High Wind in California, December 21 to 22, 1997

Name: High Wind in California, December 21 to 22, 1997
Start: 1997-12-21T14:00
End: 1997-12-22T18:00
Location: California

December 21 to 22, 1997 · NWS LOX · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

Strong north to northeast winds developed across the mountains of Southern California. Wind speeds of 35 to 45 mph were reported with gusts up to 70 mph.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 4

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 north to northeast winds developed across the mountains of Southern California. Wind speeds of 35 to 45 mph were reported with gusts up to 70 mph. Other than some minor power outages, no damages or injuries were reported.

Event by event

4 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, N Ventura

When: December 21, 2:00 PM PST to December 22, 6:00 PM PST
Where: N Ventura forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)

High Wind, P C Santa Barbara

When: December 21, 2:00 PM PST to December 22, 6:00 PM PST
Where: P C Santa Barbara forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)

High Wind, X S Santa Barbara

When: December 21, 2:00 PM PST to December 22, 6:00 PM PST
Where: X S Santa Barbara forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)

High Wind, N Los Angeles T X N

When: December 21, 2:00 PM PST to December 22, 6:00 PM PST
Where: N Los Angeles T X N forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)

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

Every storm in California in 1997 Every state in 1997 This day in weather history Warnings in California, December 1997

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: 5619552, 5619553, 5620868, 5620869.