With strong afternoon thunderstorms in rural areas for days, one thunderstorm finally drifted over the Mount Laguna alert gage and provided the NWS with critical ground truth regarding Doppler Radar indicated heavy rainfall rates. Few reports of flooding were ever received as many of the thunderstorms remained over rural areas of the mountains and deserts.
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.
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.
With strong afternoon thunderstorms in rural areas for days, one thunderstorm finally drifted over the Mount Laguna alert gage and provided the NWS with critical ground truth regarding Doppler Radar indicated heavy rainfall rates. Few reports of flooding were ever received as many of the thunderstorms remained over rural areas of the mountains and deserts.
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 Jul 24, 12:10 PM PST, 3 hours 58 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA 110 PM PDT SUN JUL 24 2005 .SYNOPSIS...MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR OVER SOUTHWEST CALIFORNIA TODAY WILL GRADUALLY GIVE WAY TO DRIER...MORE STABLE CONDITIONS BY MIDWEEK. THE CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE DECREASING MONDAY AND TUESDAY ALONG WITH THE HUMIDITY. TEMPERATURES SHOULD BE NEAR SEASONAL NORMALS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK. BY NEXT WEEKEND THE MONSOONAL FLOW MAY RETURN...BRINGING A RENEWED CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS AND HIGHER HUMIDITY. && .DISCUSSION...FOR EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA INCLUDING ORANGE... SAN DIEGO...WESTERN RIVERSIDE AND SOUTHWESTERN SAN BERNARDINO COUNTIES... .SHORT TERM...AFTER A WARM AND HUMID NIGHT WITH RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMPS AGAIN...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WASTED NO TIME DEVELOPING OVER THE DESERTS AND MOUNTAINS THIS MORNING. THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN AND HAIL ARE WIDESPREAD IN THE NORTHERN DESERTS EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...BUT HAVE BEEN SLOW TO DEVELOP OVER SAN DIEGO COUNTY. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF AROUND 3 INCHES IN ONE HOUR HAVE BEEN ESTIMATED BY RADAR IN THE HEAVIEST STORMS. DEWPOINTS IN THE UPPER 60S AND 70S HAVE HELPED TO FUEL THIS ACTIVITY. NAM MODEL SHOWS A WEAK EDDY CONTINUING INTERMITTENTLY OVER THE CALIFORNIA BIGHT FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS AT LEAST WITH THE MARINE LAYER GRADUALLY INCREASING. THIS IS IN RESPONSE TO INCREASING ONSHORE FLOW AS HIGH PRESSURE BEGINS TO SHIFT OFFSHORE AND A WEAK TROUGH MOVES BY TO THE NE. THIS WILL PUSH THE INVERTED TROUGH AND ASSOCIATED TROPICAL MOISTURE WELL TO THE S BY WED. LOOK FOR A MARKED DECREASE IN THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY MON WITH ONLY A SLIGHT CHANCE BY TUE. MIDWEEK LOOKS MOSTLY DRY WITH HIGH PRESSURE EITHER OVERHEAD OR JUST TO THE S. TEMPS AND HUMIDITY SHOULD RETURN TO NEAR NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR...WHICH MEANS HIGHS IN THE 70S ALONG THE COAST... AND IN THE 90S INLAND. .LONG TERM...TOWARD THE END OF THE WEEK...UPPER LEVEL HIGH PRESSURE BEGINS TO REBUILD TOWARD THE FOUR CORNERS AREA. AS IT DRIFTS N...THE UPPER FLOW WILL AGAIN TURN EASTERLY OVER SW CALIFORNIA WHICH SHOULD ADVECT MORE MONSOONAL MOISTURE OUR WAY NEXT WEEKEND. IF THE MODELS ARE CORRECT...HIGHER HUMIDITY CAN BE EXPECTED WITH WARMER NIGHTS AGAIN BY THE WEEKEND...HOWEVER DAYTIME HIGHS DO NOT LOOK EXCESSIVE AT THIS TIME. && .AVIATION... MARINE LAYER REMAINS VERY SHALLOW AND CONFINED TO THE IMMEDIATE COAST. STRATUS LAYER HAS BECOME PATCHY BUT SHOULD BEGIN TO REFORM THIS EVENING AND PUSH INLAND OVER THE COASTAL AIRPORTS BY MIDNIGHT. BASES WILL REMAIN AROUND 900 FEET MSL WITH TOPS AROUND 1200 FEET MSL. STRATUS SHOULD BREAK UP OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS BUT EXPECT IT TO RETURN LATER THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT. ABOVE THE MARINE LAYER AND ELSEWHERE...THE AIRMASS IS UNSTABLE AS SUBTROPICAL MOISTURE CONTINUES TO STREAM INTO THE AREA FROM THE EAST AND SOUTHEAST WITH SCATTERED TO BROKEN CUMULUS AND ALTOCUMULUS LAYERS...MOSTLY ABOVE 8000 FEET MSL. NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND NORTHERN DESERTS. TOPS OF THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOSTLY NEAR 40000 FEET WITH SOME TOPS TO 50000 FEET MSL. THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD DIMINISH AFTER SUNSET. EXPECT ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS DURING THE AFTERNOON ON MONDAY OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS. INLAND AIRPORTS SHOULD REMAIN VFR THROUGH MONDAY EXCEPT LOCALLY MVFR DURING ANY THUNDERSTORM. && .SGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR MONSOONAL THUNDERSTORMS...SEE LAXHWOSGX. FLASH FLOOD WATCH...SEE LAXFFASGX. && PUBLIC...JAD AVIATION...HORTON
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA 400 PM PDT SUN JUL 24 2005 CAZ042-043-048-050-055-056-057-058-060-061-062-251100- ORANGE COUNTY COASTAL AREAS- SAN DIEGO COUNTY COASTAL AREAS- SAN BERNARDINO AND RIVERSIDE COUNTY VALLEYS-THE INLAND EMPIRE- SAN DIEGO COUNTY VALLEYS- SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY MOUNTAINS- RIVERSIDE COUNTY MOUNTAINS- SANTA ANA MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS- SAN DIEGO COUNTY MOUNTAINS- APPLE AND LUCERNE VALLEYS- COACHELLA VALLEY- SAN DIEGO COUNTY DESERTS- 400 PM PDT SUN JUL 24 2005 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE VALLEYS...MOUNTAINS...AND DESERTS IN EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA. VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE FLOW FROM THE SOUTHEAST WILL BRING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AT TIMES TO THE MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS. SOME SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DRIFT WEST OF THE MOUNTAINS. THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY SHOULD DECREASE GRADUALLY MONDAY AND TUESDAY. .DAY ONE... THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT. A FLOOD WATCH FOR FLASH FLOODING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM FOR THE MOUNTAINS...DESERTS AND INLAND EMPIRE. HIGH FLASH FLOOD POTENTIAL RATING FOR THE MOUNTAINS...DESERTS AND INLAND EMPIRE. THUNDERSTORMS WITH AREAS OF HEAVY RAIN ARE POSSIBLE...AND THE THREAT OF FLASH FLOODING COULD BE SIGNIFICANT. DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL ALSO BE THREATS FROM THE THUNDERSTORMS. SOME THUNDERSTORMS COULD DRIFT WEST INTO THE SAN DIEGO COUNTY VALLEYS AND EVEN LOCALLY INTO THE ORANGE AND SAN DIEGO COUNTY COASTAL AREAS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. MODERATE FLASH FLOOD POTENTIAL RATING MONDAY FOR THE MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS. THUNDERSTORMS WITH ISOLATED FLASH FLOODING ARE POSSIBLE. DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...SMALL HAIL AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS WILL ALSO BE THREATS MONDAY AND TUESDAY. MONSOONAL FLOW MAY RETURN FRIDAY AND SATURDAY FOR MORE THUNDERSTORMS AT TIMES IN THE MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...SPOTTERS HAVE BEEN ACTIVATED. ACTIVATION MIGHT BE NEEDED MONDAY. NOTE...THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NOW INCORPORATES THE FLASH FLOOD POTENTIAL INDEX THAT WAS ISSUED SEPARATELY IN PREVIOUS YEARS. THE FLASH FLOOD POTENTIAL INDEX WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IF IT EXCEEDS THE LOW CATEGORY IN THE FIRST TWO DAYS. THIS PRODUCT WILL BE UPDATED DAILY AT 4 AM AND 4 PM OR AS NEEDED THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30. MAXWELL
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
1214 PM PDT SUN JUL 24 2005
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1140 AM HEAVY RAIN 5 NW FOREST FALLS 34.14N 116.98W
07/24/2005 0.70 INCH SAN BERNARDINO CA AMATEUR RADIO
IN 15 MINUTES. EXACT LOCATION IS ANGELUS OAKS.
&&
BDOYLEPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
1216 PM PDT SUN JUL 24 2005
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1140 AM HAIL 5 NW FOREST FALLS 34.14N 116.98W
07/24/2005 0.50 INCH SAN BERNARDINO CA AMATEUR RADIO
0.25 INCH TO 0.50 INCH LASTED FOR TWO MINUTES
&&
BDOYLEPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
144 PM PDT SUN JUL 24 2005
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0140 PM HEAVY RAIN APPLE VALLEY 34.53N 117.21W
07/24/2005 0.75 INCH SAN BERNARDINO CA TRAINED SPOTTER
IN A 30 MINUTE PERIOD FROM 110PM TO 140PM
&&
BDOYLEPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
300 PM PDT SUN JUL 24 2005
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0218 PM FLASH FLOOD FOREST FALLS 34.09N 116.92W
07/24/2005 SAN BERNARDINO CA TRAINED SPOTTER
THREE MUDSLIDES ACROSS VALLEY OF THE FALLS DRIVE HAS CUT
OFF THE TOWN OF FOREST FALLS FROM HWY 38. EACH MUDSLIDE
IS REPORTED TO BE ABOUT 3 TO 4 FEET DEEP.
0230 PM FLASH FLOOD PHELAN 34.43N 117.57W
07/24/2005 SAN BERNARDINO CA AMATEUR RADIO
REPORTS OF 8 TO 12 INCHES OF WATER AND MUD RUNNING ACROSS
BALDE MESA ROAD NORTH OF PHELAN.
0231 PM HAIL 10 S HEMET 33.59N 117.00W
07/24/2005 0.25 INCH RIVERSIDE CA STORM CHASER
0255 PM TSTM WND GST HEMET 33.73N 117.00W
07/24/2005 40 MPH RIVERSIDE CA STORM CHASER
THUNDERSTORM WIND GUST FROM THE EAST ESTIMATED AT 40 MPH
NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF THE 74 AND 79. LOCAL FLOODING
ALSO OBSERVED IN THE AREA.
&&
BDOYLEPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
440 PM PDT SUN JUL 24 2005
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0345 PM TSTM WND DMG CANYON LAKE 33.68N 117.25W
07/24/2005 RIVERSIDE CA PUBLIC
A FENCE WAS BLOWN OVER IN CANYON LAKE
&&
BDOYLEPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
451 PM PDT SUN JUL 24 2005
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0113 PM FLASH FLOOD 10 ESE LUCERNE VALLEY 34.39N 116.81W
07/24/2005 SAN BERNARDINO CA FIRE DEPT/RESCUE
WATER RUNNING ACROSS SR247 AT MILE MARKER 29. ONE
STRANDED MOTORIST HAD TO BE RESCUED.
&&
BDOYLEThe San Diego radar (KNKX), 28 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:02 UTC.
1 heavy rain, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
The Mount Laguna alert gage recorded 2.30 inches of rain in 40 minutes from a nearly stationary thunderstorm.
Flash Flooding was reported on Banner Rd.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyWarnings in California, July 2005
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: 5461280, 5461281.