Strong surface high pressure in the Great Basin produced a moderate Santa Ana wind event across Southern California. Sustained winds between 20 and 40 mph with gusts as high as 80 mph were reported across Ventura and Los Angeles counties.
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.
Strong surface high pressure in the Great Basin produced a moderate Santa Ana wind event across Southern California. Sustained winds between 20 and 40 mph with gusts as high as 80 mph were reported across Ventura and Los Angeles counties. The Santa Ana winds knocked down numerous trees and power lines, producing scattered power outages.
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 Jan 16, 9:15 AM PST, 5 hours 28 minutes earlier.
SOUTHWEST CALIFORNIA AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA 915 AM PST WED JAN 16 2008 .SHORT TERM... WINDY DAY STILL ON TAP FOR TODAY...THOUGH THEY ARE A LITTLE DELAYED IN ARRIVING. LAX-TPH GRAD CONTINUES TO DEEPEN...FINALLY GOING UNDER -10 MB THE LAST HOUR. WILL KEEP HIGH WIND WARNING UP FOR THE MOUNTAINS...EVEN THOUGH THE WINDS ARE DELAYED...AND MAY NOT REACH WARNING CRITERIA UNTIL THE EARLY AFTERNOON. TO ADD TO THE DIFFICULTIES WITH THE WIND FORECAST FOR TODAY...A VERY SHALLOW MARINE LAYER AROUND 600 FEET HAS FORMED THIS MORNING...AND WILL HINDER THE WINDS FROM SURFACING AT THE COAST. EXPECTING THIS LAYER TO MIX AWAY IN THE AFTERNOON...AROUND THE SAME TIME THE WINDS WILL BE INCREASING...SO AGAIN WILL KEEP THE ADVISORIES UP FOR THESE AREAS EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY NOT REACH CRITERIA UNTIL THE AFTERNOON. THIS MARINE LAYER ALSO CAUSED FROM DENSE FOG TO FORM ALONG THE LA COAST...WITH LINGERING LOWERED VIS CONTINUING INTO THE LATE MORNING. ELSEWHERE...SOME DECENT NORTHEAST WINDS HAVE KICKED UP BELOW CANYONS ALONG THE CENTRAL COAST. THESE WINDS MAY HELP BUMP TEMPS UP A BIT FROM WHAT IS CURRENTLY FORECAST. ...FROM PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... WINDS STILL LOOK GOOD BETTER THAN MDLS WERE FORECASTING 24 HOURS AGO BUT STILL DOWN FROM THE APOCALYPTIC WIND SPEED VALUES FORECAST 48 HOURS AGO. GRADIENTS WILL PEAK AT -8.8 UPPER LEVEL WINDS PEAK AT 70 KT OVER VTA COUNTY BUT MOST IMPORTANT COLD AIR ADVECTION FROM THE NORTHEAST WILL START LATER THIS MORNING AND PERSIST INTO THURSDAY MORNING. THIS COLD AIR ADVECTION PROMPTED THE CONVERSION OF ALL WATCHES TO WARNINGS. THE EVENT IS FORECAST TO REALLY GET GOING THIS EVENING AND PEAK AROUND 300 AM THURSDAY AND THEN SUBSIDE THURSDAY AFTERNOON. AT ITS PEAK THERE WILL BE GUSTS TO 80 MPH IN THE MOUNTAINS AND 70 MPH IN THE OTHER WIND PRONE AREAS. STRONG FLOW FROM THE SANTA ANA MOUNTAINS WILL BRING NORTHEAST WINDS TO CATALINA ISLAND AND AVALON. PEOPLE WITH AVALON HARBOR INTERESTS SHOULD TAKE PRECAUTIONS (SEE LAXMWSLOX FOR MORE MARINE DETAILS) COLD AIR ADVECTION STOPS AND UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT WEAKENS BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON. OFFSHORE PRESSURE CONTINUES UNTIL SATURDAY AND THERE WILL BE MODERATE CANYON BREEZES FRIDAY AND SATURDAY MORNINGS. TEMPS WILL CRASH THURSDAY WITH ALL THE COLD AIR SPILLING IN. MID 60S ALONG THE COAST WILL BE AS HIGH AS IT GETS WITH LOWER 60S COMMON IN THE VALLEYS. TEMPS WILL MODERATE SOME EACH DAY FRI AND SAT BUT STILL WILL ONLY REACH THE UPPER 60S. .LONG TERM... BOTH GFS AND EC BRING A VERY COLD RETROGRADING LOW TO THE AREA SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY. THE SPECTRAL MDLS REALLY DO NOT HANDLE THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS WELL AND THESE SORT OF RETROGRADE FORECASTS ARE USUALLY WRONG. THE TRICK IS TO FIGURE OUT HOW WRONG. KEPT TEMPS WARMER THE GUIDANCE AND POPS LOWER THAN GUIDANCE. IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THIS FORECAST PLAYS OUT BUT IRREGARDLESS OF HOW INTERESTING IT IS IT WILL MAKE FOR A LOW CONFIDENCE LONG RANGE FORECAST. && .AVIATION... 16/1100Z 900 FOOT MARINE LAYER WILL CREATE SOME CLOUDS ALONG THE COAST FROM KLGB TO KOXR. THESE CLOUDS SHOULD LINGER THROUGH MID MORNING. STRONG WIND EVENT WILL START AROUND MID MORNING AND WILL CREATE CONSIDERABLE TURBULENCE IN AND AROUND THE HIER TRRN. KLAX...NOT GREAT CONFIDENCE IN THIS MORNINGS CLOUD FORECAST. CLOUDS WILL BE IN AND OUT UNTIL THE OFFSHORE WINDS PUSH THEM AWAY FOR GOOD. THIS WILL LIKELY OCCUR MID MORNING BUT HAS EQUAL CHANCE OF HAPPENING EARLY MORNING OR LATE MORNING. HIGH CONFIDENCE IN TAF AFTER NOON. WIND DIRECTION DOES NOT FAVOR STRONG X WINDS. KBUR...HIGH CONFIDENCE IN TAF. STRONG NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS WILL CREATE LGT-MOD TURBULENCE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. MDT-SVR TURBULENCE AFTER MIDNIGHT. && .LOX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING (SEE LAXNPWLOX). WIND ADVISORY (SEE LAXNPWLOX). SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY (SEE LAXCWFLOX). MARINE WEATHER STATEMENT (SEE LAXMWSLOX). && PUBLIC...KITTELL/RORKE AVIATION...RORKE
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
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
8 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The Wiley Ridge RAWS sensor reported northeast winds gusting as high as 64 mph.
The Newhall Pass RAWS sensor reported north to northeast winds gusting to 58 mph.
The Camp Nine RAWS sensor reported northerly winds gusting as high as 77 mph.
Strong and gusty north to northeast winds with gusts to around 75 mph were reported in the mountains of Ventura county.
A NWS forecaster living in Westlake Village estimated northeast winds were gusting to 70 mph.
The ASOS at Camarillo Airport reported northeast winds gusting to 59 mph.
The Malibu Hills RAWS sensor reported northerly winds gusting as high as 65 mph.
Local media outlet reported northeast winds gusting to 80 mph in the community of Sunland.
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, January 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: 77786, 77781, 77795, 77799, 77784, 77788, 77793, 77791.