After a period of unseasonably warm temperatures across the area between March 22 and March 26, an upper low pressure system approached the southern California coast on March 27 and brought increased winds to the West Side Hills and the Tehachapi Mountains during the evening of March 27 through the morning of March 28. Several stations reported gusts exceeding 45 mph with a few stations…
Every event with a place to put it; 14 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.
After a period of unseasonably warm temperatures across the area between March 22 and March 26, an upper low pressure system approached the southern California coast on March 27 and brought increased winds to the West Side Hills and the Tehachapi Mountains during the evening of March 27 through the morning of March 28. Several stations reported gusts exceeding 45 mph with a few stations measuring gusts above 55 mph. As the low moved inland on March 28, a band of precipitation pushed eastward across the area during the morning and afternoon hours. Behind this band, skies cleared out and with cooler air pushing into the area aloft, instability was sufficient for thunderstorms to develop across the San Joaquin Valley and Sierra foothills during the afternoon through the early evening hours although the thunderstorms were rapid movers and did not produce any significant flooding as a result. Most of the San Joaquin valley and Sierra Foothills picked up between a quarter inch and a half inch of rainfall with locations impacted by thunderstorms picking up more. Much of the Sierra Nevada picked up between 0.40 and 0.80 inches of liquid precipitation. Many stations above 5500 feet in the Sierra Nevada picked up between 3 and 8 inches of new snowfall while many stations above 5500 feet in the Tehachapi Mountains picked up between 2 and 6 inches of new snowfall.
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 27, 12:30 PM PST, 4 hours 40 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Hanford CA 130 PM PDT Sun Mar 27 2022 .SYNOPSIS... High pressure will give way to an approaching low pressure system tonight through Monday night. Rain and mountain snow will begin tonight and persist into Tuesday morning before the storm system moves east of the area. High pressure will rebuild beginning later Tuesday with a warming and drying trend through the week. && .DISCUSSION... A storm system off the West Coast this afternoon is already ushering in a change in Central California’s weather. While mostly higher clouds have been rolling in so far, they have affected temperature trends today. Currently, 24 hour change in temperatures show cooler conditions as values are finally beginning to reach into the 70s. Will not expect record temperatures to be reached today as Central California going into a cooling trend during the passage of the Pacific storm approaching the West Coast. Satellite IR is showing a rather impressive storm (for late March) with clouds wrapping around the low’s center. Upper air analysis is currently showing a cold center as temperatures around the 500mb level at around minus 24 to minus 28 deg-C. High-Res ensemble mean analysis show the disturbance maintaining its trajectories toward Central/Southern California during the day on Monday. Based on current moisture and dynamic analysis, will see a big change overnight into early Monday as Winter Weather returns to Central California. Confidence in the ensembles continue to grow as the measures of predictability show possible precipitation entering the region later tonight. While satellite and upper air analysis show a deterministic view of the approaching storm, ensemble still have some uncertainty on precipitation amount totals. Yet, due to the possible intrusion of sub-tropical (almost Atmospheric River event for Central California) moisture into the region, will go with precipitation total above ensemble mean values as the more favored orographic locations could approach ensemble max values. Will keep the Winter Weather Advisories in effect as the warm moist air places snow levels closer to the 6000 foot level. Ensemble confidence Index values agree warmer scenario as rain becomes more of a threat than snow. Therefore, even with the cold upper low, snow levels (and amounts) will struggle to reach Grapevine/Tehachapi Pass levels during the day. With the cold upper low will introduce is very unstable air across Central California on Monday. Will follow ensemble and expect the upper low just west of Santa Maria by late Monday afternoon as Central/Southern California sits under good difluent flow aloft. In addition, with 500mb temperatures near minus 25 deg-C, ensemble show good CAPE values over the region as a threat of thunderstorms will exist for Monday afternoon. With significant moisture surging in, all three ingredients for convection will reside over the region for possible scattered thunderstorms across areas outside the Kern Desert. Showers may lingering into the evening before the district begins drying on Tuesday. Afterward, a second storm moving through the region may be force to remain north of Central California. The northerly trajectory will be the result of a building ridge pattern. Ensemble agree to rebuild the ridge as the second storm approaches. Therefore, will expect dry conditions by mid-week as the second storm is forced to take a more northerly trajectory. Yet, a northerly flow pattern may also persist for several days until the ridge axis is able to place itself over the West Coast. This northerly flow will allow for a continuation of cooler air and prevent any strong warm-ups in temperatures. && .AVIATION... VFR conditions will prevail across Central California through 06Z Monday. Afterward, incoming precipitation will bring areas of MVFR ceilings and mountain obscuration IFR conditions through the remainder of the period. && .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... Wind Advisory until 8 PM PDT this evening for CAZ337>339. Winter Weather Advisory from midnight tonight to midnight PDT Monday night for CAZ323-326>331. Wind Advisory until 5 AM PDT Monday for CAZ300-304-308-313. Wind Advisory until 11 AM PDT Monday for CAZ334>336. && Public/Aviation/Fire Wx...Molina IDSS/PIO/Social Media.....DCH weather.gov/hanford
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
10 winter weather, 4 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The PG&E station at Joaquin Ridge measured a peak wind gust of 60 mph.
The Panoche Road RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 74 mph.
Several SNOTEL reports of 3 to 8 inches of new snowfall.
Several SNOTEL reports of 3 to 8 inches of new snowfall.
Several SNOTEL reports of 3 to 8 inches of new snowfall.
Several SNOTEL reports of 3 to 8 inches of new snowfall.
Several SNOTEL reports of 3 to 8 inches of new snowfall.
Several SNOTEL reports of 3 to 8 inches of new snowfall.
Several SNOTEL reports of 3 to 8 inches of new snowfall.
Several social media reports of 2 to 6 inches of new snowfall.
Several social media reports of 2 to 6 inches of new snowfall.
Several social media reports of 2 to 6 inches of new snowfall.
The Blue Max RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 58 mph.
The PG&E station at Beartrap Road measured a peak wind gust of 59 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, March 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: 1004421, 1004419, 1004428, 1004429, 1004430, 1004431, 1004432, 1004433, 1004434, 1004435, 1004436, 1004437, 1004424, 1004423.