High Wind, Santa Barbara County South Coast
- When
- December 9, 8:00 AM PST to December 11, 10:00 PM PST
- Where
- Santa Barbara County South Coast forecast zone
- Measured
- 63 kt (72 mph)
High Wind in California, December 9 to 11, 1997
Strong north to northeast flow developed across Southern California. Average wind speeds of 30 to 50 mph with gusts up to 72 mph were reported.
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 10
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 flow developed across Southern California. Average wind speeds of 30 to 50 mph with gusts up to 72 mph were reported. On Interstate 10, near Covina, the wind blew down a 60 foot tree onto the freeway. One minor accident occurred when a van ran into the tree. In Santa Clarita, the wind blew down a eucalyptus tree onto a car parked at the International House of Pancakes. Numerous power outages were reported across the Southland. On Santa Catalina Island, the strong northeast winds produced very rough seas in Avalon Harbour. Fifteen boats were destroyed.
Event by event
10 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
High Wind, Los Angeles County Valleys
- When
- December 9, 8:00 AM PST to December 11, 10:00 PM PST
- Where
- Los Angeles County Valleys forecast zone
- Measured
- 63 kt (72 mph)
High Wind, Ventura County Interior Valleys
- When
- December 9, 8:00 AM PST to December 11, 10:00 PM PST
- Where
- Ventura County Interior Valleys forecast zone
- Measured
- 63 kt (72 mph)
High Wind, Los Angeles County Mountains Excluding the Santa Monica Range
- When
- December 9, 8:00 AM PST to December 11, 10:00 PM PST
- Where
- Los Angeles County Mountains Excluding the Santa Monica Range forecast zone
- Measured
- 63 kt (72 mph)
High Wind, Ventura County Mountains
- When
- December 9, 8:00 AM PST to December 11, 10:00 PM PST
- Where
- Ventura County Mountains forecast zone
- Measured
- 63 kt (72 mph)
High Wind, Santa Barbara County Mountains
- When
- December 9, 8:00 AM PST to December 11, 10:00 PM PST
- Where
- Santa Barbara County Mountains forecast zone
- Measured
- 63 kt (72 mph)
High Wind, Ventura County Coastal Valleys
- When
- December 9, 8:00 AM PST to December 11, 10:00 PM PST
- Where
- Ventura County Coastal Valleys forecast zone
- Measured
- 63 kt (72 mph)
High Wind, Ventura County Coast
- When
- December 9, 8:00 AM PST to December 11, 10:00 PM PST
- Where
- Ventura County Coast forecast zone
- Measured
- 63 kt (72 mph)
High Wind, Los Angeles County Coasts Including Downtown Los Angeles
- When
- December 9, 8:00 AM PST to December 11, 10:00 PM PST
- Where
- Los Angeles County Coasts Including Downtown Los Angeles forecast zone
- Measured
- 63 kt (72 mph)
High Wind, Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area
- When
- December 9, 8:00 AM PST to December 11, 10:00 PM PST
- Where
- Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area forecast zone
- Measured
- 63 kt (72 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
- Hurricane in Guam, December 9 to 16, 1997
- Heavy Snow in Illinois, December 9 to 10, 1997
- Ice Storm and Winter Storm in Kansas, December 9 to 24, 1997
- Dense Fog in Kentucky, December 9, 1997
- Dense Fog in Illinois, December 9, 1997
- Heavy Snow in Iowa, December 9 to 10, 1997
- Heavy Snow in Kansas, December 9, 1997
- Dense Fog in Missouri, December 9, 1997
- Winter Storm in Missouri, December 9, 1997
- Heavy Snow in Illinois, December 9 to 10, 1997
- Dense Fog in Indiana, December 9, 1997
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Oklahoma, December 9, 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5620858, 5620859, 5620860, 5620861, 5620862, 5620863, 5620864, 5620865, 5620866, 5620867.