A large upper level low pressure system moved eastward across the Pacific Northwest and Northern California on May 4 and 5. This system brought widespread precipitation to our area between the early afternoon of May 4 and the morning of May 5 as moisture pushed southward through central California with much of the Sierra Nevada from Sierra National Park northward picking up between a half inch…
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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 large upper level low pressure system moved eastward across the Pacific Northwest and Northern California on May 4 and 5. This system brought widespread precipitation to our area between the early afternoon of May 4 and the morning of May 5 as moisture pushed southward through central California with much of the Sierra Nevada from Sierra National Park northward picking up between a half inch and an inch of liquid precipitation with several higher elevation SNOTELs picking up an estimated 6 to 12 inches of new snowfall. Much of the San Joaquin Valley north of Kern County received between a quarter and a half inch of rainfall. While snow levels generally remained above 6000 feet for most of the event, elevations as low as 3000 feet received a dusting of snow during the morning of May 5. In addition to the precipitation, this system also brought unseasonably cool temperatures to the area on May 5 and 6 and also produced a period of strong wind gusts across the mountains and deserts in Kern County between the afternoon of May 4 and the early morning of May 6 with several stations measuring gusts exceeding 60 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 May 3, 11:33 PM PST, 11 hours 27 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Hanford CA 1233 AM PDT Sat May 4 2024 .KEY MESSAGES... 1. Moderate to major winter storm impacts are expected in the Sierra Nevada above 6,000 feet this afternoon and tonight due to blowing snow and snow amounts up to 18 inches. 2. Damaging wind gusts are anticipated in the Mojave Desert Slopes this afternoon through Sunday evening. 3. A few strong thunderstorms are possible in the Sierra Nevada below 6,000 feet and adjacent foothills this afternoon. 4. A warming trend is expected Monday through at least Friday. && .DISCUSSION... An upper-level area of low pressure just off the coast of the Pacific Northwest will move southeastward today. Precipitation ahead of this storm system will overspread Central California from north to south this afternoon. The cyclone aloft will move eastward across Northern California tonight, before entering the Great Basin Sunday. Moderate to major winter storm impacts are anticipated in the Sierra Nevada above 6,000 feet this afternoon and tonight due to blowing snow and snow amounts up to 18 inches. A Winter Storm Warning is in effect. Damaging wind gusts are expected in the Mojave Desert Slopes this afternoon through Sunday evening. There is a 64 percent chance of wind gusts of 58 mph or higher at Walker Pass tonight. A High Wind Warning is in effect. Strong, gusty west winds are anticipated in the remainder of the Mojave Desert this afternoon through Sunday evening. A Wind Advisory is in effect. A few strong thunderstorms are conceivable in the Sierra Nevada below 6,000 feet and adjacent foothills this afternoon. Here are thunderstorm probabilities for select locations in the Sierra Nevada below 6,000 feet and adjacent foothills this afternoon: Shaver Lake - 22% Auberry - 21% Oakhurst - 20% Coarsegold - 20% Mariposa - 18% Yosemite Valley - 17% The forecast area will remain between a pesky atmospheric disturbance over the Central United States and a ridge of high pressure over the Eastern Pacific Ocean next week. As far as temperatures are concerned, high temperatures this afternoon will be eleven to thirteen degrees cooler than yesterday afternoon. Maximum temperatures Sunday afternoon will be around fifteen degrees below normal for this time of year. A warming trend is anticipated Monday through at least Friday. By Friday afternoon, high temperatures will be seven to nine degrees above their typical values for the first half of May. && .AVIATION... VFR conditions will prevail across Central California this morning. MVFR or lower conditions are likely in and near precipitation this afternoon and this evening. Mountain obscurations are expected in the Sierra Nevada and Kern County mountains tonight. && .AIR QUALITY ISSUES... 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... High Wind Warning from 2 PM this afternoon to 11 PM PDT Sunday for CAZ338. Wind Advisory from 2 PM this afternoon to 11 PM PDT Sunday for CAZ337-339. Winter Storm Warning above 6000 feet from 1 PM this afternoon to 8 AM PDT Sunday for CAZ323-326>330. && Public/Aviation/Fire Weather...BS PIO/DSS........................DS weather.gov/hanford
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 high wind, 5 winter weather, 1 heavy snow, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
The Dana Meadows SNOTEL (9800 feet) picked up an estimated 12 inches of new snowfall.
The Devil's Postpile SNOTEL (8004 feet) picked up an estimated 10 inches of new snowfall.
The West Woodchuck Meadow SNOTEL (9209 feet) picked up an estimated 6 inches of new snowfall.
The Bishop Pass SNOTEL (11972 feet) picked up an estimated 8 inches of new snowfall.
The Upper Bull SNOTEL (8073 feet) picked up an estimated 9 inches of new snowfall.
The Farewell Gap SNOTEL (9500 feet) picked up an estimated 6 inches of new snowfall.
The Blue Max RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 73 mph.
Public report of roadway flooding on Canal St. in Merced. Images were posted on Twitter.
The Bear Peak RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 75 mph.
The Indian Wells Canyon RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 64 mph.
The Walker Pass RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 72 mph.
The China Lake NWTC ASOS measured a peak wind gust of 58 mph.
The Mojave Airport AWOS measured a peak wind gust of 61 mph.
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, May 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: 1166298, 1195876, 1195877, 1195878, 1195879, 1195880, 1165728, 1166318, 1165729, 1165731, 1165730, 1166295, 1166296.