Strong winds aloft associated with a storm system brought gusty winds to the desert slopes of the San Bernardino Mountains.
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 SGX wrote it up.
Strong winds aloft associated with a storm system brought gusty winds to the desert slopes of the San Bernardino Mountains.
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 Feb 23, 9:30 PM PST, 1 hour 21 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA 930 PM PST SAT FEB 23 2008 .SYNOPSIS...A PACIFIC STORM WILL BRING RAIN TONIGHT AND SUNDAY...HEAVY AT TIMES...WITH SNOW AT THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. THIS STORM WILL ALSO BRING LOCAL STRONG GUSTY WINDS...MAINLY IN THE MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS. HIGH SURF WILL AFFECT THE BEACHES LATE SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. FAIR AND WARMER WEATHER WILL RETURN EARLY NEXT WEEK AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS. && .DISCUSSION...FOR SOUTHWEST CALIFORNIA INCLUDING SAN DIEGO... ORANGE...SOUTHWEST SAN BERNARDINO AND WEST RIVERSIDE COUNTIES. .SHORT TERM (TONIGHT-TUE)...OVERRUNNING MOISTURE IN THE WARM SECTOR WAS PRODUCING LIGHT SHOWERS THIS EVENING...MAINLY IN THE NW AREAS. THE 00Z NKX SOUNDING SHOWED MID TO HIGH LEVEL MOISTURE IN STRONG WSW WINDS ALOFT WITH COOLING THROUGH MOST OF THE COLUMN...BUT ESPECIALLY AROUND 850 MB. A VIGOROUS COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THE STRONG UPPER LOW CENTERED OFF OF NRN CA WILL MOVE ONSHORE EARLY SUN MORNING. LIGHT WARM SECTOR RAIN WILL CONTINUE AND BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD AHEAD OF THE FRONT. EXPECT A PERIOD OF MODERATE TO HEAVY PRECIP WITH THE FRONT LATE TONIGHT AND EARLY SUN MORNING. THE HEAVY RAIN COMBINED WITH ALREADY SATURATED SOIL WILL CAUSE THE POTENTIAL FOR FLASH FLOODING...ESPECIALLY IN AND BELOW RECENTLY BURNED AREAS AND ON STEEP TERRAIN. STRONG GUSTY WINDS WILL ACCOMPANY THIS SYSTEM AND CONTINUE INTO SUN NIGHT WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS IN THE MOUNTAINS AND LOCALLY INTO THE HIGH DESERTS GUSTING NEAR 60 MPH. THE SNOW LEVEL WILL START OUT QUITE HIGH AND THEN BE AROUND 7000 FT WITH THE FRONT. THE SNOW LEVEL WILL DROP TO AROUND 5500 FT BEHIND THE FRONT BUT MOST OF THE PRECIP WILL BE OVER BY THEN. THERE COULD BE A FOOT OR TWO OF SNOW AT THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. RAINFALL ESTIMATES ARE... COASTAL AREAS.......0.50 TO 1.50 INCHES INLAND VALLEYS......0.75 TO 1.75 INCHES FOOTHILLS...........1.25 TO 2.25 INCHES MOUNTAINS...........2 TO 3 INCHES...WITH LOCAL AMOUNTS TO 5 INCHES HIGH DESERTS........0.25 TO 0.60 INCHES LOWER DESERTS.......0.05 TO 0.30 INCHES. THE SHOWERS WILL TAPER OFF SUN AFTERNOON BUT RESIDUAL MOISTURE...ISLAND EFFECT AND OROGRAPHICS MAY CONTINUE A FEW SHOWERS INTO SUN NIGHT WITH SCT TO BKN CLOUDS LINGERING INTO MON. OFFSHORE FLOW WILL CAUSE LOCAL GUSTY WINDS THROUGH AND BELOW MOUNTAIN CANYONS AND PASSED TUE WITH MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES. WARMER MON THEN MORE WARMING TUE..ESPECIALLY W OF THE MOUNTAINS. && .LONG TERM (WED-SAT)...FAIR AND MILD WEATHER UNDER HIGH PRESSURE WITH WEAK OFFSHORE FLOW WILL PREVAIL THROUGH MOST OF THE LONG TERM. HOWEVER...A COUPLE OF WEAK SHORT WAVE TROUGHS COULD BRING A FEW MORE CLOUDS AND SLIGHT COOLING THU AND AGAIN SAT. && .AVIATION... 240430Z...EXPECTING WIDESPREAD LIGHT PRECIP TONIGHT DUE TO OVERRUNNING BUT BASES SHOULD REMAIN FAIRLY ELEVATED WITH VSBYS GREATER THAN 6SM. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE NORTHERN AREAS BETWEEN 08-12Z AND SPREAD SOUTH THROUGH ABOUT 21Z. BASES WILL RAPIDLY DROP TO 1000 FT MSL OR LOWER WITH THE MAIN FRONTAL BAND AND PRECIP WILL BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES. VSBY SHOULD REMAIN 2SM OR GREATER IN MOST AREAS WITH LOCAL VISIBILITY TO 1/2SM IN HEAVY RAIN. WIND GUSTS COULD BE NEAR AIRPORT WEATHER WARNING CRITERIA AT KSAN TOMORROW MORNING. STRONG WINDS OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS WILL RESULT IN MOUNTAIN WAVE / ROTOR ACTIVITY AND ASSOCIATED UP AND DOWNDRAFTS SUNDAY. SHOWERS EXPECTED TO LINGER SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING BEHIND THE FRONT...ESPECIALLY INLAND. CLEARING EARLY MONDAY MORNING. && .MARINE... 240430Z...SOUTH WINDS WILL INCREASE TONIGHT AS THE FRONT MOVES CLOSER. WINDS EXPECTED TO BE SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY LATE TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL MOVE IN LATE TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING WITH HEAVY RAIN AT TIMES AND HAZARDOUS SAILING CONDITIONS. WINDS WILL DECREASE LATE SUNDAY MORNING...TURNING TO THE SOUTHWEST AND THEN BECOME WEST AND WEAKEN FURTHER SUNDAY AFTERNOON. SHOWERS SUNDAY AFTERNOON...DECREASING THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT. THIS SYSTEM WILL CAUSE A LARGE WEST SWELL TO MOVE IN BY LATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON. THEREFORE A HIGH SURF ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FROM LATE SUN AFTERNOON THROUGH TUE MORNING WHEN THE SURF IS EXPECTED TO DECREASE BELOW SEVEN FEET. ALSO THERE WILL BE SMALL CRAFT HAZARDOUS SEAS DURING THIS PERIOD. && .SGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING FOR SAN BERNARDINO...RIVERSIDE AND SAN DIEGO COUNTY MOUNTAINS LATE TONIGHT TO 8 PM PST SUNDAY. SEE LAXNPWSGX. WINTER STORM WARNING ABOVE 7000 FEET FOR SAN BERNARDINO AND RIVERSIDE COUNTY MOUNTAINS FROM 10 PM TONIGHT TO 6 PM PST SUNDAY. SEE LAXWSWSGX. FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR ALL OF ORANGE...SOUTHWEST SAN BERNARDINO... WESTERN RIVERSIDE...AND SAN DIEGO COUNTY EXCEPT DESERTS LATE TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY. SEE LAXFFASGX. HIGH WIND WATCH FOR COACHELLA VALLEY AND SAN DIEGO COUNTY DESERTS FOR SUNDAY. SEE LAXNPWSGX. HIGH SURF ADVISORY AND POTENTIAL BEACH EROSION LATE SUNDAY AND MONDAY. SEE LAXCFWSGX. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR COASTAL WATERS FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY. SEE LAXCWFSGX. && PUBLIC...DA AVIATION...SV
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA 400 PM PST SAT FEB 23 2008 CAZ042-043-048-050-055-056-057-058-060-061-062-241200- ORANGE COUNTY COASTAL AREAS- SAN DIEGO COUNTY COASTAL AREAS- SAN BERNARDINO AND RIVERSIDE COUNTY VALLEYS-THE INLAND EMPIRE- SAN DIEGO COUNTY VALLEYS- SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY MOUNTAINS- RIVERSIDE COUNTY MOUNTAINS- SANTA ANA MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS- SAN DIEGO COUNTY MOUNTAINS- APPLE AND LUCERNE VALLEYS- COACHELLA VALLEY- SAN DIEGO COUNTY DESERTS- 400 PM PST SAT FEB 23 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR ALL OF EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA. .DAY ONE... REMAINDER OF TODAY AND TONIGHT. A PACIFIC STORM WILL BRING RAIN WITH SNOW AT THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS AND LOCAL STRONG GUSTY WINDS TONIGHT AND SUNDAY. THE FOLLOWING WARNINGS...WATCHES AND ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT... HIGH WIND WARNING FOR SAN BERNARDINO...RIVERSIDE AND SAN DIEGO COUNTY MOUNTAINS LATE TONIGHT TO 8 PM PST SUNDAY. WINTER STORM WARNING ABOVE 7000 FEET FOR SAN BERNARDINO AND RIVERSIDE COUNTY MOUNTAINS FROM 10 PM TONIGHT TO 6 PM PST SUNDAY. FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR ALL OF ORANGE...SOUTHWEST SAN BERNARDINO... WESTERN RIVERSIDE...AND SAN DIEGO COUNTY EXCEPT DESERTS LATE TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY. HIGH WIND WATCH FOR COACHELLA VALLEY AND SAN DIEGO COUNTY DESERTS FOR SUNDAY. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR COASTAL WATERS FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... SUNDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. A STORM WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE AREA SUNDAY INTO MONDAY. THE FOLLOWING WARNINGS...WATCHES AND ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT... HIGH WIND WARNING FOR SAN BERNARDINO...RIVERSIDE AND SAN DIEGO COUNTY MOUNTAINS LATE TONIGHT TO 8 PM PST SUNDAY. WINTER STORM WARNING ABOVE 7000 FEET FOR SAN BERNARDINO AND RIVERSIDE COUNTY MOUNTAINS FROM 10 PM TONIGHT TO 6 PM PST SUNDAY. FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR ALL OF ORANGE...SOUTHWEST SAN BERNARDINO... WESTERN RIVERSIDE...AND SAN DIEGO COUNTY EXCEPT DESERTS LATE TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY. HIGH WIND WATCH FOR COACHELLA VALLEY AND SAN DIEGO COUNTY DESERTS FOR SUNDAY. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR COASTAL WATERS FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY. HIGH SURF ADVISORY AND POTENTIAL BEACH EROSION LATE SUNDAY AND MONDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...SKYWARN WEATHER ACTIVATION IS NOT REQUESTED FOR THIS AREA...HOWEVER SKYWARN ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATER TONIGHT AND SUNDAY. DA
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A peak wind gust of 83 mph was measured by the Burns Canyon RAWS at 1:51 PST. Winds were sustained 50 mph or greater between 23:51 PST on the 23rd through 1:51 PST on the 24th.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in California, February 2008
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: 84652.