Debris Flow — Kings, California

2018-10-03 · near Avenal, Kings, California

Event narrative

California Highway Patrol reported flooding and mudslides across State Route 41 near the border of Kings and Kern Counties.

Wider weather episode

An upper level low pressure system dropped southward along the California coast on October 2 spreading precipitation across the Central California Interior. Most of the San Joaquin Valley received a few hundredths of an inch of rainfall while the Southern Sierra Nevada picked up a few tenths of an inch with some locally higher amounts. The low slowly tracked toward the Southern California coast on October 3 which provided for enough instability for scattered thunderstorms to break out over the area during the afternoon. The thunderstorms produced moderate to heavy rainfall across portions of the San Joaquin Valley and Southern Sierra Nevada. There were numerous reports of flooding during the afternoon and evening of October 3 and Flash Flooding was reported near Kettleman City and Huron along the west side of the San Joaquin Valley. A Flash Flood Emergency was issued for the Ferguson Fire burn scar where there several reports of debris flows and roads being washed out. There were several reports of one to two inches of rainfall in the San Joaquin Valley and Southern Sierra Nevada from the October 3 thunderstorms. With a warm airmass prevailing over the area, snow levels were above 11000 feet and snowfall was confined to the higher peaks in the Southern Sierra Nevada. The low moved east of the region on October 4 bringing an end to the precipitation.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (35.7832, -120.2069)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 779449. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.