A strong cold front ahead of a very cold upper trough dropped southward through central California on February 21. This system brought much cooler temperatures to the area along with a period of increased winds between the morning of February 21 through the morning of February 22.
Every event with a place to put it; 10 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
A strong cold front ahead of a very cold upper trough dropped southward through central California on February 21. This system brought much cooler temperatures to the area along with a period of increased winds between the morning of February 21 through the morning of February 22. Strong wind gusts were prevalent across the Mojave Desert Slopes as well as along the ridge tops of the southern Sierra Nevada. Several stations measured winds gusts exceeding 55 mph with a few low impact indicator sites measuring gusts exceeding 65 mph.
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 Feb 21, 1:00 AM PST, 6 hours 32 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Hanford CA 100 AM PST Mon Feb 21 2022 .SYNOPSIS... Much cooler weather is in store for Central California today. A low pressure system will impact the forecast area Tuesday through Wednesday, resulting in snow for the Sierra Nevada, adjacent foothills, and Kern County mountains. Periods of rain are likely in the San Joaquin Valley Tuesday into Wednesday morning. Freezing temperatures are expected in most of the San Joaquin Valley Tuesday night, Wednesday night, and Thursday night. && .DISCUSSION... A trough of low pressure will sweep through Central California today, resulting in much cooler weather and strong, gusty west winds in the Kern County desert. High temperatures this afternoon will be eleven to thirteen degrees cooler than yesterday. A cold, low pressure system will impact Central California Tuesday through Wednesday. Precipitation ahead of this low pressure system should overspread the far northern portion of our forecast area late tonight. Snow levels in the Sierra Nevada will start at around 2,000 feet late tonight, before falling to about 500 feet Wednesday morning. Snow flurries are possible in areas as low as Three Rivers Wednesday morning. Snow amounts in the Sierra Nevada and adjacent foothills are expected to be one to two inches from 1,000 feet to 1,500 feet, two to four inches from 1,500 feet to 3,500 feet, and four to eight inches above 3,500 feet Tuesday through Wednesday. Rain amounts in the San Joaquin Valley should generally be one tenth of an inch to one quarter of an inch Tuesday into Wednesday morning. It is possible that rain amounts will peak at one quarter of an inch to one half of an inch in the far eastern portion of the San Joaquin Valley Tuesday into Wednesday morning. The majority of this precipitation will fall Tuesday afternoon and Tuesday evening. In the Kern County mountains, snow amounts are expected to be an inch or less from 1,500 feet to 2,500 feet, one to two inches from 2,500 feet to 3,500 feet, two to four inches from 3,500 feet to 4,500 feet, and four to eight inches above 4,500 feet. Accumulating snowfall is anticipated along Interstate 5 over Tejon Pass and along Highway 58 over Tehachapi Pass Tuesday evening through Wednesday. The majority of this snow will fall Tuesday evening and Tuesday night. There is a 100% probability of an inch of snow or more in Tehachapi and a 64% probability of an inch of snow or more over the Grapevine. There is a 98% probability of two inches of snow or more in Tehachapi and a 29% probability of two inches of snow or more over the Grapevine. There is a 68% probability of four inches or more of snow in Tehachapi and there is a 25% probability of six inches or more of snow in Tehachapi. If you must travel over Kern County mountain passes Tuesday evening through Wednesday, plan on travel delays and the possibility of road closures. Freezing temperatures are expected in most of the San Joaquin Valley Tuesday night, Wednesday night, and Thursday night. Outside of major urban areas, the probabilities of low temperatures of 32 degrees or below range from as low as 62% in Hanford to as high as 70% in Reedley Tuesday night. From northern Kern County northward, the probabilities of low temperatures of 32 degrees or below range from as low as 60% in Fresno to as high as 90% in Reedley Wednesday night. Wednesday night will be the coldest night out of the three. Outside of major urban areas, the probabilities of low temperatures of 32 degrees or below range from as low as 59% in Reedley to as high as 69% in Merced, Madera, and Lemoore Thursday night. Be prepared to bring pets indoors and cover sensitive, exposed vegetation, and outdoor plumbing. An upward temperature trend is expected Friday through the upcoming weekend as an Eastern Pacific ridge of high pressure builds eastward over Central California. && .AVIATION... VFR conditions will prevail in the San Joaquin Valley today and tonight. MVFR or lower conditions are possible in the Sierra Nevada and adjacent foothills late tonight due to the arrival of light snow. && .AIR QUALITY ISSUES... On Monday, February 21st, 2022, fireplace/wood stove burning status is: no burning unless registered in Fresno, Kern, and Kern (Greater Frazier Park Area) Counties. 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 and/or to provide feedback. && .HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Weather Advisory from 10 PM this evening to 4 PM PST Wednesday for CAZ320-322-327>336. Wind Advisory from 10 AM this morning to 10 PM PST Tuesday for CAZ337>339. Winter Weather Advisory from 4 PM this afternoon to 4 PM PST Wednesday for CAZ318-323>326. Freeze Watch from late Tuesday night through Friday morning for CAZ301>303-305>307-309>312-314>316. && Public/Aviation/Fire Weather...BS PIO/DSS........................BSO weather.gov/hanford
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
10 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The Blue Max RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 65 mph.
The Walker Pass RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 66 mph.
The Indian Wells Canyon RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 80 mph.
Jawbone Station measured a peak wind gust of 59 mph.
The Mojave Airport AWOS measured a peak wind gust of 59 mph.
The Bear Peak RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 64 mph.
The Southern California Edison Station at Cache Creek measured a peak wind gust of 62 mph.
The Southern California Edison Station at Little Oak Canyon measured a peak wind gust of 58 mph.
The Jawbone Canyon RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 69 mph.
The Bird Springs Pass RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 70 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in California, February 2022
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: 998949, 998942, 998948, 998954, 998955, 998945, 998951, 998959, 998938, 998940.