Winter Weather, X W San Luis Obispo
- When
- December 5, 1:00 AM PST to December 7, 1:00 AM PST
- Where
- X W San Luis Obispo forecast zone
- Deaths
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
Winter Weather in California, December 5 to 7, 1997
A powerful Pacific storm brought heavy rain, snow, and strong winds to Southern California. up to 12 inches in the mountains.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 1
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 17
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.
A powerful Pacific storm brought heavy rain, snow, and strong winds to Southern California. Rainfall totals ranged from 2 to 6 inches over the coast...up to 12 inches in the mountains. Mudslides closed parts of Highway 1, Highway 126, and Highway 150. At higher mountain elevations, 3 to 6 inches of snow fell. Interstate 5, near the Grapevine, was closed several hours due to snow. Strong winds gusting to 50 mph, combined with sub-freezing temperatures, led to the exposure death of a hiker in the Angeles National Forest.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
17 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Winter Weather, C Los Angeles
- When
- December 5, 1:00 AM PST to December 7, 1:00 AM PST
- Where
- C Los Angeles forecast zone
Winter Weather, C Ventura
- When
- December 5, 1:00 AM PST to December 7, 1:00 AM PST
- Where
- C Ventura forecast zone
Winter Weather, N Los Angeles T X N
- When
- December 5, 1:00 AM PST to December 7, 1:00 AM PST
- Where
- N Los Angeles T X N forecast zone
Winter Weather, N Ventura
- When
- December 5, 1:00 AM PST to December 7, 1:00 AM PST
- Where
- N Ventura forecast zone
Winter Weather, P C Santa Barbara
- When
- December 5, 1:00 AM PST to December 7, 1:00 AM PST
- Where
- P C Santa Barbara forecast zone
Winter Weather, P C Santa Barbara
- When
- December 5, 1:00 AM PST to December 7, 1:00 AM PST
- Where
- P C Santa Barbara forecast zone
Winter Weather, S Ventura T X S
- When
- December 5, 1:00 AM PST to December 7, 1:00 AM PST
- Where
- S Ventura T X S forecast zone
Winter Weather, San Luis Obispo T Sc & X W
- When
- December 5, 1:00 AM PST to December 7, 1:00 AM PST
- Where
- San Luis Obispo T Sc & X W forecast zone
Winter Weather, Sc San Luis Obispo
- When
- December 5, 1:00 AM PST to December 7, 1:00 AM PST
- Where
- Sc San Luis Obispo forecast zone
Winter Weather, W Santa Barbara
- When
- December 5, 1:00 AM PST to December 7, 1:00 AM PST
- Where
- W Santa Barbara forecast zone
Winter Weather, X N Los Angeles
- When
- December 5, 1:00 AM PST to December 7, 1:00 AM PST
- Where
- X N Los Angeles forecast zone
Winter Weather, X N Santa Barbara
- When
- December 5, 1:00 AM PST to December 7, 1:00 AM PST
- Where
- X N Santa Barbara forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 34.538, -120.031 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Weather, X S Santa Barbara
- When
- December 5, 1:00 AM PST to December 7, 1:00 AM PST
- Where
- X S Santa Barbara forecast zone
Winter Weather, X S Ventura
- When
- December 5, 1:00 AM PST to December 7, 1:00 AM PST
- Where
- X S Ventura forecast zone
Winter Weather, X Se Los Angeles
- When
- December 5, 1:00 AM PST to December 7, 1:00 AM PST
- Where
- X Se Los Angeles forecast zone
Winter Weather, X Sw Los Angeles
- When
- December 5, 1:00 AM PST to December 7, 1:00 AM PST
- Where
- X Sw Los Angeles forecast zone
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather, X W San Luis Obispo | 1997-12-06 | 40 | Female | Camping | Direct |
What these are
- Winter Weather
- Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Heavy Snow in Pennsylvania, December 5 to 7, 1997
- Flood in Florida, December 5 to 6, 1997
- Heavy Snow in New York, December 5 to 6, 1997
- Winter Weather in Vermont, December 5 to 6, 1997
- Heavy Snow in Vermont, December 5 to 6, 1997
- Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in North Carolina, December 5 to 6, 1997
- Winter Weather in New York, December 5 to 6, 1997
- Winter Storm in Maine, December 5 to 7, 1997
- Heavy Snow in West Virginia, December 5 to 6, 1997
- Heavy Snow in Ohio, December 5 to 7, 1997
- Heavy Snow in North Carolina, December 5 to 6, 1997
- Winter Weather in West Virginia, December 5 to 6, 1997
More
Every storm in California in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5619554, 5619555, 5619556, 5619557, 5619558, 5619559, 5619560, 5619561, 5619562, 5619563, 5619564, 5619565, 5619566, 5619567, 5619568, 5619569, 5619648.