High Wind — Tulare Cty Mtns, California

2017-04-13 · Tulare Cty Mtns, California

Event narrative

The Bear Peak RAWS reported a peak wind gust of 73 mph.

Wider weather episode

A large low pressure system which was centered off the central California Coast on the morning of April 13 lifted northeast across northern California that afternoon while an associated upper trough pushed into the western United States. This system pushed a cold front through central California during the afternoon which produced strong wind gusts across much of the area on the 13th. There were numerous reports of winds gusts exceeding 35 mph int he San Joaquin Valley and several reports of gusts exceeding 45 mph across the Kern County Mountains and Deserts. Moderate rainfall associated with the cold front produced a quarter to half inch of rain in a few hours across Merced and Mariposa Counties as well as across Yosemite National Park. In addition, isolated thunderstorms formed in the cooler post frontal airmass. A nearly stationary thunderstorm in Fresno produced 2.00 inches of rainfall at Fresno Yosemite International Airport there were media reports of flash flooding in Fresno. In fact the 2.04 inches of rain measured at the Fresno Airport on April 13 set a new record rainfall amount for the date, and is now also the highest amount for any day in April since records began in the 1880's. Meanwhile, outflow from thunderstorms produced blowing dust on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley as there were numerous reports of vehicular accidents and visibility was reduced to less than an eighth of a mile in the vicinity of Lemoore.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 689569. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.