A strong Santa Ana wind event occurred across portions of Southern California. The strongest winds affected the mountains and valleys of Ventura and Los Angeles counties.
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 LOX wrote it up.
A strong Santa Ana wind event occurred across portions of Southern California. The strongest winds affected the mountains and valleys of Ventura and Los Angeles counties. Scattered power outages were reported across the area due to downed power lines. In Ventura county near the community of Moorpark, the gusty offshore winds helped to spread the Shekell wildfire.
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 Dec 2, 2:45 PM PST, 3 hours 10 minutes earlier.
SOUTHWEST CALIFORNIA AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA 245 PM PST SAT DEC 2 2006 .SHORT TERM...WILL CONTINUE WITH CURRENT HIGH WIND AND WIND ADVISORY FOR VENTURA AND LOS ANGELES COUNTIES. CURRENT SURFACE OBSERVATIONS CONFIRM GUIDANCE REASONABLY WELL. A STRONG PRESSURE GRADIENT NORTHEAST OF THE AREA RESULTING FROM A 1040 MB HIGH CENTERED OVER THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST WILL STRENGTHEN AND MOVE SOUTH THIS EVENING. ENSEMBLE GFS INDICATED A 1050 MB MEAN CENTER PRESSURE AS THE BROAD HIGH PRESSURE SHIFTS SOUTH INTO THE CENTRAL ROCKIES THIS EVENING. NORTHEAST WINDS WILL ACCELERATE AND EXCEED WARNING THRESHOLDS THROUGH THE SOLEDAD CANYON TO TEJON PASSES. HAVE CONTINUED THE HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY VALLEYS THOUGH HAVE LIMITED THE WARNING TO THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY WHICH IS ADJACENT TO THE SOLEDAD CANYON AND EASTERN LIMIT OF THE POTENTIALLY DAMAGING WINDS. WINDS WILL DECELERATE GRADUALLY THROUGH THE AFTERNOON THOUGH THE BROAD AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL PERSIST OVER THE GREAT BASIN AND BREEZY OFFSHORE CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST. TEMPERATURES WERE 5 TO 10 DEGREES WARMER THAN YESTERDAY AT THIS TIME EXCEPT OVER THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS AND SEVERAL DEGREES ABOVE SEASONAL NORMAL. TREND WILL LIKELY BE MIXED SUN AS THE STRONG NORTHEAST WINDS PERSIST...EXPECT A FEW DEGREES WARMER SUN OVER THE NORTH HALF OF THE AREA AS COOL ADVECTION ASSOCIATED WITH THE STRONG NORTHEAST WINDS SETTLES OVER VENTURA AND LOS ANGELES COUNTIES. .LONG TERM...LONG WAVE RIDGE OVER THE AREA WILL GRADUALLY SHIFT EAST THROUGH THE PERIOD. A BROAD TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE CENTERED OVER THE CENTRAL PACIFIC AND EXTENDING EAST WILL APPROACH THE AREA. A WEAK SURFACE FRONT WILL APPROACH AND DISSIPATE OVER THE AREA FRI AND SAT. ENSEMBLE INDICATED A CHANCE OF LIGHT QPF OVER THE NORTH HALF OF THE AREA AND THE REMENANTS SPREADING SOUTH AS THE WEAK BOUNDARY MOVES EAST OVER THE AREA. TEMPERATURES WILL COOL THROUGH THE PERIOD AND GRADUALLY COOL TO SEASONAL NORMAL BY THE END OF THE PERIOD. && .AVIATION...VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL THROUGH TONIGHT. OFFSHORE WINDS EXPECTED TO PICKUP AND BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD THIS EVENING...AS A STRONG SANTA ANA TAKES OVER. LLWS WILL BE SIGNIFICANT CONCERN AT KBUR AND KVNY...WITH KVNY SEEING SIMILAR SPEEDS AT THE SURFACE AS ALOFT BUT WITH ENOUGH DIRECTIONAL SHEAR TO CAUSE CONCERNS. SOME LLWS MAY BE SEEN AT KLAX AND KLGB AFT 06Z...BUT PROBABLY WONT BE STRONG ENOUGH TO WARRANT MENTION IN TAF. WIND SHEAR AND STRONG TURBULENCE CAN BE EXPECTED NEAR THE MOUNTAINS AND BELOW PASSES AND CANYONS ALL NIGHT LONG AND INTO SUN MORNING. KLAX WILL BE VFR WITH A LIGHT NW SEABREEZE NEAR 10 KT THROUGH ABOUT 03Z. EAST WINDS WILL PICKUP AFTER 04Z NEAR 08 KT...WITH A GOOD SHOT OF GOING OVER 10 KT BETWEEN 08Z AND 14Z. PILOTS MAY EXPERIENCE SOME LLWS AFTER 06Z...BUT NOT EXPECTING TO CAUSE GAIN/LOSS OF MORE THAN 15 KT. && .LOX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING (SEE LAXNPWLOX). RED FLAG WARNING (SEE LAXRFWLOX). WIND ADVISORY (SEE LAXNPWLOX). MARINE WEATHER STATEMENT (SEE LAXMWSLOX). SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY (SEE LAXCWFLOX). && PUBLIC...FORWOOD AVIATION...KITTELL
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
4 high wind, 1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
Observations from Laguna Peak reported winds gusting between 58 and 63 MPH.
The Warm Springs RAWS sensor reported a wind gust to 59 MPH.
The Wiley Ridge RAWS sensor reported winds gusting between 62 and 65 MPH.
The Shekell Fire burned 13,600 acres around the community of Moorpark in Ventura county. The suspected cause of the fire was downed power lines near the MGR Design manufacuring plant. The gusty Santa Ana winds spread the fire quickly. Five homes were destroyed and five others were heavily damaged. The fire also destroyed the MGR Design manufacturing plant. Two minor injuries were reported when a fire engine overturned on a secondary road.
The Malibu Hills RAWS sensor reported a wind gust to 60 MPH.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2006Every state in 2006This day in weather historyWarnings in California, December 2006
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: 5405, 5403, 5404, 5399, 5400.