California, 2005

Flash Flooding and Hail in California, July 30, 2005

July 30, 2005 · NWS SGX · 8 events in 2 counties and zones

An approaching mid-level trough, combined with steep lapse rates, surface dewpoints in the low to mid 70s, and precipitable water values of around 2 inches helped trigger severe thunderstorms across the mountains and deserts during the afternoon and evening hours of the 30th. The strongest storms formed over the San Bernardino Mountains where numerous reports of hail and flooding were received.

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
$55,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
8

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 SGX wrote it up.

An approaching mid-level trough, combined with steep lapse rates, surface dewpoints in the low to mid 70s, and precipitable water values of around 2 inches helped trigger severe thunderstorms across the mountains and deserts during the afternoon and evening hours of the 30th. The strongest storms formed over the San Bernardino Mountains where numerous reports of hail and flooding were received. This day marked the 11th straight day of thunderstorms in the San Diego CWA.

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 Jul 30, 8:30 AM PST, 3 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 30, 8:30 AM PST, 3 hours before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
930 AM PDT SAT JUL 30 2005

.SYNOPSIS...WARM...HUMID WEATHER WILL CONTINUE INTO NEXT WEEK WITH
MONSOON MOISTURE BRINGING MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS
TO THE MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS. A FEW SHOWERS COULD DRIFT WEST OF THE
MOUNTAINS SUNDAY AND MONDAY. THE MARINE LAYER WILL REMAIN SHALLOW
WITH AREAS OF LOW CLOUDS AND FOG NEAR THE COAST IN THE NIGHTS AND
MORNINGS.

&&

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

THE ATMOSPHERE REMAINS PRIMED FOR ANOTHER DAY OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER
THE MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS. THE MORNING SOUNDING FROM NKX SHOWED
PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES OF 1.62 INCHES AND EVEN MORE CAPE THAN
YESTERDAYS SOUNDING. THE FORECAST SOUNDINGS BRING EVEN HIGHER PWS
THIS AFTERNOON. THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH ISSUED YESTERDAY EVENING FOR
TODAY LOOKS ON TARGET. HEAVY RAIN RATES OF OVER AN INCH PER HOUR
WILL PRODUCE MORE FLASH FLOODING IN THE MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS THIS
AFTERNOON. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE WITH HAIL AND
STRONG DOWNBURST WINDS AS CAPE VALUES ARE FORECAST TO BE IN EXCESS
OF 2000 J/KG THIS AFTERNOON.

ON SATURDAY NIGHT AN EASTERLY WAVE TRACKING ACROSS SOUTHERN AZ WILL
MOVE INTO SOCAL. THE ADDED UPPER LEVEL DYNAMICS WILL TRIGGER MORE
FLOOD PRODUCING THUNDERSTORMS IN THE MTNS AND DESERTS SUNDAY AND
MONDAY ALONG WITH ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. THE EASTERLY WINDS
ALOFT COULD ALSO PUSH SOME OF THE STORMS WEST OF THE MOUNTAINS INTO
THE INLAND VALLEYS.

.LONG RANGE...ONLY MINOR CHANGES IN THE UPPER LEVEL PATTERN NEXT
WEEK. THE MODELS ARE HINTING AT A LITTLE DRYER AIR ALOFT FOR THE
MIDDLE ON THE WEEK...BUT AM NOT CONFIDENT WITH THIS SCENARIO...AND
IT IS MORE LIKELY THAT WE WILL SEE CONTINUED SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS IN THE MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS THROUGH NEXT WEEKEND.

&&

.AVIATION...
SIMILAR PATTERN TO FRI OVER THE MTS AND ADJACENT DESERTS...UNSTABLE
AIRMASS WILL GENERATE SCATTERED TSTMS AGAIN...MAINLY FROM 19Z-02Z.
EXPECT ISOLATED STRONG STORMS TO 50000 FT WITH HEAVY RAIN...HAIL AND
LOCAL WIND GUSTS 40-50 MPH.

MARINE LAYER TO REMAIN SHALLOW AND CONFINED NEAR THE COAST...WITH NO
LOW CLOUDS AFFECTING ORANGE COUNTY. MIGHT STILL SEE PATCHY STRATUS
LINGER NEAR BEACHES OF SOUTH SAN DIEGO CO TIL EARLY AFTN. OTHERWISE
EXPECT AREAS OF LOW CLOUDS AND PATCHY FOG TO RETURN TO SAN DIEGO
COUNTY COASTAL SECTIONS LATE TONIGHT AND REACH NEAR CRQ/SAN AROUND
09-16Z SUN. BASES AROUND 800-1000 FT MSL AND TOPS ABT 1400 FT.

&&

.SGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...

FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS TODAY FROM 11 AM
UNTIL 7 PM...SEE LAXFFASGX.

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR MONSOONAL THUNDERSTORMS...SEE
LAXHWOSGX.

PUBLIC...PG
AVIATION...LAVIS
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 30, 9:30 AM PST, 2 hours before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
1030 AM PDT SAT JUL 30 2005

CAZ055-056-058-060-061-062-302300-
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY MOUNTAINS-
RIVERSIDE COUNTY MOUNTAINS-
SAN DIEGO COUNTY MOUNTAINS-
APPLE AND LUCERNE VALLEYS-
COACHELLA VALLEY-
SAN DIEGO COUNTY DESERTS-
1030 AM PDT SAT JUL 30 2005

.DAY ONE... TODAY AND TONIGHT.

HIGH FLASH FLOOD POTENTIAL TODAY. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT
FROM 11 AM TO 7 PM. THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN WILL DEVELOP IN
THE MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH LARGE HAIL AND
STRONG WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH ARE POSSIBLE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... SUNDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.

HIGH FLASH FLOOD POTENTIAL RATING SUNDAY. MORE MOUNTAIN AND DESERT
THUNDERSTORMS WITH FLOOD PRODUCING RAINS WILL DEVELOP SUNDAY
AFTERNOON. DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...HAIL...AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS ARE
LIKELY.

THE THREAT OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE...MAINLY IN THE AFTERNOONS
AND EVENINGS...THROUGH FRIDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...SKYWARN WEATHER SPOTTER ACTIVATION
HAS BEEN REQUESTED FOR THIS AREA TODAY.

CAZ048-050-302300-
SAN BERNARDINO AND RIVERSIDE COUNTY VALLEYS-THE INLAND EMPIRE-
SAN DIEGO COUNTY VALLEYS-
1030 AM PDT SAT JUL 30 2005

.DAY ONE... TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... SUNDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.

THERE WILL BE A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING...SMALL HAIL...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...AND BRIEF HEAVY RAIN
SUNDAY AND MONDAY...MAINLY NEAR THE FOOTHILLS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...SKYWARN WEATHER SPOTTER ACTIVATION
IS NOT REQUESTED FOR THIS AREA...HOWEVER WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE
ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

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.

MOEDE/PG

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 30, 10:21 AM PST, 1 hour 9 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
1121 AM PDT SAT JUL 30 2005

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

1101 AM     HAIL             3 W ANZA                33.56N 116.73W
07/30/2005  0.50 INCH        RIVERSIDE          CA   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            MARBLE SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED AT SR371 AT CAREY RD.

&&

SCV

The radar

The Santa Ana Mts radar (KSOX), 81 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:28 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 flash flood, 2 hail, 1 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, San Bernardino

When
July 30, 11:30 AM PST to 12:30 PM PST
Where
San Bernardino County, 5 mi NE of Forest Falls
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
34.133, -116.850

A strong thunderstorm over the San Gorgonio Wilderness produced heavy rain, marble hail, and flash flooding above the 9,000 ft level. Heavy rain turned normally dry trails into rivers. Hikers at Dry Lake reported rapid runoff, heavy hail, and a large mudslide. Other hikers at 10,000 ft reported poor visibility and frequent lightning during the hailstorm. In addition to flooding and abundant hail, the storm also produced a funnel cloud.

Funnel Cloud, San Bernardino

When
July 30, 11:38 AM PST
Where
San Bernardino County, 5 mi NW of Forest Falls
Reported by
PARK/FOREST SERVICE
Coordinates
34.841, -116.178 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A funnel cloud was seen in the San Gorgonio Wilderness about 5 miles east of Angelus Oaks.

Flash Flood, Riverside

When
July 30, 12:00 PM PST to 12:30 PM PST
Where
Riverside County, Idyllwild
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
33.750, -116.717

A flash flood in the Fern Valley area left boulders scattered across the road.

Flash Flood, Riverside

When
July 30, 12:15 PM PST to 12:45 PM PST
Where
Riverside County, Banning
Property damage
$30,000
Reported by
FIRE DEPT/RESCUE SQUAD
Coordinates
33.933, -116.883

Thunderstorms produced very heavy rainfall in the Banning Pass and flooded some hangers at the Banning Airport.

Hail, San Bernardino

When
July 30, 12:23 PM PST
Where
San Bernardino County, Big Bear City
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
34.267, -116.850

A trained spotter in Big Bear City observed 3/4 inch hail and measured 1.06 inches of rain in 30 minutes during a thunderstorm. Heavy rain and hail also resulted flash flooding.

Flash Flood, San Bernardino

When
July 30, 1:26 PM PST to 2:00 PM PST
Where
San Bernardino County, 4 mi S of Big Bear Lake
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
34.200, -116.900

Flooding across highway 38 at Jenks Lake Rd. stopped traffic and left rocks on the road.

Hail, San Bernardino

When
July 30, 1:49 PM PST to 1:52 PM PST
Where
San Bernardino County, Forest Falls
Measured
1.5 in hail
Reported by
FIRE DEPT/RESCUE SQUAD
Coordinates
34.083, -116.917

Ping pong ball size hail was reported in Forest Falls during a thunderstorm.

Flash Flood, San Bernardino

When
July 30, 2:26 PM PST to 3:00 PM PST
Where
San Bernardino County, 11 mi ESE of Lucerne Vly
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
34.383, -116.767

Heavy rain from thunderstorms sent water raging across highway 247 at Santa Fe Rd.

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.
Funnel Cloud
A rotating column of cloud extending from a thunderstorm that did not reach the ground.
Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in California in 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyWarnings in California, July 2005

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: 5461518, 5461513, 5461514, 5461515, 5461519, 5461517, 5461512, 5461516.