Rainfall was well below normal for January, and nearly all of the central California Interior was classified as being in a severe drought by the end of January, 2022 due to a long term precipitation deficit. As of January 31, 2022, most of the impacted area has received less than 50% of normal precipitation since July 1, 2020.
Every event with a place to put it; 39 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.
Rainfall was well below normal for January, and nearly all of the central California Interior was classified as being in a severe drought by the end of January, 2022 due to a long term precipitation deficit. As of January 31, 2022, most of 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 Dec 31, 3:52 PM PST, 8 hours 8 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Hanford CA 352 PM PST Fri Dec 31 2021 .UPDATE...Updated Air Quality Section. && .SYNOPSIS...Cold and dry weather will prevail this weekend with areas of night and morning dense fog in the San Joaquin Valley. Trending a little warmer next week with a chance of precipitation from Fresno County northward on Friday. && .DISCUSSION...Low clouds and fog have persisted in portions of the Kern County mountains today. Area webcams and observations show dense fog is still occurring along Interstate 5 through the Grapevine towards southern California. Dense fog is also affecting Hwy 58 from the San Joaquin Valley to Tehachapi. A Dense Fog Advisory remains in effect until 3 PM this afternoon. There were some patches of fog across the SJ Valley this morning as well, mainly around Fresno. Satellite loops show an extensive area of stratus clouds remains over much of the SJ Valley and adjacent foothills. Some clearing is occurring from Merced County south to Kings County as a short wave trough dives down from the north. This trough will parallel the CA/NV border tonight and should keep a light breeze going in the valley to inhibit fog development. But the winds might abate enough towards morning for some dense fog to develop. Low clouds are likely to persist across the southern end and along portions of the eastern side of the valley. A northerly flow will usher in a colder air mass on Saturday. High temperatures across the SJ Valley Saturday afternoon are forecast to remain in the middle to upper 40s, around 7 to 10 degrees below normal. This will be followed by widespread freezing temperatures Saturday night, with some rural areas falling to around 28 degrees. A warming trend will follow with temperatures back to near normal early next week. Ensembles are now keeping precipitation north of our area through the middle of next week. The next chance develops Friday of next week with low chance POPs from Fresno County north. && .AVIATION...MVFR with areas of IFR conditions due to upslope clouds and fog in the valley facing slopes in Kern County. Areas of IFR in fog developing across the San Joaquin Valley from 08z- 18z Saturday. && .AIR QUALITY ISSUES...On Saturday January 1 2022... Fireplace/Wood Stove Burning Status is: No Burning Unless Registered in Fresno... Kern and Madera 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 an/or to provide feedback. && .HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Wind Advisory until 11 PM PST this evening for CAZ338. && public...DCH aviation....CMC weather.gov/hanford
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HANFORD CA
621 PM PST FRI DEC 31 2021
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0450 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 5 NNW MOJAVE 35.12N 118.20W
12/31/2021 M60 MPH KERN CA UTILITY COMPANY
MESONET STATION SE377 CACHE CREEK (SCE).
0556 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 1 S RED ROCK CANYON 35.30N 118.00W
12/31/2021 M58 MPH KERN CA MESONET
MESONET STATION AU205 JAWBONE STATION.
0600 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 9 E LEBEC 34.83N 118.71W
12/31/2021 M58 MPH KERN CA UTILITY COMPANY
MESONET STATION 444SE COTTONWOOD CANYON.
0600 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 16 SSW TEHACHAPI 34.91N 118.52W
12/31/2021 M61 MPH KERN CA UTILITY COMPANY
MESONET STATION SE283 LITTLE OAK CANYON
(SCE).
&&
DSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HANFORD CA
750 PM PST FRI DEC 31 2021
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0700 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 16 SSW TEHACHAPI 34.91N 118.52W
12/31/2021 M63 MPH KERN CA UTILITY COMPANY
MESONET STATION SE283 LITTLE OAK CANYON
(SCE).
0709 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 2 ENE MOJAVE 35.06N 118.15W
12/31/2021 M75 MPH KERN CA MESONET
AT MOJAVE AIRPORT REPORTED BY PRIVATE
WEATHER STATION IN CENTER FIELD OF AIRPORT.
0714 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 13 W RED ROCK CANYON 35.29N 118.23W
12/31/2021 M71 MPH KERN CA PARK/FOREST SRVC
MESONET STATION JWBC1 JAWBONE CANYON.
0740 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 5 NNW MOJAVE 35.12N 118.20W
12/31/2021 M61 MPH KERN CA UTILITY COMPANY
MESONET STATION SE377 CACHE CREEK (SCE).
&&
DSThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
39 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
The West Side Mountains north of Highway 198 were classified as being in a severe drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The Los Banos and Dos Palos areas were classified as being in a severe drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The Merced, Madera and Mendota areas were classified as being in a severe drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The Planada, Legrand and Snelling areas were classified as being in a severe drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The Coalinga and Avenal areas were classified as being in a severe drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The West Side of Fresno and Kings Counties were classified as being in a severe drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The Caruthers, San Joaquin and Selma areas were classified as being in a severe drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The Fresno and Clovis areas were classified as being in a severe drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The West Side Mountains south of Highway 198 were classified as being in a severe drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The Buttonwillow and Lost Hills areas were classified as being in a severe drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The Delano, Wasco and Shafter areas were classified as being in a severe drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The Hanford, Corcoran and Lemoore areas were classified as being in a severe drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The Visalia, Porterville and Reedley areas were classified as being in a severe drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The Buena Vista area was classified as being in a severe drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The Bakersfield area was classified as being in a severe drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The Southeast San Joaquin Valley was classified as being in a severe drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The South End of the San Joaquin Valley was classified as being in a severe drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The Mariposa and Madera County Foothills were classified as being in a severe drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The Mariposa and Madera County Lower Sierra were classified as being in a severe drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The Fresno and Tulare County Foothills were classified as being in a severe drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The Fresno and Tulare County Lower Sierra were classified as being in a severe drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The South End Sierra Foothills were classified as being in a severe drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The South End of the Lower Sierra was classified as being in a severe drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
Yosemite National Park outside of the valley was classified as being in a severe drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The Yosemite Valley was classified as being in a severe drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The San Joaquin River Canyon was classified as being in a severe drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The Upper San Joaquin River area was classified as being in a severe drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The Kaiser to Rodgers Ridge area was classified as being in a severe drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
Kings Canyon National Park was classified as being in a severe drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The Grant Grove area was classified as being in a severe drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
Sequoia National Park was classified as being in a severe drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The South End of the Upper Sierra was classified as being in a severe drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The Kern River Valley was classified as being in a severe drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The Piute and Walker Pass areas were classified as being in a severe drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The Tehachapi area was classified as being in a severe drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The Grapevine area was classified as being in a severe drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The Frazier Mountain Communities were classified as being in a severe drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
Parts of the Indian Wells Valley were classified as being in a severe drought due to a long term precipitation deficit.
The Mojave Desert Slopes were classified as being in a severe 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 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in California, January 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: 994963, 994964, 994965, 994966, 994967, 994968, 994969, 994970, 994971, 994972, 994973, 994974, 994975, 994976, 994977, 994978, 994979, 994980, 994981, 994982, 994983, 994984, 994985, 994986, 994987, 994988, 994989, 994990, 994991, 994992, 994993, 994994, 994995, 994996, 994997, 994998, 994999, 995000, 995001.