In late December, a fast-moving storm system moved through Southern California. The storm did not produce any significant rainfall, but did generate a severe thunderstorm with large hail in Sherman Oaks.
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 LOX wrote it up.
In late December, a fast-moving storm system moved through Southern California. The storm did not produce any significant rainfall, but did generate a severe thunderstorm with large hail in Sherman Oaks. The main weather associated with this storm system was the gusty offshore winds that developed behind the storm. The gusty winds affected Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties and gusted as high as 100 MPH. Widespread power outages were reported across the area due to downed power lines. The winds also damamged numerous orhcards across Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, resulting in over $15 million dollars of crop damage. In Lake Casitas, the winds damaged a large boat dock, scattering numerous boats across the lake. One injury due to a falling tree was reported at a campground in Santa Barbara county. Large ocean waves also occurred during this event and resulted in the death of one man who was trying to save two family members who were swept into the ocean by the large waves. The two family members swept into the ocean were eventually saved.
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 26, 10:34 AM PST, 26 minutes earlier.
SOUTHWEST CALIFORNIA AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA 1034 AM PST TUE DEC 26 2006 UPDATE ...UPDATED ZONE PACKAGE AT 1030 PM TO INCREASE CLOUD COVER FIRST PERIOD AND ADJUST WINDS TO BETTER AGREE WITH CURRENT NPW. BIGGEST CHANGE TO NPW WAS TO MOVE UP THE START TIMES ON THE WINDS A FEW HOURS. THE REST REMAINS UNCHANGED. REMAINDER BELOW IS UNCHANGED... .SHORT TERM... A MAJOR CHANGE OF WEATHER IS ON TAP TONIGHT. A COLD FRONT OVER NORTHERN CALIFORNIA WILL SWEEP THROUGH THE AREA TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING. THE GFS AND WRF DISAGREE ON THE IMPACT OF THIS FRONT WITH THE WRF BEING QUITE DRY. THE WRF HOWEVER HAS BEEN TOO DRY AND USED GFS FOR RAINFALL FORECAST. GFS PREDICTS THE FRONT WILL NEAR THE CENTRAL COAST LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THEN QUICKLY PRESS THROUGH THE AREA EXITING L.A. COUNTY AROUND NOON WEDNESDAY. SOME SHOWERS WILL LINGER BEHIND THE FRONT IN THE COLDER UNSTABLE AIR. VERY NICE JET DYNAMICS WITH THIS STORM COULD DYNAMICALLY INITIATE SOME THUNDERSTORMS IN AND AROUND FROPA BUT ONLY SAID SLIGHT CHC AS THE THERMODYNAMIC STRUCTURE IS NOT TERRIBLY CONDUCIVE TO TSTM DEVELOPMENT. RIGHT NOW LOOKING FOR A HALF INCH TO AN INCH OF RAIN WITH THIS SYSTEM...WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE HOWEVER IS THAT THE RAIN WILL LIKELY FALL IN A CONCENTRATED BAND WITH THE FRONT THIS SHORT LIVED BUT HIGH INTENSITY RAIN COULD CAUSE FLASH FLOODING OR DEBRIS FLOWS IN THIS YEARS BURN AREAS. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THESE BURN AREAS. SNOW LEVEL WILL START OUT AT 6500 FEET AND LOWER TO 4500 FEET BY STORMS END. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS WILL BE NEAR ADVISORY LEVELS...4 TO 6 INCHES AND STRONG WINDS WILL CAUSE A BLOWING SNOW PROBLEMS AS SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY MAY BE NEEDED. STRONG NORTH FLOW WILL PUSH A BANK OF CLOUDS UP THE NORTH SLOPES AND CLOUDS AND SHOWERS WILL LINGER THERE INTO WEDNESDAY EVENING. THINK WRF PROBLEMS WITH PRECIP ARE RELATED TO HUMIDITY PARAMETERS AND DID NOT THROW ENTIRE MDL OUT. IN FACT WRF DID REDEEM ITSELF QUITE NICELY DURING LAST WIND EVENT AND USED IT FOR THIS WIND EVENT. AT THIS TIME IT SEEMS LIKE A ONCE IN A DECADE WIND EVENT IS SHAPING UP. STRONG WEST WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT START WEDNESDAY WITH COLD AIR ADVECTION AND UP TO 50 KT OF 850 MB WINDS THE MOUNTAINS AND THE ANTELOPE VALLEYS WILL LIKELY SEE HIGH WIND WARNING CONDITIONS. THE 00Z STATISTICAL GUIDANCE GIVE KWJF 42 KT OF SUSTAINED WINDS WEDNESDAY EARLY AFTERNOON. OVERNIGHT WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY MORNING THE WINDS TURN NORTHERLY SETTING UP THE POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGING WINDS OVER THE NORTH WIND FAVORED LOCATIONS OF THE SBA COUNTY SOUTH COAST AND SANTA YNEZ RANGE...THE I-5 CORRIDOR AND THE SOLEDAD CANYON. AT 12Z THERE IS A 77KT 850 WIND MAX AND A 10DM PER 60 MILE THICKNESS GRADIENT. IF THIS SOLUTION IS EVEN CLOSE TO THE TRUTH WIND GUSTS OF 65 TO 70 MPH ARE VERY LIKELY IF THE MDL VERIFIES CLOSE TO THIS SOLUTION GUSTS TO 90 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE. DURING THE DAY THURSDAY THE WINDS TRANSITION TO THE NORTHEAST AND THE WIND MAX FOCUS SHIFTS TO THE SAN GABRIEL MOUNTAINS WHILE THE WINDS WILL BE SLIGHTLY WEAKER THAN THE PREVIOUS 12 HOURS HIGH WIND WARNING WIND GUSTS WILL STILL BE POSSIBLE. A HIGH WIND WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE MOUNTAINS... THE SANTA BARBARA SOUTH COAST AND THE VALLEYS AND DESERTS OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY. FRIDAY THE NORTHEAST WIND EVENT CONTINUES AND THE SANTA ANA PRONE LOCATIONS WILL SEE NEAR ADVISORY LEVEL WINDS. AT LEAST THE SKIES WILL BE SUNNY. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN COOL. .LONG TERM... A NICE RIDGE BUILDS IN SATURDAY AND THINGS SHOULD WARM UP SOME. THE RIDGE ALSO POPS UP IN TIME TO DEFLECT A WEAK FRONT TO THE NORTH. SOME CLOUDS MIGHT SPILL INTO THE RIDGE AND CAUSE AT WORST PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES. A WEAK TROF FINALLY BREAKS DOWN THE RIDGE SUNDAY. RIGHT NOW IT LOOKS QUITE DRY AND THE ONLY PROBLEM IT WILL CAUSE IS ANOTHER ROUND OF OFFSHORE WINDS LATER SUNDAY AND NEW YEARS DAY. && .AVIATION... HIGH CONFIDENCE IN UNRESTRICTED FLYING CONDITIONS FOR NEXT 12 HOURS. RAINFALL TIMING FOR CENTRAL COAST TAF NOT ESPECIALLY HIGH RAIN MIGHT HOLD OFF A LITTLE LONGER. RAIN SHOULD NOT EFFECT TAFS SOUTH OF POINT CONCEPTION UNTIL AFTER THIS TAF PACKAGE EXPIRES. && .LOX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT (SEE LAXSPSLOX) HIGH WIND WATCH (SEE LAXNPWLOX). FLOOD WATCH (SEE LAXFFALOX). SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY (SEE LAXCWFLOX). HIGH SURF ADVISORY (SEE LAXCFWLOX). HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK (SEE LAXSRFLOX). && RORKE/DANIELSON
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
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA 540 AM PST TUE DEC 26 2006 CAZ034>041-044>047-051>054-059-087-088-270300- ANTELOPE VALLEY-CATALINA ISLAND-CUYAMA VALLEY- LOS ANGELES COUNTY COAST INCLUDING DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES- LOS ANGELES COUNTY MOUNTAINS EXCLUDING THE SANTA MONICA RANGE- LOS ANGELES COUNTY VALLEYS-SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY CENTRAL COAST- SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY INTERIOR VALLEYS- SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY MOUNTAINS-SANTA BARBARA COUNTY CENTRAL COAST- SANTA BARBARA COUNTY MOUNTAINS-SANTA BARBARA COUNTY SOUTH COAST- SANTA CLARITA VALLEY-SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS RECREATIONAL AREA- SANTA YNEZ VALLEY-VENTURA COUNTY COAST-VENTURA COUNTY COASTAL VALLEYS-VENTURA COUNTY INTERIOR VALLEYS-VENTURA COUNTY MOUNTAINS- 540 AM PST TUE DEC 26 2006 ...A FAST MOVING FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL BRING RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOWS TO SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY... ...DAMAGING WINDS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING... A VIGOROUS FRONTAL SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO SWEEP ACROSS SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY MORNING. RAIN IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON THE CENTRAL COAST THIS EVENING...THEN REACH THE LOS ANGELES BASIN AROUND DAYBREAK ON WEDNESDAY. THE FRONT WILL BE FAST MOVING...BRINGING JUST A THREE TO SIX HOUR PERIOD OF RAIN. HOWEVER..SOME OF THE RAIN COULD BE LOCALLY HEAVY...AND THERE IS EVEN A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. DUE TO THE QUICK MOVEMENT OF THIS SYSTEM...TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE PARTICULARLY HIGH..GENERALLY ON THE ORDER OF ONE HALF TO ONE INCH ACROSS THE AREA...WITH THE MOST RAIN EXPECTED ACROSS SAN LUIS OBISPO AND SANTA BARBARA COUNTIES. HOWEVER...THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR RAINFALL RATES TO MEET OR EXCEED THRESHOLDS DETERMINED BY THE USGS TO CREATE A LIKELIHOOD OR FLASH FLOODING AND MUD AND DEBRIS FLOWS IN AND BELOW THE 2006 BURN AREAS. FLASH FLOOD WATCHES HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR THOSE AREAS. (PLEASE REFER TO LAXFFALOX FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS ON THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE BURN AREAS). IN THE MOUNTAINS...SNOW LEVELS WILL START OUT AROUND 6500 FEET WEDNESDAY MORNING...THEN LOWER TO 4500 FEET DURING THE AFTERNOON. MOST OF THE RAIN AND SNOW ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONT WILL END BY LATE WEDNESDAY...SHOWERS WILL LINGER ON NORTH FACING SLOPES OF THE MOUNTAINS OF LOS ANGELES AND VENTURA COUNTIES AND IN THE FOOTHILLS ABOVE THE ANTELOPE VALLEY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND INTO THURSDAY MORNING. SNOW LEVELS WILL BE BETWEEN 4000 AND 4500 FEET WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY MORNING...AND THERE IS THE POTENTIAL THAT SNOW COULD AFFECT TRAVEL ON INTERSTATE 5 NEAR THE GRAPEVINE AND INTERSTATE 14 THROUGH THE SOLEDAD PASS. THERE COULD BE A FEW INCHES OF SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS FROM THE FRONT AND ANY RESIDUAL LINGERING SHOWERS...AND SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORIES MAY HAVE TO BE ISSUED. STRONG WINDS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS MUCH OF SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT BEHIND THE FRONT. THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGING WINDS ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT...CONTINUING INTO FRIDAY MORNING IN SOME AREAS. STRONG WEST WINDS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE ANTELOPE VALLEY WEDNESDAY MORNING...AND CONTINUE INTO EARLY WEDNESDAY NIGHT. SUSTAINED WINDS OF 35 TO 45 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH POSSIBLE GUSTS OVER 65 MPH THERE. THE WINDS WILL CAUSE AREAS OF BLOWING DUST AND SAND IN THE ANTELOPE VALLEY...LOCALLY REDUCING VISIBILITIES TO NEAR ZERO AT TIMES. VERY STRONG NORTHWEST TO NORTH WINDS WILL DEVELOP IN THE MOUNTAINS OF SANTA BARBARA...VENTURA AND LOS ANGELES COUNTIES WEDNESDAY. WINDS WILL LIKELY INCREASE FURTHER WEDNESDAY EVENING...AND WILL LIKELY SPREAD INTO SOUTH COASTAL SECTIONS OF SANTA BARBARA COUNTY BELOW PASSES AND CANYONS...AND IN INTO THE VALLEYS OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY. WINDS WILL BE STRONGEST THROUGH AND BELOW PASSES AND CANYONS OF THE SANTA YNEZ MOUNTAINS IN SANTA BARBARA COUNTY...AND NEAR THE INTERSTATE 5 CORRIDOR IN NORTHWESTERN LOS ANGELES COUNTY. NORTHWEST WINDS COULD GUST OVER 80 MPH IN THE MOUNTAINS LATE WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING...WITH GUSTS OVER 60 MPH POSSIBLE IN THE VALLEYS AND BELOW PASSES AND CANYONS OF THE SANTA BARBARA COUNTY SOUTH COAST. STRONG TO POTENTIALLY DAMAGING WINDS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS AND VALLEYS OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY AND THE MOUNTAINS OF VENTURA COUNTY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT OR FRIDAY MORNING. (PLEASE REFER TO LAXNPWLOX FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS ON THE POTENTIALLY DAMAGING WINDS). POWERFUL WINDS WILL ALSO AFFECT THE SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL CALIFORNIA COASTAL WATERS WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY. GALE FORCE WINDS WILL LIKELY AFFECT MOST OF THE COASTAL WATER...INCLUDING THE INNER WATERS...AND WIND GUSTS COULD REACH STORM FORCE (OVER 48 KNOTS) IN SOME AREAS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT. LARGE SWELL SPREADING INTO THE COASTAL WATERS WILL CAUSE HIGH SURF OF 10 TO 12 FEET WITH LOCAL SETS TO 15 FEET TO DEVELOP ALONG THE BEACHES OF SAN LUIS OBISPO AND WESTERN SANTA BARBARA COUNTIES TODAY...WITH HIGH SURF LIKELY CONTINUING INTO THURSDAY. ON THE BEACHES OF LOS ANGELES AND VENTURA COUNTIES...SURF WILL BUILD TO 3 TO 5 FEET TODAY...AND TO 5 TO 7 FEET ON WEDNESDAY...WITH LOCAL SETS TO 9 FEET ON EXPOSED WEST FACING BEACHES. THERE WILL BE A HIGH POTENTIAL FOR RIP CURRENTS ON ALL AREA BEACHES TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY. RESIDENTS OF SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA ARE URGED TO STAY TUNED FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ON THE UPCOMING POTENTIAL WEATHER HAZARDS. THOSE WITH TRAVEL PLANS...ESPECIALLY INTO OR THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS...ARE ADVISED TO CHECK ON ROAD REPORTS...AND KEEP IN MIND THAT STRONG WINDS MAY MAKE TRAVEL DIFFICULT...ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. BRUNO/ASR
The Los Angeles radar (KVTX), 75 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 10:42 UTC.
8 high wind, 1 high surf, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
One man drowned off of Ventura Beach, trying to save his neice and grandneice who were swept off a jetty by large waves. The neice and grandneice were eventually saved.
California Highway Patrol reported large hail between one half and one inch in the community of Sherman Oaks near the intersection of Sepulveda and Greenleaf.
The Montecito RAWS sensor reported a wind gust of 65 MPH.
The Gaviota Fire Department reported winds gusts to 65 MPH. These strong winds affected a local campground, injuring a camper when a tree fell on her tent.
The Saugus RAWS sensor reported a wind gust of 58 MPH.
The Warm Springs RAWS sensor reported a wind gust of 75 MPH.
A weather spotter in the Beverly Hills area reported wind gusts up to 60 MPH.
The Rose Valley RAWS sensor reported a wind gust of 62 MPH.
The Malibu Hills RAWS sensor reported a wind gust of 71 MPH.
The San Rafael Hills RAWS sensor reported a wind gust of 73 MPH.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Surf, Ventura County Coast | 2006-12-26 | Male | In Water | Direct |
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: 5511, 5490, 5502, 5505, 5508, 5497, 5509, 5496, 5499, 5507.