.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
The low pressure system swinging inland along the west coast has
brought some significant precipitation and cooler temperatures to
the central California interior. The system is not a notably cold
or warm system and snow levels are currently running around 5 to 6
thousand feet north of Kings Canyon and around 6 to 7 thousand
feet to the south. The main area of precipitation is now over the
mountain and foothill areas and along the eastside and south end
of the San Joaquin Valley. Rainfall totals of a few tenths to over
1/2 inch are common across the San Joaquin Valley with
precipitation amounts around 1 to 1.5 inches over the surrounding
terrain. Total snow amounts around 12-15 inches have likely
accumulated over the higher elevations.

Precipitation is progged to linger into late morning as the trough
pushes inland. Gusty winds will increase through and below
mountain passes in Kern County with the passing system today into
this evening. Current blended model guidance suggests over a 50
percent chance of wind gusts exceeding 45 mph there during this
period. A Wind Advisory has therefore been issued for this portion
of Kern County, effective between 10 am today and midnight
tonight.

After today we will see generally dry and warming conditions
Sunday and Monday as weak high pressure builds behind the
departing system. There is good model consensus on an inside
slider type system for Tuesday and Wednesday, having limited
impact on our area. The end of the week period is more uncertain
as there is model discrepancy with the evolution of another
developing low pressure system. It currently looks like another
limited impact system for us, with just a slight chance for some
mountain showers by Friday.

&&

.AVIATION...
Mountain obscurations in precipitation and low clouds are likely
for the Sierra Nevada and Kern County Mountains through 18Z Saturday.
Otherwise...VFR conditions will prevail across Central California
through 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...
Winter Weather Advisory until 5 AM PDT early this morning for
CAZ192-193.

Wind Advisory from 10 AM this morning to midnight PDT tonight
for CAZ196-198-199.

&&

public...JEB
aviation....JEB

weather.gov/hanford

Event by event

3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Lake Isabella

When: March 20, 1:10 PM PST
Where: Lake Isabella forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: RAWS

The Bear Peak RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 58 mph.

High Wind, Tehachapi Area

When: March 20, 2:27 PM PST
Where: Tehachapi Area forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
Reported by: RAWS

The Bird Springs Pass RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 65 mph.

High Wind, Tehachapi Area

When: March 20, 4:14 PM PST
Where: Tehachapi Area forecast zone
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by: RAWS

The Jawbone Canyon RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 59 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 2021 Every state in 2021 This day in weather history Warnings in California, March 2021

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: 938337, 938335, 938336.