Dry conditions prevailed over the area through March 15th, with gusts of 45-60 mph at times in the mountain and desert areas of Kern County. The weather pattern then changed sharply, transitioning to a 12-day period which saw periods of heavy precipitation and below normal temperatures.
From the evening of the 15th until the afternoon of the 16th, a storm system passed over the area, bringing precipitation mainly to the mountains and foothills, but light amounts did fall on the San Joaquin Valley floor. Most of the precipitation fell mainly as rain over the Southern Sierra Nevada in the northern part of WFO San Joaquin Valley-Hanford���s forecast/warning area. The highest amounts, which occurred in Yosemite National Park, ranged from about 1.5 to 3 inches; this was the most precipitation that had occurred in the region for the month thus far. However, this was just the harbinger of what was to come only 4 days later.
While the rain was focused toward the north, winds were the main concern over the southern part of the region. The Kern County deserts saw gusts of 45-55 mph, and gusts as high as 66 mph were recorded in the Kern County mountains. The winds pushed clouds over the San Joaquin Valley into the Tehachapi Mountains, creating areas of dense fog. Visibilities as low as 100 feet were reported near Tehachapi.
The next storm arrived two days later. This was a two-part system, with the first part bringing between a tenth and a third of an inch of rain to the central and southern San Joaquin Valley. The first wave also brought a very cold airmass to the region. A foot of snow fell at Hetch Hetchy, and 10 inches of snow fell as far south as Lodgepole in Sequoia National Park. Snow even fell in the foothills, with 5 inches falling at Mid Pines at an elevation of 2400 feet. The main part of the storm arrived on the 20th, bringing record rain to both Bakersfield and Fresno, the latter city recording 1.82 inch of rain. In the Southern Sierra Nevada, there was no break in the snow, as upslope showers continued through the 19th until the second wave arrived.
Another foot of snow fell as far south as Fresno County on the 19th, and 4-5 inches in Tulare County.
Strong winds developed ahead of the main storm, with gusts up to 84 mph in the hills above the Grapevine during the night of March 19th-20th, and gusts up to 60 mph at the lower elevations from Frazier Park to the base of the Grapevine.
The winds spread as far north as Bakersfield during the early morning of the 20th, and continued spreading north through the day. The heavy rains caused some road flooding on the San Joaquin Valley floor, as well as on Interstate 5 north of Fort Tejon before the mountain rain turned to snow. Up to 4 feet of snow fell at Frazier Park; the strong winds created drifts as high as 6 feet deep. Snow caused the closure of Interstate 5 over the Grapevine, and snow even fell on the Temblors and Diablo Range along the west side of the San Joaquin Valley. In Yosemite National Park and the surrounding area, winds toppled trees and downed power lines, and the combination
of heavy snow and rock slides closed roads into the Park. This was the first time since the floods of January, 1997, that Yosemite National Park was closed due to weather. Heavy snow and downed oak trees also plagued the El Portal and Wawona areas. Due to the power outages, Yosemite park officials evacuated some visitors to the park for a period of time due to the extensive impacts from this storm.
The morning of March 21st saw hail falling on the San Joaquin Valley floor, including near Rio Bravo and later over the Fresno-Clovis metro area. By the afternoon, hail was reported in Selma and Visalia, with ��-inch hail reported in the latter city. In the Tehachapi Mountains, up to a foot of new snow was reported.
The trough moved into the Great Basin, but a trailing short-wave brought light showers to the Kern County mountains and the far south end of the San Joaquin Valley during the early morning hours of March 22nd. Isolated showers were reported over parts of downtown Bakersfield, but stayed just south of Meadows Field.
Yet another storm reached the central California interior on March 23rd-24th. A line of thunderstorms developed on the 23rd over Merced County, then moved eastward into Madera and Mariposa Counties. Thunderstorms at the south end of the line propagated southward into Fresno County, ultimately reaching parts of Fresno and near Hanford. In fact, Fresno reported over a half inch of rain that day, with 0.38 inch falling in an hour at Fresno-Yosemite International Airport during the afternoon. Small hail, frequent lightning, and brief heavy rainfall were the main impacts of these storm cells. Funnel clouds were reported west of Madera, and near Clovis and Kerman; none touched down. The heavy rains caused flooding in the Southern Sierra Nevada foothills east of Fresno, as well as in downtown Fresno and southeast of Bakersfield. Convective cooling lowered the snow level down to 2200 feet in Mariposa and Madera Counties.
The last major storm of the month arrived on March 24th. This storm brought gusts to 45 mph to the west side of the San Joaquin Valley, and gusts to 65 mph in the Kern County mountains and deserts. Convective activity was limited to near Merced, with several reports of road flooding due to the already saturated ground. Thunderstorms and showers moved east into the foothills of Madera and Mariposa Counties, where the heavy rains triggered rock and mud slides. Mainly light showers occurred southward. The trough moved east of the region on the 25th, with residual light showers in its wake. Additional light snow fell in the Southern Sierra Nevada measuring around 5 inches or less. Local media reported that the roof of a vacant store at Shaver Lake collapsed on March 26th due to 6 feet of snow accumulation on the roof.

Flood in MERCED, CALIFORNIA
From 24-MAR-11 19:29:00 to 24-MAR-11 21:29:00 (PST-8)
Location: CREGAN
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 2.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

The CHP reported flooding on East Childs Avenue.

Flood in MERCED, CALIFORNIA
From 24-MAR-11 19:40:00 to 24-MAR-11 21:40:00 (PST-8)
Location: CREGAN
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 2.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: NWS Employee

Off duty meteorologist reported flooding near the University of California - Merced Campus.

Flood in MADERA, CALIFORNIA
From 24-MAR-11 19:48:00 to 24-MAR-11 21:48:00 (PST-8)
Location: INDIAN SPGS
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 2.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

The CHP reported flooding on State route 41 at Road 416.

Funnel Cloud in MADERA, CALIFORNIA
From 23-MAR-11 15:30:00 to 23-MAR-11 15:30:00 (PST-8)
Location: BONITA
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

A motorist on State Route 99 reported a funnel cloud west of the City of Madera. A line of thunderstorms was moving through the area at the time.

Funnel Cloud in FRESNO, CALIFORNIA
From 23-MAR-11 16:15:00 to 23-MAR-11 16:15:00 (PST-8)
Location: KERMAN
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Broadcast Media

Local TV broadcasters reported a funnel cloud observed from the town of Kerman.

Funnel Cloud in FRESNO, CALIFORNIA
From 23-MAR-11 17:20:00 to 23-MAR-11 17:20:00 (PST-8)
Location: CLOVIS
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

A funnel cloud was observed by a trained weather spotter from the northwest part of Clovis.

Winter Storm in S SIERRA MTNS, CALIFORNIA
From 22-MAR-11 23:00:00 to 25-MAR-11 16:00:00 (PST-8)
Property damage: 1.50M
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Park/Forest Service

Winter Storm in S SIERRA MTNS, CALIFORNIA
From 22-MAR-11 23:00:00 to 25-MAR-11 16:00:00 (PST-8)
Property damage: 50.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Park/Forest Service

Winter Storm in S SIERRA FOOTHILLS, CALIFORNIA
From 23-MAR-11 18:25:00 to 24-MAR-11 03:00:00 (PST-8)
Property damage: 0.50M
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Park/Forest Service

Flood in FRESNO, CALIFORNIA
From 21-MAR-11 10:21:00 to 21-MAR-11 12:21:00 (PST-8)
Location: CLOVIS
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 3.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

The California highway patrol reported flooding on Freeway  168 at Herndon Avenue. Spotter previously reported a thunderstorm producing small hail at Herndon avenue and  Willow.

Flood in FRESNO, CALIFORNIA
From 21-MAR-11 15:00:00 to 21-MAR-11 17:00:00 (PST-8)
Location: REEDLEY
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 5.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Newspaper

Flooding reported on Huntsman at Del Altair. 24-hour rainfall reports between Hanford and Fresno were between 1.50 to 2.00 inches.

Flood in FRESNO, CALIFORNIA
From 23-MAR-11 16:31:00 to 23-MAR-11 18:31:00 (PST-8)
Location: BELMONT AVENUE
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 1.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

The CHP reported flooding on Trimmer Springs Road and Piedra Road.

Flood in TULARE, CALIFORNIA
From 23-MAR-11 16:38:00 to 23-MAR-11 18:38:00 (PST-8)
Location: POPLAR
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 3.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

The CHP reported flooding on State Route 190 at Road 152.

Flood in KERN, CALIFORNIA
From 23-MAR-11 17:17:00 to 23-MAR-11 19:17:00 (PST-8)
Location: RIBIER
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 2.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

The CHP reported flooding on East Panama Lane at Edison Road.

Flood in FRESNO, CALIFORNIA
From 23-MAR-11 18:22:00 to 23-MAR-11 20:22:00 (PST-8)
Location: (FCH) CHANDLER AF
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 4.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

The CHP reported flooding on Highway 99 at the Olive Ave offramp.

Flood in KERN, CALIFORNIA
From 23-MAR-11 18:27:00 to 23-MAR-11 20:27:00 (PST-8)
Location: KERN JCT
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 2.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

The CHP reported flooding on State Route 184 at Muller.

Flood in MERCED, CALIFORNIA
From 24-MAR-11 17:17:00 to 24-MAR-11 19:17:00 (PST-8)
Location: CREGAN
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 2.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

The CHP reported flooding on Route 59 just south of Mission Ave.

Flood in MERCED, CALIFORNIA
From 24-MAR-11 17:25:00 to 24-MAR-11 19:25:00 (PST-8)
Location: ATWATER MUNI ARPT
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 2.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

The CHP reported flooding on State Route 140 just east of North Applegate Road.

Flood in MADERA, CALIFORNIA
From 24-MAR-11 17:47:00 to 24-MAR-11 19:47:00 (PST-8)
Location: ONEALS
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 3.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

The CHP reported flooding on Route 41 just north of Oneals Turnoff.

Flood in MERCED, CALIFORNIA
From 24-MAR-11 18:14:00 to 24-MAR-11 20:14:00 (PST-8)
Location: CREGAN
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 1.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

The CHP reported flooding at 99 and R Street.

Flood in MARIPOSA, CALIFORNIA
From 24-MAR-11 18:34:00 to 24-MAR-11 20:34:00 (PST-8)
Location: BRICEBURG
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 10.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

The CHP reported a mud and rock slide on State Highway 140 at Foresta Road just east of Briceburg.

Flood in MARIPOSA, CALIFORNIA
From 24-MAR-11 18:53:00 to 24-MAR-11 20:53:00 (PST-8)
Location: FISH CAMP
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 5.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

The CHP reported a mud and rock slide on Highway 41 just north of Broken Bit.

Flood in MERCED, CALIFORNIA
From 24-MAR-11 19:11:00 to 24-MAR-11 21:11:00 (PST-8)
Location: (MER)CASTLE AFB
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 2.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

The CHP reported flooding on Highway 59 just south of Oakdale Road.

High Wind in KERN CTY MTNS, CALIFORNIA
From 19-MAR-11 20:39:00 to 20-MAR-11 16:52:00 (PST-8)
Magnitude: 52.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Winter Storm in KERN CTY MTNS, CALIFORNIA
From 20-MAR-11 01:00:00 to 21-MAR-11 14:00:00 (PST-8)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Winter Storm in S SIERRA MTNS, CALIFORNIA
From 20-MAR-11 01:00:00 to 21-MAR-11 14:00:00 (PST-8)
Property damage: 1.00M
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: SNOTEL

Winter Storm in TULARE CTY MTNS, CALIFORNIA
From 20-MAR-11 01:00:00 to 21-MAR-11 14:00:00 (PST-8)
Property damage: 1.00M
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: SNOTEL

Flood in KERN, CALIFORNIA
From 20-MAR-11 06:24:00 to 20-MAR-11 09:24:00 (PST-8)
Location: GRAPE VINE
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 5.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

The CHP reported flooding on interstate 5 just north of Fort Tejon.

Flood in FRESNO, CALIFORNIA
From 20-MAR-11 06:53:00 to 20-MAR-11 10:00:00 (PST-8)
Location: WESTHAVEN
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 1.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

The CHP reported flooding on Lassen Avenue at the Fresno-Kings County line.