A dry upper trough moved east across the region during the evening of April 12 through the morning of April 13. This system brought a period of increased winds to the mountains and deserts of Kern County as pressure gradients strengthened.
Every event with a place to put it; 5 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 dry upper trough moved east across the region during the evening of April 12 through the morning of April 13. This system brought a period of increased winds to the mountains and deserts of Kern County as pressure gradients strengthened. Several stations measured gusts exceeding 45 mph and a few low impact indicator sites picked up gusts in excess of 55 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 Apr 12, 1:41 PM PST, 8 hours 46 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Hanford CA 241 PM PDT Wed Apr 12 2023 .SYNOPSIS... Cooler temperatures and increased winds will prevail through Thursday. High pressure will return on Friday resulting in a warming trend and lighter winds through the weekend. Another cooling trend and wind increase is expected early next week. && .DISCUSSION... An upper low is moving over the Pacific Northwest this afternoon with the associated trough extending southwest off the coast of central California. Satellite loops show some low clouds banked up along the Sierra foothills in Tulare and Kern Counties, while no precipitation is expected from this system. The main impacts are increased winds and continued cooling through Thursday. A Wind Advisory is in effect for the Mojave Slopes and Kern Desert areas through 5AM Thursday with gusts up to 55 mph. Temperatures in the San Joaquin Valley are forecast to be around 4 to 8 degrees below climatological averages today, with highs mainly in the upper 60s. The trough axis will shift inland overnight with a cool northwest flow aloft on Thursday. Temperatures are forecast to lower further with highs mainly in the mid 60s across the SJ Valley, as much as 10 degrees below average. Breezy winds will continue across much of the district with gusty winds continuing in the mountains and desert in Kern County. High pressure begins to build in on Friday for a warming trend through the weekend. Highs across the SJ Valley are forecast to be in the mid to upper 70s this weekend with parts of the southern valley possibly topping 80 degrees on Sunday. Model ensemble means show another trough dropping down from the north on Monday. There is a slight chance for light showers around Yosemite NP on Monday evening and overnight. Rain amounts are only expected to be a few hundredths to a tenth of an inch with up to one inch of snow above 6000 feet. Winds will increase again with another round of advisory level gusts possible in the Kern County mountains and desert. Cooling will occur with highs as much as 10 degrees below average on Tuesday then a warmup begins on Wednesday. && .AVIATION... Local MVFR in low clouds in the eastern San Joaquin Valley and Sierra slopes. Gusts around 45 kts expected in the Kern County desert and adjacent slopes. VFR conditions will prevail across the rest of the central CA interior 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 and/or to provide feedback. && .HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Wind Advisory until 5 AM PDT Thursday for CAZ337>339. && Public/Aviation/Fire Weather...DCH PIO/DSS........................DAS weather.gov/hanford
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The Bird Springs Pass RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 73 mph.
The Blue Max RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 59 mph.
The Cache Creek CHP station measured a peak wind gust of 59 mph.
The Southern California Edison station at Cottonwood Creek measured a peak wind gust of 60 mph.
The Jawbone Canyon RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 58 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in California, April 2023
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: 1081012, 1081013, 1081014, 1081015, 1081011.