A strong winter storm brought significant rain and snow to Southern California. In the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles county, heavy rain produced flash flooding.
Every event with a place to put it. 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.
A strong winter storm brought significant rain and snow to Southern California. In the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles county, heavy rain produced flash flooding. In the mountains of Ventura and Los Angeles counties, heavy snow and very gusty southeast winds produced winter storm conditions.
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 Feb 5, 1:30 PM PST, 6 hours 8 minutes earlier.
SOUTHWEST CALIFORNIA AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA 130 PM PST THU FEB 5 2009 .SHORT TERM (TODAY-SUN)...LEADING EDGE OF COLD FRONT PUSHING INTO LA COUNTY THIS AFTERNOON, PERHAPS A COUPLE HOURS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. SO FAR RAIN AMOUNTS HAVE BEEN PERTTY MUCH RIGHT ON TARGET WITH HOURLY RATES GENERALLY NOT EXCEEDING A TENTH OF INCH PER HOUR. WILL PROBABLY SEE A LITTLE INCREASE IN RATES THIS EVENING ACROSS LA COUNTY AS UPSLOPE FLOW INTERACTS WITH THE FRONT. OTHERWISE, FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH RAPIDLY THIS EVENING WITH STEADY RAIN BECOMING MORE SHOWERY IN NATURE, ESPECIALLY AT LOWER ELEVATIONS. SOUTHERLY WINDS HAVE PICKED UP IN THE AV THIS AFTERNOON IN ASSOCIATION WITH SOME MTN WAVE ACTIVITY. THESE SHOULD DECREASE LATER THIS EVENING ONCE THE FRONT HAS MOVED THROUGH. SNOW LEVELS WILL HOVER AROUND 6000 FEET TONIGHT, +/- 500 FT. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY COVERS THE LA/VTU MOUNTAINS THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING. THE CENTER OF THE UPPER LOW WILL TRACK SOUTH OF THE AREA TONIGHT, BUT SOME CONVECTION ASSOCIATED WITH IT COULD CLIP OUR SRN CSTL WATERS ADJACENT TO OC THIS EVENING AND HAVE THROWN IN A SLIGHT CHANCE OF TSTORMS THERE. THIS FIRST TROF WILL QUICKLY BE REPLACED BY A SECOND SYSTEM CURRENTLY CENTERED OFF THE OR/WA COAST. THIS ONE WILL DROP DOWN AND BRING AN INCREASE IN PRECIPITATION TO THE AREA FRIDAY, ESPECIALLY BY AFTERNOON. OROGRAPHICS WILL CONTINUE TO PLAY A BIG ROLE IN RAIN AMOUNTS AND UPSLOPE AREAS S OF PT CONCEPTION SHOULD CONTINUE TO SEE STEADY LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN THROUGH FRIDAY. COLDER AIR WILL DROP OVER THE AREA STARTING FRIDAY AFTERNOON, HELPING TO DESTABILIZE THE AIRMASS ENOUGH TO WARRANT A SLIGHT CHANCE OF CONVECTION JUST ABOUT ANYWHERE BUT BEST CHANCES OVER THE WATER AND NEAR THE COAST. SHOWERS WILL START TO TAPER OFF NORTH OF PT CONCEPTION FRIDAY NIGHT, BUT A MOIST AIRMASS AT LOW LVLS ALONG WITH MID LEVEL INSTABILITY WILL KEEP A STRONG CHANCE OF SHOWERS GOING THROUGH SATURDAY. HOWEVER, WEAKER SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL LIMIT THE OROGRAPHIC EFFECTS AND HEAVIER PRECIP (ASIDE FROM THUNDERSTORMS) SHOULD END EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. CURRENT WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY WILL LIKELY NEED TO BE EXTENDED BEYOND FRIDAY MORNING, AND POSSIBLY UPGRADED TO A WINTER STORM WARNING. TROF WILL SLOWLY EXIT THE AREA SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT WITH PRECIP BECOMING MUCH MORE SCATTERED IN NATURE, ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE FORECAST AREA. BY SUNDAY, MOST AREAS WILL BE DRY UNDER PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES AND SLIGHTLY WARMER TEMPS. EXCEPTION MAY BE THE LA COUNTY MOUNTAINS WHERE ENOUGH MOISTURE MAY REMAIN TO KEEP A SMALL CHANCE OF SHOWERS THERE THROUGH THE DAY. .LONG TERM (MON-THU)...A THIRD SYSTEM APPROACHES THE CENTRAL COAST SUNDAY NIGHT. THIS ONE HAD BEEN PROJECTED TO BE MORE OF AN INSIDE SLIDER BUT MODELS ARE A LITTLE STRONGER WITH IT NOW AND FURTHER WEST. STILL, THE FRONT IS EXPECTED TO WEAKEN CONSIDERABLY AS IT MOVES AROUND PT CONCEPTION WITH LITTLE IN THE WAY OF SOUTHERLY FLOW TO HELP PRECIP. FOR NOW HAVE KEEP IN THE 20/30 POPS FOR THE SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY TIME PERIODS AND WILL SEE HOW THIS EVOLVES OVER THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS. BEST CHANCES FOR RAIN WILL BE THE CENTRAL COAST. AIRMASS DRIES OUT TUE/WED WITH WEAK TO MODERATE NORTHERLY FLOW. DAYTIME HIGHS SHOULD JUMP UP SEVERAL DEGREES, REACHING THE MID 60S AT LOWER ELEVATIONS WED. FURTHER WARMING WITH GRADIENTS TRENDING OFFSHORE THU. && .AVIATION...06/1850Z. A FRONTAL SYSTEM WAS AFFECTING THE AREA TAFS TODAY AND WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH THIS EVENING. THE FRONT AND ASSOCIATED TROUGH WILL BRING A MYRIAD OF CHALLENGES TO PILOTS OVER THE NEX6 24 HOURS. CHANGEABLE CEILING HEIGHTS...RESTRICTED VISIBILITIES IN MODERATE PRECIPITATION AND SHIFTING WINDS ARE A FEW OF THE COMPLICATIONS EXPECTED THROUGH FRIDAY. KLAX MAY ALSO SEE SOME EASTERLY COMPONENT TO THE SURFACE WINDS THAT WILL REACH 10 KT AT TIMES. KLAX AND KBUR...MODEERATE CONFIDENCE IN 18Z TAF THIS MORNING. THE MAIN HIGHLIGHT FOR TODAY WILL BE THE SURFACE FRONT PROJECTED TO MOVE THROUGH THE AIRFIELD THIS AFTERNOON. THE FRONT WILL BRING LOWER CEILINGS AND MODERATE PRECIPITATION THROUGH THE AFTERNOON BEFORE PASSING TO THE EAST OF THE AREA THIS EVENING. THE PRECIPITATION WILL BECOME SHOWERY THIS EVENING BEHIND THE FRONT. SURFACE WINDS WILL INCREASE OUT OF THE SOUTHEAST AHEAD OF THE FRONTAL PASSAGE EXPECTED AROUND 22Z...AND SHIFT TO THE SOUTHWEST BRIEFLY BEHIND THE FRONT. SURFACE WINDS WILL THEN SWITCH AROUND TO THE SOUTHEAST AGAIN LATE TONIGHT OR FRIDAY MORNING. && .LOX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY (SEE LAXWSWLOX). SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY (SEE LAXMWWLOX). MARINE WEATHER STATEMENT (SEE LAXMWSLOX). SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT (SEE LAXSPSLOX). && PUBLIC...WOFFORD AVIATION...SWEET WWW.WEATHER.GOV/LOSANGELES
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA 600 AM PST THU FEB 5 2009 CAZ034>041-044>046-051>054-059-087-088-547-548-061400- 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 THU FEB 5 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA. .DAY ONE... TODAY A DEVELOPING STORM SYSTEM WILL IMPACT THE AREA TODAY...LIKELY BRINGING PERIODS OF HEAVY RAINFALL BEGINNING EARLY THIS MORNING. GUSTY SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST WINDS ARE EXPECTED AS THE COLD FRONT PASSES THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON...WITH GUSTS TO 50 MPH POSSIBLE OVER THE MOUNTAINS. SNOW LEVELS ARE EXPECTED TO BE AROUND 6000 FEET TODAY... THEN LOWER TO AROUND 5500 FEET OVERNIGHT. OVER THE COASTAL WATERS...THE COMBINATION OF INCREASING SOUTHERLY WINDS AHEAD OF THE FRONTAL SYSTEM AND A BUILDING WESTERLY SWELL WILL INCREASE SEAS OVER THE AREA. SEAS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE TO 9 TO 11 FEET ACROSS THE OUTER WATERS...AND 4 TO 6 FEET ACROSS THE INNER WATERS. AS A RESULT...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED FOR MUCH OF THE COASTAL WATERS TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY. * WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY....SEE WWUS46 KLOX - WSWLOX FOR DETAILS * * MARINE WEATHER STATEMENT...SEE FZUS76 KLOX - MWSLOX FOR DETAILS * * SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT..SEE WWUS86 KLOX - SPSLOX FOR DETAILS * .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY RAINFALL ASSOCIATED WITH THIS STORM SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO AFFECT THE AREA THROUGH SATURDAY. THERE IS ALSO A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. SNOW LEVELS ARE EXPECTED TO DROP TO ABOUT 5000 FEET ON SATURDAY...AND SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON AT RESORT LEVELS IN THE MOUNTAINS. AFTER A BREAK FROM THE RAIN ON SUNDAY...ANOTHER PERIOD OF SHOWER ACTIVITY IS POSSIBLE MONDAY. OVER THE COASTAL WATERS...A PERSISTENT STORM TRACK OVER THE EASTERN PACIFIC CONTINUE TO GENERATE HIGH SEAS LIKELY PERSISTING THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. * WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY....SEE WWUS46 KLOX - WSWLOX FOR DETAILS * * MARINE WEATHER STATEMENT...SEE FZUS76 KLOX - MWSLOX FOR DETAILS * * SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT..SEE WWUS86 KLOX - SPSLOX FOR DETAILS * .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. MEIER
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA 655 PM PST THU FEB 5 2009 CAZ034>041-044>046-051>054-059-087-088-547-548-061400- 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- 655 PM PST THU FEB 5 2009 ...UNSETTLED WEATHER PATTERN EXPECTED THROUGH SATURDAY... A STORM SYSTEM MOVING INTO SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA BROUGHT MODERATE TO LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN TO THE REGION TODAY. RAINFALL AMOUNTS WITH THIS STORM TODAY HAVE RANGED FROM ONE HALF INCH TO ONE AND A HALF INCHES IN MOST AREAS...WITH THE HIGHER AMOUNTS GENERALLY ALONG AND BELOW SOUTH FACING SLOPES. THE SNOW LEVEL WAS AROUND 6000 FEET TODAY...WITH SEVERAL INCHES OF ACCUMULATION ESPECIALLY ABOVE 6500 FEET. AS THE STORM EXITS THE REGION THIS EVENING...THE RAIN WILL TURN TO SHOWERS IN ALL AREAS AND PERSIST OVERNIGHT. ANOTHER PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO APPROACH THE CALIFORNIA COAST ON FRIDAY. RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW WILL LIKELY INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY ON FRIDAY THEN CONTINUE INTO FRIDAY EVENING BEFORE TURNING TO SHOWERS AGAIN LATE FRIDAY NIGHT. THE SNOW LEVEL IS EXPECTED TO FALL TO AROUND 5500 FEET BY FRIDAY...AND TO 4500 FEET FRIDAY NIGHT...EXCEPT LOCALLY DOWN TO 4000 FEET IN THE INTERIOR SLOPES. BY FRIDAY EVENING...SOME ACCUMULATING SNOW COULD AFFECT TRAVEL ACROSS THE INTERSTATE 5 CORRIDOR NEAR THE GRAPEVINE. FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT...ADDITIONAL SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL OF 6 TO 18 INCHES IS EXPECTED...MAINLY ABOVE 5000 FEET...WITH A FEW INCHES POSSIBLE BELOW 4500 FEET. WITH THE EXPECTED SNOWFALL COMBINED WITH GUSTY WINDS...TREACHEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS WILL AFFECT THE MOUNTAINS THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE MOUNTAINS OF VENTURA AND LOS ANGELES COUNTIES THROUGH 10 AM FRIDAY. A WINTER STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THIS AREA FROM LATE FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH LATE FRIDAY NIGHT IN ANTICIPATION OF THE HEAVIER SNOWFALL. DEPENDING UPON ITS TRACK...THE SECOND STORM SYSTEM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BRING HEAVIER PRECIPITATION THAN THE FIRST SYSTEM. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT RAINFALL RATES MAY BE HIGH ENOUGH TO TRIGGER FLASH FLOODING AND DEBRIS FLOW CONCERNS FOR THE RECENT BURN AREAS. AN UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE AREA ASSOCIATED WITH THE SECOND STORM WILL LIKELY LINGER NEAR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA THROUGH SATURDAY. ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND MOUNTAIN SNOW SHOWERS DOWN TO PERHAPS 4500 FEET WILL BE LIKELY ACROSS THE REGION. FROM FRIDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT...THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR AN ADDITIONAL ONE HALF TO ONE INCH OF RAINFALL ACROSS COASTAL AND VALLEY AREAS AND FROM ONE TO THREE INCHES IN THE FOOTHILLS AND MOUNTAINS. THE HIGHEST RAINFALL TOTALS ARE EXPECTED ON SOUTH-FACING MOUNTAIN SLOPES. DUE TO THE COLD AND UNSTABLE NATURE OF THESE WEATHER SYSTEMS...THERE WILL ALSO BE THE POTENTIAL FOR THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY...ESPECIALLY FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA OUTLET FOR THE LATEST UPDATES ON THIS WEATHER SITUATION. SIRARD
The Santa Ana Mts radar (KSOX), 38 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 03:37 UTC.
2 winter storm, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy rain produced flash flooding near the community of La Habra Heights. California Highway Patrol reported over one foot of water, flooding Highway 60 near the Hacienda exit.
Winter storm conditions developed across the mountains of Los Angeles county. Heavy snowfall between 16 and 24 inches was reported by several ski resorts on the morning of February 7th. In addition, various automated sensors reported southeast winds gusting to around 50 mph.
Winter storm conditions developed across the mountains of Ventura county. Heavy snowfall between 16 and 24 inches was reported at the higher elevations on the morning of February 7th. In addition, various automated sensors reported southeast winds gusting to around 50 mph.
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, February 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: 154116, 154117, 154118.