Flash Flood in California, December 29, 2004

Name: Flash Flood in California, December 29, 2004
Start: 2004-12-29T05:45
End: 2004-12-29T06:00
Location: California

December 29, 2004 · NWS SGX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

1 flash flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.

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: $10,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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 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 San Diego, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 29, 2:30 AM PST, 3 hours 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 29, 2:30 AM PST, 3 hours 15 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
230 AM PST WED DEC 29 2004

.SYNOPSIS...A COLD PACIFIC STORM WITH STRONG WINDS AND PERIODS OF
RAIN...HEAVY AT TIMES...WILL GRADUALLY MOVE THROUGH THE AREA TODAY.
SNOW WILL OCCUR AT THE HIGHEST ELEVATIONS. SOME THUNDERSTORMS WILL
ALSO OCCUR. NUMEROUS WATCHES...WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES REMAIN IN
EFFECT. THE WINDS SHOULD GRADUALLY DECREASE TODAY...WITH THE RAIN
WINDING DOWN OVERNIGHT. COOL AND UNSETTLED WEATHER WILL CONTINUE
WITH A CHANCE OF MORE SHOWERS THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK.

&&

.DISCUSSION...FOR EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA INCLUDING ORANGE...
SAN DIEGO...WESTERN RIVERSIDE AND SOUTHWESTERN SAN BERNARDINO
COUNTIES.

VERY STRONG WINDS WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 60 MPH MOVED THROUGH MOST
AREAS OVERNIGHT. LOTS OF TREE DAMAGE REPORTED. A WIND GUST OF 58 MPH
FROM THE SOUTH AT 1:37 AM SET A RECORD AT LINDBERGH FIELD FOR THE
MONTH OF DECEMBER. AREAS OF HEAVY RAINFALL DEVELOPED...BUT RAPID
MOVEMENT OF THE SHOWERS AT ABOUT 35 KT KEPT TOTALS FROM GETTING
EXCESSIVE IN MOST SPOTS.

IR ENHANCEMENT CONTINUES FROM THE LA AREA SW WITH OCCASIONAL
LIGHTNING STRIKES. BANDS OF RAPIDLY MOVING SHOWERS WITH BRIEF HEAVY
RAINFALL..AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH 7
AM...FOLLOWED BY A WIND SHIFT TO THE SW AND DECREASING WINDS AND
SHOWERS TODAY. FLASH FLOODING AND SPOTTY WIND DAMAGE IS LIKELY
THROUGH EARLY THIS MORNING WITH FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS AND HIGH WIND
WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES IN EFFECT.

THE UPPER LOW OFF THE COAST IS BEING FORCED INLAND BY ANOTHER BIG
COLD SYSTEM DROPPING INTO THE PACIFIC NW. THIS ONE SHOULD REMAIN
FARTHER TO THE NORTH BUT STRONG...SOMEWHAT UNSTABLE W FLOW WILL KEEP
A CHANCE OF A FEW SHOWERS FROM TIME TO TIME INTO THE WEEKEND. THIS
STORM MAY EVENTUALLY WORK S ALONG THE W COAST EARLY NEXT WEEK FOR A
BETTER CHANCE OF MORE SUBSTANTIAL RAINFALL.

&&

.SGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTHWESTERN
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY...AND MOST OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY...INCLUDING THE
BURN AREAS THROUGH 4 AM.

FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR ALL AREAS UNTIL 4 PM...SEE LAXFFASGX.

FLOOD ADVISORY FOR ALL AREAS UNTIL 8 AM...SEE LAXFLSSGX.

RIVER STATEMENT FOR SAN DIEGO AND SAN LUIS REY RIVERS...SEE
LAXRVSSGX.

WINTER STORM WARNING FOR THE SAN BERNARDINO AND RIVERSIDE COUNTY
MOUNTAINS ABOVE 6500 FEET UNTIL 400 PM...SEE LAXWSWSGX.

HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE SAN BERNARDINO...RIVERSIDE AND SAN DIEGO
COUNTY MOUNTAINS UNTIL NOON...SEE LAXNPWSGX.

WIND ADVISORY ALL OTHER AREAS UNTIL NOON...SEE LAXNPWSGX.

GALE WARNING INNER AND OUTER WATERS THIS MORNING...SEE LAXCWFSGX.

MARINE WEATHER STATEMENT...SEE LAXMWSSGX.

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...SEE LAXHWOSGX.

&&

JAD

In the hours before

Local storm report, Dec 29, 2:25 AM PST, 3 hours 20 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
225 AM PST WED DEC 29 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0222 AM     HIGH SUST WINDS  SAN DIEGO               32.72N 117.16W
12/29/2004  50 MPH           SAN DIEGO          CA   PUBLIC

            WINDS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH HAVE BROUGHT NUMEROUS TREES
            DOWN THROUGHOUT THE SAN DIEGO COUNTY AREA.

&&

ECLARK

Local storm report, Dec 29, 2:28 AM PST, 3 hours 17 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
228 AM PST WED DEC 29 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0200 AM     TSTM WND GST     WINCHESTER              33.71N 117.08W
12/29/2004  65 MPH           RIVERSIDE          CA   TRAINED SPOTTER

            TREES UPROOTED.

&&

SCV

Local storm report, Dec 29, 2:44 AM PST, 3 hours 1 minute before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
244 AM PST WED DEC 29 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0145 AM     TSTM WND DMG     2 S RANCHO BERNARDO     32.99N 117.06W
12/29/2004                   SAN DIEGO          CA   TRAINED SPOTTER

            TREES, 14 INCH DIAMTER, BROEKN ABOUT 5 FEET FROM THE
            GROUND, FELL ON HOUSE.

0151 AM     TSTM WND DMG     EL CAJON                32.80N 116.96W
12/29/2004                   SAN DIEGO          CA   TRAINED SPOTTER

            TREES BROKEN. WIND ESTIMATED GREATER THAN 50 MPH.

&&

SCV

Local storm report, Dec 29, 3:17 AM PST, 2 hours 28 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
317 AM PST WED DEC 29 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0220 AM     TSTM WND GST     2 SW MURRIETA           33.54N 117.23W
12/29/2004  60 MPH           RIVERSIDE          CA   MESONET

0220 AM     TSTM WND GST     4 SSW BIG BEAR LAKE     34.19N 116.92W
12/29/2004  65 MPH           SAN BERNARDINO     CA   MESONET

&&

RB

Local storm report, Dec 29, 3:24 AM PST, 2 hours 21 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
324 AM PST WED DEC 29 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0205 AM     TSTM WND GST     JULIAN                  33.07N 116.59W
12/29/2004  69 MPH           SAN DIEGO          CA   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

RB

Local storm report, Dec 29, 5:19 AM PST, 26 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
519 AM PST WED DEC 29 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0514 AM     SNOW             IDYLLWILD-PINE COVE     33.75N 116.72W
12/29/2004  3.0 INCH         RIVERSIDE          CA   UNKNOWN

            3 INCHES IDYLLWILD 5600 FEET SNOW BEGAN 1 HOUR AGO

0514 AM     SNOW             PHELAN                  34.43N 117.57W
12/29/2004  1.0 INCH         SAN BERNARDINO     CA   UNKNOWN

            1 INCH SNOW AT PHELAN AT 4300 FEET

&&

PURPURA

The radar

The San Diego radar (KNKX), 28 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 13:46 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, San Diego

When: December 29, 5:45 AM PST to 6:00 AM PST
Where: San Diego County, Pala
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
Coordinates: 33.028, -116.770 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

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

Every storm in California in 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history Warnings in California, December 2004

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: 5432655.