Strong northerly winds developed behind a cold front that swept across Southern California. The strongest winds occurred across the mountains 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.
Strong northerly winds developed behind a cold front that swept across Southern California. The strongest winds occurred across the mountains of Ventura and Los Angeles counties. Several thousand people lost power in Los Angeles county due to downed power lines.
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 22, 9:30 AM PST, 20 minutes earlier.
SOUTHWEST CALIFORNIA AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA 930 AM PST FRI DEC 22 2006 .SHORT TERM... AREAS N OF POINT CONCEPTION RECEIVED MODERATE RAINFALL AMOUNTS AS EXPECTED. HOWEVER...THE COLD FRONT HELD TOGETHER BETTER THAN EXPECTED EARLY THIS MORNING AND MANY AREAS DID RECEIVE SOME MEASURABLE RAIN...GENERALLY LESS THAN A TENTH OF AN INCH. ONE COMPONENT THAT HELPED TO SQUEEZE OUT RAINFALL S OF POINT CONCEPTION WAS THE LEFT FRONT QUADRANT OF A 110 KT JET. IN FACT A FEW STRONGER CELLS DEVELOPED NEAR THE PALOS VERDES PENINSULA AND MOVED INTO THE INNER WATERS AFFECTING THE SAN PEDRO CHANNEL. STILL A LITTLE SURPRISED BY RAINFALL INTO LA COUNTY. AS THE FRONT CONTINUES TO MOVES THROUGH SAN DIEGO COUNTY...STRONG NORTHERLY GRADIENT IS SETTING UP ACROSS THE AREA TODAY. A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE MOUNTAINS OF LA/VTU/SBA COUNTIES AS WELL AS THE SBA S COAST. THE WIND ADVISORY WILL CONTINUE UNTIL 9 PM FOR SANTA BARBARA COUNTY...WITH THE LA/VTU COUNTY MOUNTAINS THROUGH NOON ON SATURDAY. LATEST GFS IS NOT TERRIBLY IMPRESSIVE FOR WINDS...HOWEVER THE LATEST 12Z WRF MODEL IS STRONGER THAN PREVIOUS 06Z RUN AND FORECASTING WIDESPREAD SUBSIDENCE ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS AND VALLEYS THROUGH SATURDAY. BASED ON CURRENT WIND CONDITIONS ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS...WRF SEEMS TO BE HANDLING THIS WELL. WINDS WILL BE STRONGEST ALONG THE I-5 CORRIDOR TODAY WIND NORTH WINDS 25 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 55 EXPECTED. WINDS WILL BEGIN TO TURN MORE NORTHEAST TONIGHT ACROSS THE LA/VTU MOUNTAINS AND AFFECT THE WIND PRONE AREAS BELOW PASSES AND CANYONS OF THE VALLEYS AND THE COASTAL AREAS OF THE OXNARD PLAIN AND BELOW PASSES AND CANYONS OF HOLLYWOOD HILLS THROUGH MALIBU AND LEO CARRILLO BEACHES. WILL HAVE TO MONITOR THE WINDS AND MIGHT CONSIDER ADDING WIND ADVISORIES FOR THE VALLEYS OF LA/VTU VALLEYS FOR TONIGHT INTO SAT. ...FROM PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... SNOW LEVELS WERE RUNNING BETWEEN 4500 AND 5500 FEET. WOULD NOT BE SURPRISE IF THERE ARE LOCAL ACCUMULATIONS OF AN INCH OR SNOW IN THE MTNS THIS MORNING. OTHERWISE...THERE SHOULD BE DECREASING CLOUDS FROM NW TO SE ACRS THE AREA THIS MORNING...WITH A PARTLY CLOUDY TO MOSTLY SUNNY AFTERNOON. THE LOW LEVEL FLOW WILL TURN NELY LATE TONIGHT AND SAT MORNING AS SFC HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INTO THE GREAT BASIN. THIS SHOULD CAUSE WINDS TO DIMINISH BY LATE EVENING ACRS SBA COUNTY...WITH THE FOCUS OF THE WINDS SHIFTING TO LOCATIONS THRU AND BELOW PASSES AND CANYONS ACROSS L.A. AND VTU COUNTIES. WIND ADVISORIES MAY BE NEEDED IN THE VLYS OF L.A. AND VTU COUNTIES...AND POSSIBLY PORTIONS OF THE CSTL PLAIN LATE TONIGHT/SAT MORNING. WITH THE OFFSHORE FLOW...AND WITH RISING HGTS SAT AS A RIDGE BUILDS INTO THE AREA...XPCT SEVERAL DEGREES OF WARMING W OF THE MTNS ON SAT...AND WARMEST LOCATIONS MAY BREAK 70 DEGREES FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER A WEEK. THE UPPER RIDGE WILL CONT TO HOLD ACRS THE AREA SAT NIGHT AND SUNDAY. LOW LVL OFFSHORE GRADS WILL WKN...BUT COULD STILL BE STRONG ENOUGH FOR SOME LOCALLY BREEZY CONDS IN THE MTNS AND VLYS OF L.A. AND VTU COUNTIES BELOW PASSES AND CANYONS. DO NOT XPCT TOO MUCH CHANGE IN TEMPS ON SUNDAY W OF THE MTNS...WHILE THE MTNS AND DSRTS WL PROBABLY WARM A FEW DEGREES. .LONG TERM... THE UPPER RIDGE ACRS THE AREA WILL BEGIN TO FLATTEN ON MONDAY AS A COUPLE OF SHORT WAVE TROUGHS MOVE INTO THE W CST. MID AND HIGH CLOUDS SHOULD BEGIN TO INCREASE ON MONDAY...ESPECIALLY N OF PT CONCEPTION...WHERE IT COULD BECOME MOSTLY CLDY DURG CHRISTMAS DAY. AS THE UPPER JET SAGS SLOWLY SWD DOWN THE W CST...SO WILL A BAND OF FAIRLY DEEP MSTR AND ASSOCD RAIN. WHILE CHRISTMAS DAY WILL LIKELY REMAIN DRY ACRS THE AREA...IT DOES APPEAR THAT THERE IS A CHANCE THAT RAIN COULD AFFECT AREAS N OF PT CONCEPTION. THE 00Z RUN OF THE GFS SHOWED RAIN SPREADING ACRS THE ENTIRE ON TUE. THE 06Z RUN HAS BACKED OFF WITH THE AMTS OF RAIN SHOWN BY THE 00Z RUN...WHICH MAKES MORE SENSE GIVEN THAT HEIGHTS ACRS THE AREA REMAIN QUITE HIGH. HOWEVER...HAVE ADDED A SLIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN TO THE ENTIRE AREA FOR TUE. IT LOOKS LIKE WEAK RIDGING WILL BUILD BACK INTO THE AREA WED AND THU FOR DRY WEATHER WITH TEMPS GENERALLY NEAR NORMAL. && .AVIATION... WEAK COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS VENTURA AND LOS ANGELES COUNTIES THIS MORNING...BRINGING MVFR CIGS/VSBYS TO COASTAL AND VALLEY TAF SITES BOTH AHEAD AND BEHIND FRONT. HOWEVER...AROUND 16Z EXPECT MVFR DECK TO SCATTER OUT WITH VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED LATE MORNING THROUGH 12Z SATURDAY. NORTHERLY FLOW WILL DEVELOP BEHIND FRONT LATER THIS MORNING AND CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT. WILL EXPECT SOME NORTHERLY WINDS AND LLWS AT KBUR AND KVNY THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON...AND LLWS AT KSBA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. .MARINE... LATEST BUOY REPORTS INDICATE 13-15 FT NW SWELL WITH PERIOD OF 17 SECONDS. AS THIS MOVES THROUGH THE COASTAL WATERS TODAY...HIGH SURF CONDITIONS...10-14 FT...ARE EXPECTED NORTH OF PT CONCEPTION THROUGH THIS EVENING. SOUTH OF PT CONCEPTION...WILL ONLY EXPECT ABOVE-NORMAL SURF GIVEN NW DIRECTION OF SWELL. BY LATE TONIGHT... THE SWELL WILL BEGIN TO SUBSIDE AND HIGH SURF CONDITIONS SHOULD END. && .LOX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY (SEE LAXNPWLOX). SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY (SEE LAXCWFLOX). HIGH SURF ADVISORY (SEE LAXCFWLOX). HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK (SEE LAXSRFLOX). && PUBLIC...KAPLAN/BRUNO AVIATION...THOMPSON
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
3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The Whitaker Peak RAWS sensor reported a wind gust to 62 MPH.
A weather spotter in the Lockwood Valley reported estimated wind gusts between 60 and 65 MPH. The winds blew down tree branches with diameters up to 4 inches.
The Malibu Hills RAWS sensor reported a wind gust to 58 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: 5448, 5444, 5437.