Nearly all of the central California Interior remained classified as being in an exceptional drought by the end of September, 2021 due to a long term precipitation deficit. As of September 30, 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 remained classified as being in an exceptional drought by the end of September, 2021 due to a long term precipitation deficit. As of September 30, 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 Aug 31, 4:30 PM PST, 7 hours 30 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion UPDATED National Weather Service Hanford CA 530 PM PDT Tue Aug 31 2021 ...Update to Air Quality Issues Section... .SYNOPSIS... Seasonal temperatures are expected across the district through Friday. There will be locally windy conditions in the Kern County mountains and desert during the afternoon and evening on Wednesday and Thursday. Temperatures will then trend back above seasonal averages by the weekend through next week as high pressure builds across the western US. Monsoon moisture with a chance of precipitation in the Sierra could return by the middle of next week. && .DISCUSSION... Visible satellite imagery is showing a fair amount of mid and upper level clouds streaming north into Kern county. The radar is additionally picking up some very light returns in the desert. However, local camera networks indicate very little to no precipitation is making to the ground. With a deep trough starting to move south into the state, minor synoptic cooling has lowered our temperatures between 3 to 6 degrees compared to this same time yesterday. The latest surface pressure gradients from SFO-LAS is currently at 4.2mb. High-resolution models show this increasing to around 6mb to 7mb by the evening. Winds in excess of 35-40 mph are likely along the West Side Hills as well as the typical windy areas in Kern county mountains and desert. This combined with low relative humidities will create a period of elevated fire weather conditions through the evening hours in the south end of the Sierra, Lake Isabella, and the Tehachapi area. The aforementioned trough will continue to drop further south on Wednesday and Thursday. Cooler onshore (SW) flow will further lower temperatures back to seasonal values on Wednesday. Additional cooling will lower temperatures to between 2 to 5 degrees below average for Thursday. There will be another period of breezy conditions in the west side hills and typical windy zones in Kern county during the afternoon and evening hours on Wednesday and Thursday. As is the case for today, winds combined with low humidities will lead to a period of elevated fire weather conditions during the afternoon and evening hours, primarily for the south end of the Sierra, Lake Isabella, and Tehachapi areas. By the end of the week through the end of the 7-day forecast period, model ensembles are in decent agreement that high pressure will restrengthen over the western US. High temperatures will return back above average by the weekend, and will stay above average into next week. With southeasterly flow aloft, monsoonal moisture could start to make its way back into the region. At this time, there is a low chance (< 20%) of thunderstorms in the Sierra as the details remain low. && .AVIATION... In the Sierra Nevada, areas of MVFR conditions with local mountain obscured IFR visibilities are expected in smoke and haze. In the San Joaquin Valley, areas of MVFR visibilities are possible due to haze and patchy smoke. && .AIR QUALITY ISSUES... On Wednesday September 1 2021... Unhealthy for sensitive groups in Sequoia National Park and Forest. 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... None. && public...CMC aviation....CMC weather.gov/hanford
21 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
The West Side Hills were 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 were 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, September 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: 977624, 977625, 977626, 977627, 977628, 977629, 977630, 977631, 977632, 977633, 977634, 977635, 977636, 977637, 977638, 977639, 977640, 977642, 977643, 977644, 977645.