High Wind, Santa Barbara County Central Coast
- When
- December 14, 2:00 PM PST to December 16, 12:00 AM PST
- Where
- Santa Barbara County Central Coast forecast zone
- Measured
- 83 kt (96 mph)
High Wind in California, December 14 to 16, 1996
Strong Santa Ana winds pummelled Southern California. Sustained winds speed reached 45 to 55 MPH withgusts up to 95 MPH through passes and canyons.
The toll
- Deaths
- 1
- Injuries
- 2
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 12
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
What happened
The episode as NWS LOX wrote it up.
Strong Santa Ana winds pummelled Southern California. Sustained winds speed reached 45 to 55 MPH withgusts up to 95 MPH through passes and canyons. Numerous damage occurred, including many downed powerlines which left thousands without electricity. A tractor trailer driver was injured with the winds knocked his truckoff of Highway 118 in the Santa Susana Pass. In the Lakeview Terrace area, One 82 year-old man was killedand his 28 year-old daughter-in-law injured when a pine tree branch fell on their minivan.
Event by event
12 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
High Wind, Santa Ynez Valley
- When
- December 14, 2:00 PM PST to December 16, 12:00 AM PST
- Where
- Santa Ynez Valley forecast zone
- Measured
- 83 kt (96 mph)
High Wind, Santa Barbara County South Coast
- When
- December 14, 2:00 PM PST to December 16, 12:00 AM PST
- Where
- Santa Barbara County South Coast forecast zone
- Measured
- 83 kt (96 mph)
High Wind, Ventura County Coast
- When
- December 14, 2:00 PM PST to December 16, 12:00 AM PST
- Where
- Ventura County Coast forecast zone
- Measured
- 83 kt (96 mph)
High Wind, Los Angeles County Coasts Including Downtown Los Angeles
- When
- December 14, 2:00 PM PST to December 16, 12:00 AM PST
- Where
- Los Angeles County Coasts Including Downtown Los Angeles forecast zone
- Measured
- 83 kt (96 mph)
High Wind, Ventura County Interior Valleys
- When
- December 14, 2:00 PM PST to December 16, 12:00 AM PST
- Where
- Ventura County Interior Valleys forecast zone
- Measured
- 83 kt (96 mph)
High Wind, Ventura County Coastal Valleys
- When
- December 14, 2:00 PM PST to December 16, 12:00 AM PST
- Where
- Ventura County Coastal Valleys forecast zone
- Measured
- 83 kt (96 mph)
High Wind, Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area
- When
- December 14, 2:00 PM PST to December 16, 12:00 AM PST
- Where
- Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area forecast zone
- Measured
- 83 kt (96 mph)
High Wind, Los Angeles County Valleys
- When
- December 14, 2:00 PM PST to December 16, 12:00 AM PST
- Where
- Los Angeles County Valleys forecast zone
- Measured
- 83 kt (96 mph)
- Deaths
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Injuries
- 2 direct, 0 indirect
High Wind, Santa Barbara County Mountains
- When
- December 14, 2:00 PM PST to December 16, 12:00 AM PST
- Where
- Santa Barbara County Mountains forecast zone
- Measured
- 83 kt (96 mph)
High Wind, Ventura County Mountains
- When
- December 14, 2:00 PM PST to December 16, 12:00 AM PST
- Where
- Ventura County Mountains forecast zone
- Measured
- 83 kt (96 mph)
High Wind, Los Angeles County Mountains Excluding the Santa Monica Range
- When
- December 14, 2:00 PM PST to December 16, 12:00 AM PST
- Where
- Los Angeles County Mountains Excluding the Santa Monica Range forecast zone
- Measured
- 83 kt (96 mph)
The people who died
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Wind, Los Angeles County Valleys | 1996-12-14 | 82 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct |
What these are
- High Wind
- Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- High Wind in California, December 14 to 16, 1996
- Heavy Snow in South Dakota, December 14 to 15, 1996
- Heavy Snow in South Dakota, December 14, 1996
- Heavy Snow in Minnesota, December 14 to 15, 1996
- Blizzard in South Dakota, December 14, 1996
- Heavy Snow in Minnesota, December 14 to 15, 1996
- Heavy Snow in Wisconsin, December 14 to 15, 1996
- Heavy Snow in Wisconsin, December 14 to 15, 1996
- Heavy Snow in Wisconsin, December 14 to 15, 1996
- Flooding in Pennsylvania, December 14, 1996
- Blizzard in Wyoming, December 14, 1996
- High Surf in Hawaii, December 14 to 17, 1996
More
Every storm in California in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in California, December 1996
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5581614, 5581615, 5581616, 5581617, 5581618, 5581619, 5581620, 5581621, 5581622, 5581623, 5581624, 5581625.