California, 1997

Winter Storm in California, February 17 to 18, 1997

February 17 to 18, 1997 · NWS LOX · 14 events in 14 counties and zones

producing a variety of weather. caused scattered power outages.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
14

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 potent winter storm moved across Southern California...producing a variety of weather. Strong northwestwinds...gusting up to 65 mph...caused scattered power outages. Scattered thunderstorms also formed acrossthe Southland...producing strong winds...brief heavy rain and hail. In Chatsworth...one-half inch hail was reported.In the San Fernando Valley...dime size hail to a depth of one and one-half inches was reported.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

14 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Santa Barbara County Central Coast

When
February 17, 12:00 PM PST to February 18, 1:00 PM PST
Where
Santa Barbara County Central Coast forecast zone

Winter Storm, Santa Ynez Valley

When
February 17, 12:00 PM PST to February 18, 1:00 PM PST
Where
Santa Ynez Valley forecast zone

Winter Storm, Cuyama Valley

When
February 17, 12:00 PM PST to February 18, 1:00 PM PST
Where
Cuyama Valley forecast zone
Coordinates
34.538, -120.031 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Santa Barbara County South Coast

When
February 17, 12:00 PM PST to February 18, 1:00 PM PST
Where
Santa Barbara County South Coast forecast zone

Winter Storm, Ventura County Coast

When
February 17, 12:00 PM PST to February 18, 1:00 PM PST
Where
Ventura County Coast forecast zone

Winter Storm, Los Angeles County Coasts Including Downtown Los Angeles

When
February 17, 12:00 PM PST to February 18, 1:00 PM PST
Where
Los Angeles County Coasts Including Downtown Los Angeles forecast zone

Winter Storm, Ventura County Interior Valleys

When
February 17, 12:00 PM PST to February 18, 1:00 PM PST
Where
Ventura County Interior Valleys forecast zone

Winter Storm, Ventura County Coastal Valleys

When
February 17, 12:00 PM PST to February 18, 1:00 PM PST
Where
Ventura County Coastal Valleys forecast zone

Winter Storm, Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area

When
February 17, 12:00 PM PST to February 18, 1:00 PM PST
Where
Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area forecast zone

Winter Storm, Los Angeles County Valleys

When
February 17, 12:00 PM PST to February 18, 1:00 PM PST
Where
Los Angeles County Valleys forecast zone

Winter Storm, Santa Barbara County Mountains

When
February 17, 12:00 PM PST to February 18, 1:00 PM PST
Where
Santa Barbara County Mountains forecast zone

Winter Storm, Ventura County Mountains

When
February 17, 12:00 PM PST to February 18, 1:00 PM PST
Where
Ventura County Mountains forecast zone

Winter Storm, Los Angeles County Mountains Excluding the Santa Monica Range

When
February 17, 12:00 PM PST to February 18, 1:00 PM PST
Where
Los Angeles County Mountains Excluding the Santa Monica Range forecast zone

Winter Storm, Antelope Valley

When
February 17, 12:00 PM PST to February 18, 1:00 PM PST
Where
Antelope Valley forecast zone

What these are

Winter Storm
A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in California in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in California, February 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: 5588500, 5588501, 5588502, 5588503, 5588504, 5588505, 5588506, 5588507, 5588508, 5588509, 5588510, 5588511, 5588512, 5588513.