California, 2003

Hail and Damaging Wind in California, July 29, 2003

July 29, 2003 · NWS LOX · 2 events in 1 county or zone

Severe thunderstorms developed across the Antelope Valley in northeastern Los Angeles county. In Lake Los Angeles, penny-size hail was reported.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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
2

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.

Severe thunderstorms developed across the Antelope Valley in northeastern Los Angeles county. In Lake Los Angeles, penny-size hail was reported. In Lancaster, thunderstorm wind gusts of 65 MPH were reported. Numerous trees and power lines were blown down, resulting in widespread power outages.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Los Angeles, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 29, 12:45 PM PST, 3 hours 20 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 29, 12:45 PM PST, 3 hours 20 minutes before
SOUTHWEST CALIFORNIA AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA
145 PM PDT TUE JUL 29 2003

THINGS GOING ALONG PRETTY MUCH AS EXPECTED. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
DEVELOPING IN RANDOM LOCATIONS AS AIRMASS REMAINS MOIST AND UNSTABLE.
HOWEVER, THERE WAS ENOUGH CLEARING IN SOME PLACES, ESPECIALLY LA
COUNTY, TO ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO WARM UP MORE THAN EXPECTED.

DONT REALLY SEE TOO MUCH CHANGE IN THE WEATHER PATTERN NEXT 48 HOURS.
A SERIES OF EASTERLY WAVES WILL MOVE THROUGH OR NEAR THE CWA CAUSING
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS. SINCE THESE STORMS ARE ALSO DYNAMICALLY
INDUCED CHANCES ARE ABOUT EQUAL DAY OR NIGHT. TEMPERATURES WILL BE
DEPENDENT ON CLOUD COVERAGE AND COULD LOCALLY BE SEVERAL DEGREES
WARMER THAN EXPECTED DUE TO PERIODS OF CLEARING.

AIRMASS WILL START TO DRY OUT THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY AS THE FLOW
ALOFT SHIFTS TO THE SOUTHWEST, PUSHING THE MONSOONAL MOISTURE TO THE
EAST. WELL ALSO SEE A RETURN TO A MORE NORMAL MARINE LYR PATTERN.
HIGHS OVER THE WEEKEND WILL BE NEAR SEASONAL NORMS.

LAX 3333. WOFFORD

.LOX...NONE.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Los Angeles

When
July 29, 4:05 PM PST
Where
Los Angeles County, 3 mi E of Lancaster
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
34.700, -118.083

Thunderstorm Wind, Los Angeles

When
July 29, 4:35 PM PST
Where
Los Angeles County, Lancaster
Measured
57 kt (66 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
34.700, -118.133

What these are

Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in California in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in California, July 2003

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: 5378415, 5378416.