Strong Wind — W Central S.j. Valley, California

2018-05-11 · W Central S.j. Valley, California

Event narrative

California Highway Patrol reported a power pole fell onto the roadway and blocked the eastbound lane on west Harlan Ave. near south Marks Ave.

Wider weather episode

High pressure built over Central California on May 3 and kept warm temperatures, dry conditions and generally light winds over the area. However, an upper level low pressure system moved into the Pacific Northwest on May 10 then dropped into the Great Basin on May 11. This resulted in increased surface pressure gradients which produced strong winds over portions of the area during the afternoon of May 11. There were a few reports of minor wind damage in the San Joaquin Valley and some low impact indicator stations in the Kern County Mountains and Deserts reported winds gusts exceeding 70 mph.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 744656. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.