March began with below average temperatures due to a cold front that had passed through interior central California during the evening of February 29th. High pressure began to set up over California by the 2nd, with temperatures on March 3rd as much as 13 degrees warmer than on the 2nd.
As the upper-level ridge strengthened over the central California interior, patchy fog developed during the morning of March 4th. This was not unexpected, as climatologically, dense fog can occur as late as the 8th, and the storm at the end of February did bring some surface moisture to the central and southern San Joaquin Valley. Over the Southern Sierra Nevada, a weak offshore flow continued the warming trend across the region with temperatures well above normal.
A weak upper-level low developed off the coast of Baja California on March 4th, and spun some high clouds over central California overnight and into the next morning. Further north, an upper- level trough was approaching the Pacific Northwest coast, and reached California on the 6th. This system brought an unseasonably cold airmass to the central California interior as well as gusty winds, but little rain as a low in the eastern Pacific sheared much of the moisture away from the trough. Winds gusted to around 40 mph on the San Joaquin Valley floor in Merced County during the morning of March 6th, and to around 50 mph in the Diablo Range. A dust storm was reported by the California Highway Patrol on Interstate 5 near Buttonwillow at 10:14 AM, and blowing dust was reported south along Interstate 5 all the way to the Los Angeles County line.  Trees were blown down in parts of the Valley. Winds gusted to 55-60 mph in the Kern County mountains and deserts during the day, and Meadows Field, in Bakersfield, had a gust to 41 mph during the early afternoon of the 6th.
The airmass that accompanied the storm was cold and dry. By the afternoon of March 6th, both temperatures and dewpoints in the central and southern San Joaquin Valley were down around 20 degrees from the previous afternoon, setting the stage for lows to fall below freezing once the wind subsided and clouds cleared.

Strong Wind in SW S.J. VALLEY, CALIFORNIA
From 06-MAR-12 09:28:00 to 06-MAR-12 19:00:00 (PST-8)
Magnitude: 46.00 MG
Property damage: 15.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Strong Wind in SE S.J. VALLEY, CALIFORNIA
From 06-MAR-12 11:15:00 to 06-MAR-12 19:00:00 (PST-8)
Magnitude: 36.00 MG
Property damage: 35.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: ASOS

High Wind in KERN CTY MTNS, CALIFORNIA
From 06-MAR-12 14:51:00 to 06-MAR-12 22:00:00 (PST-8)
Magnitude: 50.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

High Wind in SE KERN CTY DESERT, CALIFORNIA
From 06-MAR-12 14:33:00 to 06-MAR-12 22:00:00 (PST-8)
Magnitude: 51.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Dust Storm in SW S.J. VALLEY, CALIFORNIA
From 06-MAR-12 10:14:00 to 06-MAR-12 10:14:00 (PST-8)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Strong Wind in W CENTRAL S.J. VALLEY, CALIFORNIA
From 06-MAR-12 06:33:00 to 06-MAR-12 19:00:00 (PST-8)
Magnitude: 36.00 MG
Property damage: 10.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Strong Wind in E CENTRAL S.J. VALLEY, CALIFORNIA
From 06-MAR-12 08:50:00 to 06-MAR-12 19:00:00 (PST-8)
Magnitude: 36.00 MG
Property damage: 25.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet