Wildfire and High Wind in California, December 9 to 10, 1998

Name: Wildfire and High Wind in California, December 9 to 10, 1998
Start: 1998-12-09T03:00
End: 1998-12-10T16:00
Location: California

December 9 to 10, 1998 · NWS LOX · 9 events in 9 counties and zones

Powerful Santa Ana winds developed across Southern California. Northeast winds gusted up to 76 mph in the mountains and 69 mph across the coasts and valleys.

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

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 9

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.

Powerful Santa Ana winds developed across Southern California. Northeast winds gusted up to 76 mph in the mountains and 69 mph across the coasts and valleys. Numerous power lines were knocked down, producing many power outages. In Glendale, the strong winds fueled a 60 acre brushfire that was ignited by downed power lines.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 high wind, 1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, X Sw Los Angeles

When: December 9, 3:00 AM PST to December 10, 4:00 PM PST
Where: X Sw Los Angeles forecast zone
Measured: 66 kt (76 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

High Wind, N Los Angeles T X N

When: December 9, 3:00 AM PST to December 10, 4:00 PM PST
Where: N Los Angeles T X N forecast zone
Measured: 66 kt (76 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

High Wind, N Ventura

When: December 9, 3:00 AM PST to December 10, 4:00 PM PST
Where: N Ventura forecast zone
Measured: 66 kt (76 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

High Wind, X S Ventura

When: December 9, 8:00 AM PST to December 10, 2:15 PM PST
Where: X S Ventura forecast zone
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

High Wind, C Los Angeles

When: December 9, 8:00 AM PST to December 10, 2:15 PM PST
Where: C Los Angeles forecast zone
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

High Wind, C Ventura

When: December 9, 8:00 AM PST to December 10, 2:15 PM PST
Where: C Ventura forecast zone
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

High Wind, S Ventura T X S

When: December 9, 8:00 AM PST to December 10, 2:15 PM PST
Where: S Ventura T X S forecast zone
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

High Wind, X Se Los Angeles

When: December 9, 8:00 AM PST to December 10, 2:15 PM PST
Where: X Se Los Angeles forecast zone
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Wildfire, Los Angeles

When: December 9, 3:30 PM PST to December 10, 2:00 AM PST
Where: Los Angeles County, Glendale
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 34.198, -118.261 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
Wildfire: A fire burning in wildland vegetation, with its acreage and damage where known.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in California in 1998 Every state in 1998 This day in weather history Warnings in California, December 1998

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: 5677378, 5677379, 5677476, 5677477, 5677478, 5677479, 5677480, 5677481, 5677482.