High Wind, Los Angeles County Valleys
- When
- February 7, 5:00 AM PST to February 8, 3:45 AM PST
- Where
- Los Angeles County Valleys forecast zone
- Measured
- 61 kt (70 mph)
Flash Flooding and Flood in California, February 7 to 8, 1998
The third storm of the month brought more weather-related problems to Central and Southern California. Strong winds, gusting up to 70 mph, knocked down many trees and power lines.
Where it happened
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.
- 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
- 3
- Injuries
- 2
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 24
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.
The third storm of the month brought more weather-related problems to Central and Southern California. Strong winds, gusting up to 70 mph, knocked down many trees and power lines. In Encino, the winds blew down Lang Oak, a one thousand year-old oak tree. Rainfall totals ranged from 1 to 4 inches over the coasts, up to 7 inches in the mountains. Widespread reports of urban and rural flooding were reported. In Santa Maria, Highway 101 was flooded by over one foot of water. Elsewhere, Interstate 5 as well as Highways 126, 166 and 246 reported closures due to flooding and mudslides. In the mountains of Santa Barbara county, a hiker drowned in Rattlesnake Creek. In the Angeles National Forest, a teenage snowboarder was found dead due to exposure. In the San Fernando Valley, a private road washed out, allowing a car to plummet 50 feet down a ravine. One man was killed and two others injured. In the mountains, up to 12 inches of snow fell at resort levels.
The radar
The Vandenberg AFB radar (KVBX), 47 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 13:00 UTC.
Event by event
17 high wind, 3 heavy snow, 3 flash flood, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
High Wind, Ventura County Interior Valleys
- When
- February 7, 5:00 AM PST to February 8, 3:45 AM PST
- Where
- Ventura County Interior Valleys forecast zone
- Measured
- 61 kt (70 mph)
High Wind, Los Angeles County Mountains Excluding the Santa Monica Range
- When
- February 7, 5:00 AM PST to February 8, 3:45 AM PST
- Where
- Los Angeles County Mountains Excluding the Santa Monica Range forecast zone
- Measured
- 61 kt (70 mph)
High Wind, Ventura County Mountains
- When
- February 7, 5:00 AM PST to February 8, 3:45 AM PST
- Where
- Ventura County Mountains forecast zone
- Measured
- 61 kt (70 mph)
High Wind, Santa Ynez Valley
- When
- February 7, 5:00 AM PST to February 8, 3:45 AM PST
- Where
- Santa Ynez Valley forecast zone
- Measured
- 61 kt (70 mph)
High Wind, Santa Barbara County Mountains
- When
- February 7, 5:00 AM PST to February 8, 3:45 AM PST
- Where
- Santa Barbara County Mountains forecast zone
- Measured
- 61 kt (70 mph)
High Wind, Ventura County Coastal Valleys
- When
- February 7, 5:00 AM PST to February 8, 3:45 AM PST
- Where
- Ventura County Coastal Valleys forecast zone
- Measured
- 61 kt (70 mph)
High Wind, San Luis Obispo County Interior Valleys
- When
- February 7, 5:00 AM PST to February 8, 3:45 AM PST
- Where
- San Luis Obispo County Interior Valleys forecast zone
- Measured
- 61 kt (70 mph)
High Wind, San Luis Obispo County Mountains
- When
- February 7, 5:00 AM PST to February 8, 3:45 AM PST
- Where
- San Luis Obispo County Mountains forecast zone
- Measured
- 61 kt (70 mph)
High Wind, Santa Barbara County Central Coast
- When
- February 7, 5:00 AM PST to February 8, 3:45 AM PST
- Where
- Santa Barbara County Central Coast forecast zone
- Measured
- 61 kt (70 mph)
High Wind, Antelope Valley
- When
- February 7, 5:00 AM PST to February 8, 3:45 AM PST
- Where
- Antelope Valley forecast zone
- Measured
- 61 kt (70 mph)
High Wind, Cuyama Valley
- When
- February 7, 5:00 AM PST to February 8, 3:45 AM PST
- Where
- Cuyama Valley forecast zone
- Measured
- 61 kt (70 mph)
- Coordinates
- 34.538, -120.031 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Santa Barbara County South Coast
- When
- February 7, 5:00 AM PST to February 8, 3:45 AM PST
- Where
- Santa Barbara County South Coast forecast zone
- Measured
- 61 kt (70 mph)
High Wind, Ventura County Coast
- When
- February 7, 5:00 AM PST to February 8, 3:45 AM PST
- Where
- Ventura County Coast forecast zone
- Measured
- 61 kt (70 mph)
High Wind, Los Angeles County Coasts Including Downtown Los Angeles
- When
- February 7, 5:00 AM PST to February 8, 3:45 AM PST
- Where
- Los Angeles County Coasts Including Downtown Los Angeles forecast zone
- Measured
- 61 kt (70 mph)
High Wind, Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area
- When
- February 7, 5:00 AM PST to February 8, 3:45 AM PST
- Where
- Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area forecast zone
- Measured
- 61 kt (70 mph)
High Wind, San Luis Obispo County Central Coast
- When
- February 7, 5:00 AM PST to February 8, 3:45 AM PST
- Where
- San Luis Obispo County Central Coast forecast zone
- Measured
- 61 kt (70 mph)
Heavy Snow, Ventura County Mountains
- When
- February 7, 5:00 AM PST to February 8, 3:45 AM PST
- Where
- Ventura County Mountains forecast zone
- Deaths
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
Heavy Snow, Los Angeles County Mountains Excluding the Santa Monica Range
- When
- February 7, 5:00 AM PST to February 8, 3:45 AM PST
- Where
- Los Angeles County Mountains Excluding the Santa Monica Range forecast zone
Heavy Snow, Santa Barbara County Mountains
- When
- February 7, 5:00 AM PST to February 8, 3:45 AM PST
- Where
- Santa Barbara County Mountains forecast zone
Flood, San Luis Obispo
- When
- February 7, 9:00 AM PST to February 8, 3:45 AM PST
- Where
- San Luis Obispo County, San Luis Obispo
- Coordinates
- 35.387, -120.452 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood, Santa Barbara
- When
- February 7, 4:00 PM PST to February 8, 3:45 AM PST
- Where
- Santa Barbara County, Countywide
- Deaths
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Coordinates
- 34.538, -120.031 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood, Ventura
- When
- February 7, 6:00 PM PST to February 8, 3:45 AM PST
- Where
- Ventura County, Countywide
- Coordinates
- 34.358, -119.126 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood, Los Angeles
- When
- February 7, 10:05 PM PST to February 8, 3:45 AM PST
- Where
- Los Angeles County, Countywide
- Deaths
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Injuries
- 2 direct, 0 indirect
- Coordinates
- 34.198, -118.261 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy Snow, Ventura County Mountains | 1998-02-07 | 14 | Male | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
| Flash Flood, Santa Barbara | 1998-02-07 | 41 | Male | Camping | Direct |
| Flash Flood, Los Angeles | 1998-02-07 | 84 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct |
What these are
- High Wind
- Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
- Heavy Snow
- Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
- Flood
- Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.
- Flash Flood
- Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Heavy Snow in Utah, February 7 to 9, 1998
- Flooding in California, February 7 to 8, 1998
- High Wind in California, February 7, 1998
- Storm Surge in Oregon, February 7, 1998
- Lightning Strike in California, February 7, 1998
- Heavy Snow in Colorado, February 7 to 9, 1998
- Dense Fog in Colorado, February 7, 1998
- High Wind in Oregon, February 7, 1998
- Blizzard in Alaska, February 7, 1998
- Heavy Snow in Nevada, February 7, 1998
- Heavy Snow in Nevada, February 7 to 8, 1998
- Heavy Snow in California, February 7, 1998
More
Every storm in California in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in California, February 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: 5629841, 5629842, 5629843, 5629844, 5629845, 5629846, 5629847, 5629848, 5629849, 5629850, 5629851, 5629852, 5629853, 5629854, 5629855, 5629856, 5629857, 5630012, 5630013, 5630014, 5629859, 5629860, 5630011, 5629858.