A deep low pressure trough moved through California accompanied by strong surface winds and heavy downpours. The strongest winds were clocked in Orange County and through the mountains of San Bernardino County, in advance of the storm.
Every event with a place to put it; 5 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS SGX wrote it up.
A deep low pressure trough moved through California accompanied by strong surface winds and heavy downpours. The strongest winds were clocked in Orange County and through the mountains of San Bernardino County, in advance of the storm. During the morning hours, winds gusted to 60 mph in many areas, felling trees, breaking tree branches, and causing scattered power outages. Moderate, to locally heavy rain flooded some intersections and streets throughout coastal areas, and left low-lying areas under water. Rising flood waters briefly stranded motorists, but in general, most flooding problems were routine. San Clemente was one of the hardest hit areas with almost 2.5 inches of rain and thunderstorm gusts to 55 mph. Snow fell as low as 4500 feet, and the weight of it snapped tree branches and power lines. On the third and the fourth, Border Patrol Agents found 12 illegal immigrants near Campo, suffering from hypothermia. Two other young men succumbed to the combination of strong winds, cold temperatures, and rain. Their bodies were found in rugged terrain near Campo on the seventh.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 high wind, 2 flood, 1 cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cold/Wind Chill, San Diego County Mountains | 1998-02-04 | 25 | Male | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
| Cold/Wind Chill, San Diego County Mountains | 1998-02-04 | 19 | Male | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in California, February 1998
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: 5631288, 5631293, 5631290, 5631289, 5631292, 5631291.