A powerful winter storm brought heavy snow and gusty winds to the mountains of Ventura and Los Angeles counties. Most of the significant snowfall occurred above 6000 feet where 8 to 12 inches of snow was reported.
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.
A powerful winter storm brought heavy snow and gusty winds to the mountains of Ventura and Los Angeles counties. Most of the significant snowfall occurred above 6000 feet where 8 to 12 inches of snow was reported. In addition, gusty south winds were reported.
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 7, 3:50 PM PST, 10 minutes earlier.
SOUTHWEST CALIFORNIA AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA 350 PM PST MON DEC 7 2009 UPDATED AVIATION DISCUSSION .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP THROUGH THE AREA TONIGHT...WITH RAIN EXPECTED THROUGH THE EVENING. GUSTY WINDS...LOW ELEVATION SNOW...AND VERY COLD TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING. ANOTHER SYSTEM WILL BRING A CHANCE OF RAIN TO THE AREA ON THURSDAY... FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER OVER THE WEEKEND. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN WELL BELOW SEASONAL NORMALS THROUGH THE WEEK. && .SHORT TERM (TODAY-THU)...FIRST BATCH OF RAIN STARTING TO EXIT LA COUNTY THIS AFTERNOON WITH THE MAIN COLD FRONT RAPIDLY APPROACHING FROM THE NORTHWEST. SEEING A SLIGHT DECREASE IN RAINFALL RATES AND AREAL COVERAGE BETWEEN THE TWO, WHICH MAINLY INCORPORATES VENTURA COUNTY AND THE WESTERN PORTION OF LA COUNTY. THE COLD FRONT IS MOVING FAST WITH THE BACK EDGE ALREADY THROUGH MORRO BAY AND SAN LUIS OBISPO AS OF 1 PM. RAINFALL RATES WITH THE FRONT HAVE NOT BEEN THAT IMPRESSIVE SO FAR BUT THERE SHOULD BE SOME ENHANCEMENT OF THE FRONT AS IT INTERACTS WITH THE UPPER JET AND SOME BRIEFLY FAVORABLE LOW LVL WINDS. MODELS HAVE BEEN SHIFTING THE HEAVIER RAIN AXIS FURTHER SOUTH THE LAST FEW RUNS WITH THE JET CORE, BUT THE EASTERN PORTION OF LA COUNTY, ESPECIALLY UP ALONG THE FOOTHILLS AND MOUNTAINS COULD STILL SEE SOME DECENT RAINFALL RATES, ENOUGH TO WARRANT THE CURRENT FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE BURN AREAS. RAIN WILL TAPER OFF PRETTY QUICKLY TONIGHT IN MOST AREAS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE MOUNTAINS, AND ESPECIALLY THE NORTH FACING SLOPES AND THE GRAPEVINE AREA WHERE SNOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE NIGHT AND INTO TUESDAY MORNING. ACCUMULATIONS THERE SHOULD BE VERY IMPRESSIVE BY TUESDAY MORNING WITH AMOUNTS UP TO 2 FEET. SNOW LEVELS WILL ALSO BE FALLING RAPIDLY BEHIND THE FRONT WITH SNOW POSSIBLE DOWN TO 1500 TO 2000 FEET. THE MAIN CHANGE TO THE WINTER STORM WARNING WAS THE ADDITION OF THE SBA COUNTY MOUNTAINS. THOUGH ACCUMULATIONS WILL NOT BE AS HIGH THERE, THE COMBINATION OF SNOW AND WINDS WILL JUSTIFY THE WARNING. GUSTY WINDS WILL DEVELOP BEHIND THE FRONT THIS EVENING AND WIND ADVISORIES HAVE BEEN POSTED ACROSS THE COAST AND VALLEYS OF LA/VENTURA COUNTIES. WARNING LEVEL WINDS ARE POSSIBLE BELOW PASSES AND CANYONS OF SBA COUNTY THIS EVENING. TUESDAY WILL BE DRY (EXCEPT EARLY MORNING LINGERING SHOWERS IN THE MOUNTAINS) AND COLD. MAY BE SOME AFTERNOON STRATOCUMULUS CLOUDS FOR PC SKIES. HIGHS WILL BE SEVERAL DEGREES BELOW NORMALS. OVERNIGHT LOWS TONIGHT WILL BE DEPENDENT ON THE WINDS BUT THE CENTRAL COAST IS MOST AT RISK FOR WIDESPREAD FROST. INLAND SLO COUNTY AND ANTELOPE VALLEY HAVE ALREADY HAD MULTIPLE FREEZE EVENTS THIS SEASON AND THUS ARE NO LONGER CONSIDERED FOR FREEZE WARNINGS AND/OR FROST ADVISORIES. TUESDAY NIGHT SHOULD ACTUALLY BE COLDER, ESPECIALLY IN LA/VENTURA COUNTIES AS WINDS WILL BE LOWER AND CLOUDS WILL BE LARGELY ABSENT. HAVE ISSUED FREEZE WATCHES FOR MANY LOWER ELEVATION AREAS ON TUESDAY NIGHT, INCLUDING VENTURA AND LA COUNTY VALLEYS, THOUGH ULTIMATELY WE MAY ONLY MEET FROST ADVISORY CRITERIA IN THOSE AREAS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SOME ISOLATED POCKETS BELOW 29. ANOTHER DRY DAY WED WITH JUST A SLIGHT INCREASE IN DAYTIME HIGHS. WELL START SEEING AN INCREASE IN MID AND HIGH CLOUDS AS MOISTURE MOVES IN FROM THE WEST WELL AHEAD OF OUR NEXT WEATHER SYSTEM. THAT SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE ON THURSDAY AND THURSDAY EVENING, THOUGH THE LATEST MODEL RUNS ARE INDICATING A WEAKER STORM THAN THE ONE OVER US CURRENTLY. IT ALSO IS CONSIDERABLY WARMER AND DO NOT ANTICIPATE ANY WINTER OR FLOOD HEADLINES FOR THAT EVENT. .LONG TERM (FRI-MON)...TIMING STILL AN ISSUE WITH THE WEATHER THIS WEEKEND. THE THURSDAY EVENT SHOULD BE TAPERING OFF EARLY FRIDAY BUT ANOTHER SYSTEM IS PRETTY QUICK ON ITS HEELS SO PROBABLY NOT TOO MUCH OF A BREAK IN THE WET WEATHER. THOUGH AGAIN IT DOES NOT LOOK LIKE A MAJOR EVENT. THE GFS SHOWS THE FLOW TURNING MORE NORTHWESTERLY OVER THE WEEKEND WHICH IS NOT QUITE AS FAVORABLE FOR RAIN SOUTH OF PT CONCEPTION, BUT DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH FAITH IN THE MODELS THAT FAR OUT TO NOT INCLUDE AT LEAST A CHANCE OF SHOWERS ALL AREAS. SO THE WEEKEND FORECAST PROBABLY LOOKS GLOOMIER IN WORDS THAN IT WILL BE IN REALITY, BUT NEED SOME MORE MODEL RUNS BEFORE CONFIDENCE IS HIGH ENOUGH TO GET MORE SPECIFIC WITH THE TIMING AND POPS. && .AVIATION...07/2350Z. LAST BAND OF ORGANIZED RAIN WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA BY 01Z. SCT025-045 DECKS WITH A FEW -SHRA WILL PREVAIL AFTER...WITH ONLY OCCASIONAL MVFR CIGS. WINDS NOW MAIN CONCERN...AND MODERATE CONFIDENCE EXISTS ON TIMING AND STRENGTH OF WIND. LLWS SHOULD BE A CONCERN AT KSBA 03Z AND 09Z...WITH AN OUTSIDE SHOT AT KBUR KVNY KOXR KLAX AND KLGB. WINDS SHOULD START TO RELAX AFTER 08Z OR SO. VERY STRONG WINDS EXPECTED AT KWJF...AND GUSTS INTO THE 40KT RANGE IS POSSIBLE. KLAX...MODERATE CONFIDENCE IN WIND SHIFT AND ACCELERATION TIMING. LLWS MAY BE A CONCERN...ESPECIALLY LATER TONIGHT AS SURFACE WINDS RELAX BUT WINDS ALOFT PERSIST. KBUR...OTHER THAN A FEW SHOWERS THROUGH 04Z...MAIN RAIN SHOULD END BY 02Z. LOW TO MODERATE CONFIDENCE ON WIND FORECAST. LIKELY TO GET SOME GUSTY SURFACE NW WINDS...BUT COULD OCCASIONALLY RELAX AND BECOME A LLWS CONCERN. THIS WILL LAST THROUGH MOST OF THE NIGH && .LOX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING (SEE LAXWSWLOX). HIGH WIND WARNING (SEE LAXNPWLOX). FLOOD WATCH FOR LA COUNTY BURN AREAS (SEE LAXFFALOX). WIND ADVISORY (SEE LAXNPWLOX). GALE WARNING (SEE LAXMWWLOX). HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK (SEE LAXSRFLOX). && PUBLIC...WOFFORD AVIATION...KITTELL SYNOPSIS...MEIER WWW.WEATHER.GOV/LOSANGELES
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA 600 AM PST MON DEC 7 2009 CAZ034>041-044>046-051>054-059-087-088-547-548-081400- SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY CENTRAL COAST- SANTA BARBARA COUNTY CENTRAL COAST-SANTA YNEZ VALLEY- SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY INTERIOR VALLEYS-CUYAMA VALLEY- SANTA BARBARA COUNTY SOUTH COAST-VENTURA COUNTY COAST- LOS ANGELES COUNTY COAST INCLUDING DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES- VENTURA COUNTY INTERIOR VALLEYS-VENTURA COUNTY COASTAL VALLEYS- SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS RECREATIONAL AREA- SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY MOUNTAINS- SANTA BARBARA COUNTY MOUNTAINS-VENTURA COUNTY MOUNTAINS- LOS ANGELES COUNTY MOUNTAINS EXCLUDING THE SANTA MONICA RANGE- ANTELOPE VALLEY-CATALINA ISLAND-SANTA CLARITA VALLEY- LOS ANGELES COUNTY SAN FERNANDO VALLEY- LOS ANGELES COUNTY SAN GABRIEL VALLEY- 600 AM PST MON DEC 7 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA. .DAY ONE... TODAY A COLD WINTER STORM WILL BRING A MULTITUDE OF HAZARDS TO THE AREA TODAY. 1 TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN WILL FALL WITH INTENSITIES HIGH ENOUGH TO POSSIBLY CAUSE DEBRIS FLOWS IN AND AROUND THE RECENT BURN AREAS. UP TO 18 INCHES OF SNOW WILL FALL IN THE MOUNTAINS MOSTLY ABOVE 6000 FEET ALTHOUGH SNOW WILL FALL AS LOW AS 4000 FEET. THE MOUNTAINS WILL ALSO HAVE HAZARDOUS WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH AS WELL AS LOCAL NEAR ZERO VISIBILITIES. DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS WILL ALSO AFFECT THE MOUNTAINS. OVERNIGHT VERY COLD AND BREEZY CONDITIONS WILL CREATE HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS FOR PEOPLE OUTSIDE. AT THE BEACHES DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS WILL CREATE HAZARDS FOR SWIMMERS AND SURFERS. HIGHER THAN NORMAL SURF WILL CREATE HAZARDS FOR BEACHGOERS. GALE FORCE WINDS AND HIGH SEAS WILL MAKE FOR HAZARDOUS TIMES ACROSS THE OUTER WATERS. * WINTER STORM WARNING.......SEE WWUS46 KLOX - WSWLOX FOR DETAILS * * HIGH WIND WATCH............SEE WWUS76 KLOX - NPWLOX FOR DETAILS * * FLOOD WATCH................SEE WGUS66 KLOX - FFALOX FOR DETAILS * * WIND ADVISORY..............SEE WWUS76 KLOX - NPWLOX FOR DETAILS * * GALE WARNING...............SEE WHUS76 KLOX - MWWLOX FOR DETAILS * * HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK......SEE FZUS56 KLOX - SRFLOX FOR DETAILS * * MARINE WEATHER STATEMENT...SEE FZUS76 KLOX - MWSLOX FOR DETAILS * .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY BITTER COLD WEATHER WILL AFFECT THE MOUNTAINS ALONG WITH SNOW ACROSS THE GRAPEVINE. MORE RAIN IS ON TAP BOTH THURSDAY AND THE WEEKEND. * WINTER STORM WARNING.......SEE WWUS46 KLOX - WSWLOX FOR DETAILS * .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. RORKE
2 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Winter storm conditions were reported. At Mountain High, 8 to 12 inches of snowfall was reported while Wrightwood reported 8 inches of snowfall. In addition to the snowfall, south winds gusting to 50 MPH were reported.
Winter storm conditions were reported. At Mount Pinos, 10 inches of snowfall was reported. In addition to the snowfall, south winds gusting to 50 MPH were reported.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in California, December 2009
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: 208268, 208269.