VOLCANO MADNESS: [CaliforniaDisasters] On This Date In California Weather History (November 9)

2012: A cold winter storm produced scattered showers and thunderstorms.
One of these storms produced a tornado that measured EF-0 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale about 7 miles south-southeast of Tulare (or 4 miles northeast of Tipton) that lasted for about 4 minutes.

It was reported by a dairy farmer, and some minor damage was sustained to a few small buildings at the dairy.

Here are the storm survey results of the tornado.

The location was between Tulare and Tipton near the Intersection of avenue 176 and road 128.

Tornado lasted for about 3 minutes and did not interact with any private property or buildings.

Some branches and corn husks were strewn about.

Several eyewitness accounts corroborated a video provided by local media. The tornado path included several utility poles that were not damaged.

The path of the tornado was around 400 yards long, and wind speeds were estimated at around 65 mph.

This was the 86th confirmed tornado in the central California Interior since 1950...and the 13th to strike Tulare county.

The last Tornado in Tulare county was on January 27th 2008...when an ef0 touched down 1 mile east of Goshen junction.

The most recent tornado in the central California interior occurred on march 17th 2012 when An ef0 tornado touched down 4 miles southwest of tranquility in Fresno County.

2008: A Pacific storm arrived in Central California on November 8th.

Showers and thunderstorms developed over the San Joaquin Valley floor during the evening, with one thunderstorm dropping 0.37" of rain in only 10 minutes near Melvin (Fresno Co.).

Minor street flooding was reported in metro Fresno from this storm, possibly exacerbated by debris-clogged storm drains.

Minor street flooding was also reported in the Clovis area.

This storm system also brought strong winds to the Kern County Mountains and deserts with peak wind gusts of 50-60 mph, especially in the favored passes and canyon areas.

2008: Last night into this morning, a strong thunderstorm produced 0.36" of rainfall in only 10 minutes.

Minor street flooding was reported by a trained NWS spotter in the Clovis area.

Clogged storm drains may have contributed to the street flooding.

No damage was reported.

2003: Significant snowfall occurred in the Southern Sierra Nevada from Yosemite to the Tulare County Line then lessor amounts through the Tulare County Mountains.

Snow amounts estimated:19" at Upper Burnt Corral, Blackcap Basin 14", Agnew Pass 13", GraveyardMeadow and Gin Flat 11", and 10" at Bishop Pass in the South Sierra; and 12" at Big Meadows and 6" and Tunnel Guard Station inthe Tulare County Mountains.

A spotter reported 2" of rain in a locally heavy rain shower from convective activity just west of the Fresno County townof Mendota from 1830 to 1930 Hours on the evening of the 9th.

Subsequent ponding and flow of water into town brought damage to one home as well as substantial sheet flow through town during the evening from 1900 to 2100 hours.

Typical for the mountain areas of the Southern Sierra Nevada on this day were 2.63" at Wishon Dam to 1.43" at Kaiser Pass.

2002: 5.68" of precipitation fell in Idyllwild, the greatest daily amount on record for November.
Incredibly, no rain at all fell just on the other side of the mountain in Palm Springs.

2002: After a relatively benign active weather month in October, November also started slow for Interior Central California.

However, the first major trough off from the East Pacific combined with tropical moisture from Hurricane Huko a southern latitudes brought copious amounts of rain (snow levels at or above 9,000 feet Mean Sea Level) and gusty wind at higher elevations from the 7th until early on the 9th.

What was unusual for this area was the change from the normal summer/fall dry conditions to the wet season in such dramatic fashion with little in the way of transition.

During the period in the Southern Sierra Nevada 46" of new snow fell at Volcanic Knob and Upper Burnt Corral; and in the Tulare County Mountains 80" fell at Chagoopa Plateau.

Numerous foothill locations received 5-10" of rain within the 3-day period in the foothills of the Southern Sierra Nevada.

Johnsondale, in Tulare County received 16.38" of rain in the 3-day period. On the San Joaquin Valley floor Merced received 1.80" in 3 days, Fresno1.76"; Hanford 1.44"; and, Bakersfield 1.29." Rainfall amounts for the 8th were over 1" at several Valley locations thereby establishing new 24-hour rainfall records, e.g. Fresno's old record for the 8th was 0.23" ... new record 0.98". There were 23 pole fires caused by wind and arcing reported by Southern California Edison utility and ultimately affected 102,000 residents in the Central and Southern S.J. Valley.

2002: The first storm of the winter season moved onshore bringing heavy rain and windy conditions for Interior Central California on the7th. Numerous locations reported gusty wind with damage reported to powerlines due to arcing and felled trees.

In the Kern Mountains poles were downed in the Weldon and Onyx area east of Lake Isabella and around Mt.Mesa and Southlake around 3:30AM on the 8th.

In the Kern Desert, Indian Wells Canyon and Laural Mountain reported wind in excess of 50 MPH at both locations.

This significant frontal passage brought gusty wind with speeds of 40 to 44 MPH across the Central San Joaquin Valley and into the neighboring foothills of the Southern Sierra Nevada.

In conjunction with this multiple day precipitation event from the 7th through the 9th, gusty wind continued to buffet the Kern County Mountains and Deserts.

Wind was often reported with 40+MPH gusts at several different automated reporting sites.

There were spikes of 74 and 91 MPH at Indian Wells Canyon at 1613 PST and 1713 PST in the early afternoon of the 9th during the event.In the Mojave area winds again were generally around 40+MPH on the 8th into the 9th with a few gusts to 60 Knots at the Inyokern Airport during the afternoon of the 9th.

2002: Tehachapi in Kern County reported 4.67" of rain and Lodgepole in Tulare County received 11.55" of rain in the 3-day period from the 7th to the 9th along with the 16.38" at Johnsondale.

Despite the very dry antecedent conditions, this amount of rainfall lead to flooding problems...especially in and around the Tulare County Mountains. Snow levels were relatively high, at 9000 feet MSL.

Park Dispatch reported washouts on Parker Pass Road and the Road below Durwood Resort in Southeast Tulare County, as well as the road that leads from Johnsondale southward to Kernville in Kern County.

Flooding also occurred along Highway 178 near Kelso in Kern County (Glennville received 6" of rain); rock/mudslides occurred on Highway 168 and Highway 180 in the S.Sierra Nevada foothills; and, with numerous rock/mudslides, and road erosion problems, the Tulare County foothill roadways of the General's Highway and Mineral King were closed.

Sequoia National Park had to evacuate folks from a flooded trailer park near Ash Mountain on the morning of the 9th.

Due to erosion problems with the McNally Fire in Southeast Tulare and Northeast Kern Counties, debris was spread across many mountain roads in the area as well as contributing to a fish kill in the Kern River. Additional flooding and mudslide problems were noted along Highway 178 in Kern County.

Peak flow into Lake Isabella from the Kern River was 26,500CFS on Friday night, the 8th.

The lake storage increased from 82,000 acre-feet to 109,000 acre-feet and increased in elevation 5 feet in a 2-day period from the 8th to 9th.

1982: Seven tornadoes touched down in the LA Basin(2 F0, 3 F1 and 2 F2) during a six-hour period.

Three of the tornadoes began as waterspouts off Pt. Mugu, Malibu, and Long Beach.

The Long Beach waterspout-turned-tornado moved ten miles inland.

Two of the tornadoes were in Garden Grove and Mission Viejo.

Property damage occurred, especially with the Long Beach waterspout/tornado.

1956: Santa Cruz had a high temperature of 92° F.

1956: This day is the latest recorded date in the year to reach at least 100° F in Santa Ana.

1955: Pismo Beach reached 91° F, establishing an all-time high for November.

1945: Las Vegas, NV, recorded a low temperature of 26° F, setting a daily record.

1937: 2.68" of rain fell in San Diego, the fifth wettest calendar day on record and the wettest November day on record.

1917: It was 88° F in Victorville, the highest temperature on record for November.
This also occurred on 11.6.1980.

1915: 29" of snow fell at Tahoe City (west shore Lake Tahoe), with 24" of snow being reported at Portola.

1914: In Bagdad rain finally fell on this day ending an incredible dry spell at 767 days that started on 10.3.1912 (Southern Pacific RR employees kept this debated record).

1879: 2.75" of rain fell on this day and on 11.10 in San Diego, the wettest 24-hour amount on record for November.

Source: NWS San Francisco/Monterey, Hanford, Reno, Las Vegas, & San Diego

--