Debris Flow — Madera, California

2022-12-10 · near Oakhurst, Madera, California

Event narrative

California Highway Patrol reported a mudslide on SR 41 in Oakhurst.

Wider weather episode

A strong low pressure system slowly moved across central California on December 10 and 11 providing the area with moderate to heavy precipitation. The precipitation fell as snow above 5000 feet with several SNOTEL stations picking up between 18 and 30 inches of estimated new snowfall. The snow level lowered to near 3000 feet by the afternoon of December 11 with some stations in the Sierra Nevada and higher foothills picking up between 3 and 6 inches of new snowfall. Many stations in the Sierra Nevada received between 3 and 5 inches of liquid precipitation while the adjacent foothills picked up between 1.5 and 3 inches of rainfall and much of the San Joaquin Valley and Tehachapi Mountains received between half an inch and an inch of rainfall. The precipitation did change over the snow in the Tehachapi Mountains above 4000 feet, but snowfall amounts were generally light. Rain shadowing effects limited precipitation across the Kern County Deserts with most stations receiving between a tenth of an inch and a quarter inch of rainfall. The precipitation tapered off during the evening of December 11 and ended by midday on December 12.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (37.3008, -119.6500)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1060474. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.