High Wind — Kern River Valley, California

2023-10-11 · Kern River Valley, California

Event narrative

The Southern California Edison station at Paradise Cove measured a peak wind gust of 60 mph.

Wider weather episode

An upper trough dropped southeast out of the Gulf of Alaska and into the Pacific Northwest on October 10 which resulted in a strengthening surface pressure gradient over the area. The gradients continued to strengthen as the trough dropped into the Great Basin on October 11. The strong gradients produced a period of strong wind gusts most noticeably over the south end of the Sierra Nevada and the Mojave Desert Slopes where several stations measures winds gusts exceeding 45 mph with a handful of stations reporting gusts above 60 mph. The winds decreased during the evening of October 11 as the trough moved east of the Great Basin and pressure gradients relaxed.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1131270. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.