Name: Dust Storm and Strong Wind in California, December 26, 2007
Start: 2007-12-26T10:14
End: 2007-12-26T22:00
Location: California

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $52,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 4

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 HNX wrote it up.

A weak area of low pressure moved through central California during the evening of December 25th. The main impacts were to bring a few showers to the Southern Sierra Nevada and Tehachapi Mountains (including the foothills). Behind the weak low pressure, gusty winds developed over the mountains and deserts, with numerous gusts to 50 mph, and a peak wind gust of 75 mph measured at the Mojave Air/Spaceport.

The strong winds around 75 mph in the desert caused a dust storm to occur in the Lancaster and Mojave areas on the 26th. Law enforcement shut down portions of the Antelope Valley Freeway north of Lancaster, as well as Highway 58 through much of eastern Kern County in the desert. Strong winds also caused a tractor-trailer to overturn along California Highway 14 at California City Blvd.

Event by event

3 strong wind, 1 dust storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Strong Wind, Kern Cty Mtns

When: December 26, 10:14 AM PST to 10:00 PM PST
Where: Kern Cty Mtns forecast zone
Measured: 49 kt (56 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: Mesonet

Strong Wind, Indian Wells Vly

When: December 26, 10:14 AM PST to 10:00 PM PST
Where: Indian Wells Vly forecast zone
Measured: 49 kt (56 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: Mesonet

Strong Wind, Se Kern Cty Desert

When: December 26, 10:14 AM PST to 10:00 PM PST
Where: Se Kern Cty Desert forecast zone
Measured: 49 kt (56 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: Mesonet

Dust Storm, Se Kern Cty Desert

When: December 26, 12:00 PM PST to 4:30 PM PST
Where: Se Kern Cty Desert forecast zone
Reported by: Newspaper

What these are

Strong Wind: Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.
Dust Storm: Blowing dust that reduced visibility to a quarter mile or less.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in California in 2007 Every state in 2007 This day in weather history Warnings in California, December 2007

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: 73315, 73316, 73317, 73318.