Southeast flow around a high pressure center over southern Nevada brought some upper level tropical moisture to central California. With instability increasing over the Sierra Nevada during the afternoon scattered thunderstorms broke out, and some of them produced locally heavy rainfall.
Every event with a place to put it. 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.
Southeast flow around a high pressure center over southern Nevada brought some upper level tropical moisture to central California. With instability increasing over the Sierra Nevada during the afternoon scattered thunderstorms broke out, and some of them produced locally heavy rainfall.
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 Jul 22, 1:00 PM PST, 3 hours 40 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Hanford CA 200 PM PDT Mon Jul 22 2024 ...EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING FOR THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY, ADJACENT SIERRA NEVADA FOOTHILLS AND KERN DESERT REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM PDT WEDNESDAY... .KEY MESSAGES... 1. An Excessive Heat Warning remains in effect for the Kern County Desert and Mojave Desert Slopes. An Excessive Heat Warning is now in effect for the San Joaquin Valley, Yosemite Valley, Lake Isabella, and Sierra Nevada foothills beginning at 11 AM PDT today. Both warnings are in effect through 11 PM PDT Wednesday. 2. The high risk of grass fires in the valley continues, with enhanced fire behavior even with lower wind speeds. In the Sierra Nevada, the risk increases with afternoon thunderstorms possible from today through Thursday. 3. Periods of afternoon thunderstorms in the Sierra Nevada will continue through Thursday. There is a 10 to 20 percent probability each afternoon. 4. There is a 55 to 75 percent chance for afternoon highs to reach or exceed 105 degrees in the San Joaquin Valley today. Chances increase to 80 to 95 percent for Tuesday then lower to 30 to 60 percent closer to Thursday. && .DISCUSSION... High pressure continues to shift west and over California today as the region begins another heat-wave. After a brief cool-down temperatures on Sunday, 24 hour change now show a rise of 3-5 degrees. With many Valley locations already in the 90s, should have no problem breaking pass the century mark this afternoon. While Probability of Exceedance of reaching 105 degrees is not the best across the San Joaquin Valley as percentages range from 55 to 80 percent, several locations should obtain a value of 105 or greater. In addition the shift of the ridge, moisture in the form of precip-water continues to increase over Southern and Central California. With this increase, Probability of Thunder (PoT) has also shown a increase and is now near 40 percent this afternoon. The axis of the high pressure ridge is still expected over Central California on Tuesday with max heating of both Tuesday and Wednesday. By the end of the week, will see a cool- down as a Pacific Northwest Disturbance pushes through the area. Hi-Res short-range Ensemble analysis in very good agreement with the solution of shifting the ridge of high pressure over California within the next 24 hours. In the meanwhile, the continued southeasterly flow around the ridge will allow more monsoonal moisture to surge into the region. Ensemble precip- water analysis is showing a further surge of moisture into Central California as both Probability of a wetting rain and thunder increase during the early part of this week. As the moisture rotates around the ridge, enough will surge into the area for a threat of possible excessive precipitation over the Sierra Nevada Crest area. Will monitor the situation for possible hydro concerns as we approach the mid-week period. As for temperatures, while Probability of Exceedance (PoE) of reaching 105 degrees across the San Joaquin Valley starts out low (55-80 percent) today, they do grow to almost 95 percent with local 100 percent by midweek. Therefore, high confidence in the heat-wave event will be on Tuesday and Wednesday (and possibly Thursday) before PoE show a drop off around Friday. Current thinking is that Tuesday and Wednesday will be the dangerous heat days with Monday and Thursday the intermediate days. Minor changes of the flow aloft as ensemble cluster analysis may allow for continued heat and mountain convection through at least Thursday. Cluster analysis still hints toward a disturbance moving into the Pacific Northwest near the Friday time frame. Ensemble PoE by Friday of reaching 105 degrees drops to less then 20 percent. While the ensemble mean is still showing max temperatures reaching 100 degrees, cluster analysis continues its downward trend in temperatures and may even go below 100 degrees by next weekend. && .AVIATION... Areas of MVFR and local mountain obscuring IFR in showers and thunderstorms over higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada between 18Z Mon and 03Z Tue. Areas of MVFR and local IFR visibility will continue in and around wildfires. Otherwise, VFR conditions will prevail across the central CA interior over 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... Excessive Heat Warning until 11 PM PDT Wednesday for CAZ300>321-324-325-332-337>339. && Operations.....Molina Support........SM weather.gov/hanford
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service San Joaquin Valley CA
115 PM PDT Mon Jul 22 2024
CAZ331-222045-
South End of the Upper Sierra CA-
115 PM PDT Mon Jul 22 2024
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT SOUTHEASTERN TULARE COUNTY
THROUGH 145 PM PDT...
At 115 PM PDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 21
miles southwest of Olancha. This thunderstorm was nearly stationary.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 40 mph and pea size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Blackrock and Beach Meadows.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.
This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio
stations and available television stations for additional information
and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.
&&
LAT...LON 3597 11823 3599 11838 3617 11836 3615 11815
TIME...MOT...LOC 2015Z 189DEG 3KT 3606 11829
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
SMSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service San Joaquin Valley CA
342 PM PDT Mon Jul 22 2024
CAZ331>333-338-222315-
Piute Walker Basin CA-South End of the Upper Sierra CA-
Kern River Valley CA-Mojave Desert Slopes CA-
342 PM PDT Mon Jul 22 2024
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT NORTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY THROUGH
415 PM PDT...
At 341 PM PDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 13
miles southeast of Onyx, or 26 miles west of Ridgecrest, moving
northeast at 15 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 40 mph and pea sized hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects.
Locations impacted include...
Onyx and Walker Pass.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
Brief torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may
lead to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through
flooded roadways.
Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.
&&
LAT...LON 3537 11810 3546 11830 3569 11822 3567 11799
TIME...MOT...LOC 2241Z 228DEG 12KT 3551 11811
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
MolinaSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service San Joaquin Valley CA
530 PM PDT Mon Jul 22 2024
CAZ331-230100-
South End of the Upper Sierra CA-
530 PM PDT Mon Jul 22 2024
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT SOUTHEASTERN TULARE COUNTY
THROUGH 600 PM PDT...
At 529 PM PDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 18
miles northeast of Onyx moving northeast at 15 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 40 mph and pea size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Bear Peak.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.
&&
LAT...LON 3586 11801 3580 11801 3580 11819 3598 11829
3609 11806 3604 11805 3599 11801 3596 11801
3594 11799 3587 11798
TIME...MOT...LOC 0029Z 238DEG 24KT 3592 11806
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
ASThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 debris flow. Local standard time, as filed.
NWS Incident Meteorologist reported burn scar debris flooding on Chimney Basin Rd. south of Kennedy Meadows. Field operations estimated 0.25 inches of rainfall triggered this event.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in California, July 2024
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: 1185086.