Following the departure of the warm and moist storm which produced widespread flooding across the area on March 9 and 10, another moist system moved through central California on March 11 and 12. While precipitation amounts were generally much lower with this system with most of the Sierra Nevada picking up between 1 and 2 inches of liquid precipitation and adjacent foothills picking up between…
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The episode as NWS HNX wrote it up.
Following the departure of the warm and moist storm which produced widespread flooding across the area on March 9 and 10, another moist system moved through central California on March 11 and 12. While precipitation amounts were generally much lower with this system with most of the Sierra Nevada picking up between 1 and 2 inches of liquid precipitation and adjacent foothills picking up between a half inch and an inch of rainfall, the cooler unstable airmass on the back side of this system produced afternoon and evening thunderstorms across the lower elevations resulting in widespread flooding and wind damage across the San Joaquin Valley.
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 11, 12:53 AM PST, 9 hours 7 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Hanford CA 1253 AM PST Sat Mar 11 2023 .SYNOPSIS... The rain that began Friday will continue to last until Sunday. Snow levels look to stay high at 8000 feet through today but will drop to around 6500 feet on Sunday before rising back up at the beginning of next week. Continued rainfall will aid in snow melt from 2000 to 5000 feet. Rivers and streams all throughout our county warning area are seeing rising waters and increased flows, with flooding impacts in many areas. After this system passes through completely on Sunday, there will be a brief reprieve before another moderate weekend system impacts the area over the early parts of the week. && .DISCUSSION... The atmospheric river combined with warm, moist air guided into the area by an upper level low has been steadily making impacts to our county warning area over the day in the form of high rain totals in high elevations and very low snow levels. Mountain slopes saw the brunt of this rainfall with high isolated totals, and the warm air has begun melting snow below 5000 feet. Many creeks and rivers across the CWA have been seeing impacts and flooding and will continue to see flooding throughout the weekend. Today and tonight, thunderstorm activity could result in more localized flooding, isolated hail, high winds, and lightning. It could also result in high localized mountain rain rates. The eastern side of the Central Valley should see minimal precipitation, if any. The western and southern portions of the San Joaquin Valley could see up to a tenth of an inch of rain. There will be a brief break in systems on Sunday before another system begins to impact the area Monday night into Wednesday. The eastern and central San Joaquin Valley will see totals from 1.5 to 2 inches of rain, while the western part of the valley will see 1 to 1.5 inches of rain. While rain totals in the Sierra and Sierra foothills will be high in many places, they will not be as high as the rain totals we saw this weekend. Some areas and rain totals are: Fresno, California Hot Springs, and Three Rivers: 2-3 inches Mt Whitney and Mammoth Lakes: 3-4 inches Lodgepole, Grant Grove, Shaver Lake, Oakhurst, Mariposa, Yosemite Valley, and Tioga Pass: 4-6 inches Grant Grove: 6-8 inches There will be a brief break in systems on Sunday before another system begins to impact the area Monday night into Wednesday. The eastern and central San Joaquin Valley will see totals from 1.5 to 2 inches of rain, while the western part of the valley will see 1 to 1.5 inches of rain. While rain totals in the Sierra and Sierra foothills will be high in many places, they will not be as high as the rain totals we saw this weekend. Some areas and rain totals are: Fresno, California Hot Springs, and Three Rivers: 2-3 inches Mt Whitney and Mammoth Lakes: 3-4 inches Lodgepole, Grant Grove, Shaver Lake, Oakhurst, Mariposa, Yosemite Valley, and Tioga Pass: 4-6 inches Grant Grove: 6-8 inches Snow levels for this storm will be slightly lower and places that saw no snow with this weekend storm will see snow with the Monday- Wednesday storm. Snow levels will start at roughly 7000 feet, rise to 8000 feet, and then lower to about 6000 feet by Wednesday when the system begins to move out of the area. Snow total forecasts are: Shaver Lake: 3-4 inches Grant Grove: 4-6 inches Lodgepole: 8-12 inches Mammoth Lakes: 24-30 inches Mt. Whitney: 36-48 inches Tioga Pass: 48-72 inches && .AVIATION... The San Joaquin Valley can see continued MFVR conditions with rain showers and possibly IFR conditions in mountains due to heavier possible precipitation. Some turbulence is expected due to low level winds and mountain precipitation. && .AIR QUALITY ISSUES... ISSUED: 03/11/2023 13:41 EXPIRES: 03/12/2023 23:59 None. && .CERTAINTY... The level of certainty for days 1 and 2 is medium. 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... Flood Watch through Wednesday morning for CAZ300>336. Winter Storm Warning until 10 AM PDT Sunday for CAZ323-326>331. && public/aviation/fire weather...Serrato weather.gov/hanford
The San Joaquin Valley radar (KHNX), 41 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:14 UTC.
15 flood, 10 thunderstorm wind, 5 funnel cloud, 2 hail, 1 heavy snow, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
The State Lakes SNOTEL (10419 feet) picked up an estimated 21 inches of new snowfall.
Image posted on Facebook showing flooding of the Friant Kern Canal at SR 198.
Image posted on Facebook showing Poso Creek flooding.
California Highway Patrol reported boulders on the roadway on Woodford Tehachapi Rd.
Broadcast media report on twitter showing a funnel cloud near the intersection of SR 180 and Panoche Rd.
Video posted on Twitter showing 1 inch diameter hail on SR 180 between Mendota and Kerman.
Broadcast media report of SR 99 being closed between Ave. 24 and Ave. 56 in Earlimart due to a breach in the White River.
California Highway Patrol reported several vehicles stuck in a mudslide on Leonard Ave.
California Highway Patrol reported flooding on Ave 416 a half mile west of Rd. 168.
California Highway Patrol reported Ave. 368 was flooded by 12 to 18 inches of water west of Rd. 112.
California Highway Patrol reported China Grade Loop west of Airport Dr. was closed due to flooding.
California Highway Patrol reported E. Floral Ave. at S. Lac Jac Ave and Wallace was closed due to a sinkhole.
California Highway Patrol reported Ave. 56 flooded east of SR 99 in Earlimart.
California Highway Patrol reported a tree blocking both lanes of SR 198 west of Mehrten Dr.
California Highway Patrol reported Rio Vista Dr. was washed out near Cow Mountain Rd.
California Highway Patrol reported Redinger Lane was washed out.
A storm chaser posted an image with a funnel cloud east of Los Banos on Twitter.
An NWS employee observed a funnel cloud in northwest Los Banos.
An image of a funnel cloud over Dos Palos was posted on Facebook.
Image of a funnel cloud east of Firebaugh was posted on Facebook.
An NWS employee measured inch sized diameter hail east of Firebaugh on Hemlock Rd.
A video was posted on Twitter showing flash flooding in Biola.
California Highway Patrol reported a downed tree on E. Nebraska Ave at S. Chestnut Ave.
California Highway Patrol reported a downed tree on E. Adams Ave. at S. Maple Ave.
California Highway Patrol reported a downed tree on W. Saginaw Ave west of S. Elm Ave.
California Highway Patrol reported a downed tree which damaged a car on E. Nebraska Ave at S. Clovis Ave.
California Highway Patrol reported a downed tree crashed into a house on S. Orange Ave. north of E. Dinuba Ave.
California Highway Patrol reported a power pole and power lines downed on S. Chestnut Ave. at E. Dinuba Ave.
California Highway Patrol reported a tree and power lines downed on S. Fowler Ave. at E. Mountain View Ave.
California Highway Patrol reported a downed tree and power lines which caught fire at S. Clovis Ave. north of E. Floral Ave.
California Highway Patrol reported flooding on Highland Ave. at Dinuba Ave.
California Highway Patrol reported flooding on Ave. 360 east of Rd. 80.
California Highway Patrol reported a downed 30 foot tree in the roadway on E. Saginaw Ave. west of Temperance Ave.
California Highway Patrol reported a power pole broken in half and power lines on the roadway on S. Fowler Ave. north of E. Kamm Ave.
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, March 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: 1076569, 1076333, 1076334, 1076335, 1076336, 1076337, 1076338, 1076339, 1076340, 1076341, 1076342, 1076343, 1076344, 1076345, 1076346, 1076347, 1076522, 1076523, 1076524, 1076530, 1076534, 1076536, 1076538, 1076539, 1076540, 1076541, 1076542, 1076543, 1076545, 1076546, 1076567, 1076568, 1076554, 1076555.