Strong northwest to north winds developed across the Southern California mountains as well as the south coast of Santa Barbara county. Wind gusts as high as 74 MPH were reported in some locations.
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 northwest to north winds developed across the Southern California mountains as well as the south coast of Santa Barbara county. Wind gusts as high as 74 MPH were reported in some locations.
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 Mar 22, 3:00 AM PST, 5 hours 14 minutes earlier.
SOUTHWEST CALIFORNIA AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA 400 AM PDT SUN MAR 22 2009 .SHORT TERM...(TODAY-TUESDAY) A QUICK MOVING UPPER LVL TROUGH WILL SWEEP ACROSS THE CENTRAL COAST AND BEGIN TO PUSH INLAND GRAZING THE EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA. AN ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL BRING BETWEEN A THIRD TO ONE HALF INCH OF RAIN TO AREAS N OF POINT CONCEPTION WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS. AREAS S OF POINT CONCEPTION SHOULD RECEIVE BETWEEN A TENTH TO A THIRD OF AN INCH OF RAIN THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. LATEST WATER VAPOR IMAGERY INDICATED THE UPPER LVL TROF BECOMING ELONGATED AS IT MOVES TOWARDS THE CENTRAL COAST. JUST UNDER A QUARTER OF AN INCH OF RAIN HAS FALLEN ACROSS SLO COUNTY WITH LOWER AMOUNTS ACROSS SBA COUNTY. LATEST DOPPLER RADAR SHOWS A MORE ORGANIZED BAND OF SHOWERS GETTING READY TO MOVE ACROSS SLO/SBA COUNTY. THE LATEST 06Z NAM-WRF KEEPS THE BEST UPPER LVL DYNAMICS ACROSS THE NORTHERN AND ERN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA TODAY. 500 MB TEMPS ARE SIGNIFICANTLY WARMER COMPARED TO WHAT MODELS WERE INDICATING YESTERDAY WITH TEMPS NEAR -14 DEGREES C. THE COLDEST CORE OF THE TROF WILL REMAIN JUST TO THE EAST OF THE AREA. HOWEVER...THERE WILL BE A FEW THINGS MAKING THIS SYSTEM INTERESTING TODAY. A STRONG JET MOVING IN FROM THE NW WILL PROVIDE GOOD DIVERGENCE ALOFT ALONG WITH DECENT PVA ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. THEREFORE...LEFT A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE ENTIRE CWA...ALTHOUGH BEST CHANCE SHOULD STAY N OF POINT CONCEPTION. THE LATEST IR SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS A DECENT FRONTAL BOUNDARY DEVELOPING NEAR POINT CONCEPTION WITH SOME COOLING CLOUD TOPS ASSOCIATED WITH THE JET. WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE ENHANCED RAINFALL TOTALS ACROSS SBA/SLO COUNTIES TODAY. THE MAIN STORY WITH THIS QUICK MOVING SYSTEM WILL BE THE STRONG WINDS DEVELOPING BEHIND THE COLD FRONT TODAY. HIGH WIND WARNINGS ARE IN PLACE FOR THE MOUNTAINS OF LA/VTU/SBA COUNTIES LATE THIS MORNING THROUGH TONIGHT AS WELL AS PORTIONS OF THE SBA SOUTH COAST BELOW PASSES AND CANYONS NEAR GAVIOTA...AND THE FOOTHILLS ABOVE MONTECITO. THE ANTELOPE VALLEY IS ALSO INCLUDED WITH THE HIGH WIND WARNINGS. EXPECT HIGHEST GUSTS BETWEEN 60 TO 65 MPH LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THIS EVENING. THIS WIND EVENT WILL BE WIDESPREAD WHERE JUST ABOUT ALL AREAS WILL BE UNDER A WIND ADVISORY FROM LATE THIS MORNING THROUGH THIS EVENING. SANTA CLARITA VALLEY COULD BE UPGRADED TO HIGH WIND WARNING STATUS LATER...BUT WILL LET NEXT SHIFT MONITOR THIS SITUATION. THE WINTER STORM WATCH WAS CANCELLED BY EARLIER SHIFT FOR THE LA/VTU COUNTY MOUNTAINS AS SNOW AMOUNTS WERE ONLY ESTIMATED TO BE BETWEEN 1 TO 3 INCHES...WITH AN ADDITIONAL 1 TO 2 INCHES ACROSS THE NRN SLOPES TONIGHT THROUGH EARLY MONDAY. SNOW LEVELS CURRENTLY SHOULD BE BETWEEN 4000 TO 5000 FT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON...THEN DROP TO AROUND 2500 TO 3500 FT TONIGHT THROUGH EARLY MONDAY MORNING. DRIVING CONDITIONS ACROSS THE I-5 CORRIDOR WILL BECOME TREACHEROUS MAINLY DUE TO THE HIGH WINDS...BUT A FEW SNOW FLURRIES WILL LIKELY BE MIXED IN LATE THIS EVENING THROUGH EARLY MONDAY MORNING. TEMPS WILL BE MUCH COLDER TODAY COMPARED TO YESTERDAY AS MOST COASTAL AND VALLEY AREAS WILL NOT MAKE IT OUT OF THE 50S TODAY. FOR MONDAY...SKIES WILL CLEAR OUT IN MOST AREAS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES ACROSS THE LOCAL MOUNTAINS. THERE WILL CONTINUE TO BE BREEZY CONDITIONS ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS...BUT TEMPS SHOULD BEGIN TO REBOUND NEARLY 6 TO 10 DEGREES ON MONDAY TO JUST BELOW NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. WEAK OFFSHORE FLOW SETS UP ON TUESDAY FOR LA/VTU COUNTIES WHICH WILL DRIVE TEMPS UPWARD AND ADDITIONAL 5 TO 8 DEGREES TO THE MID 70S FOR THE VALLEYS AND INLAND COASTAL AREAS. THE CENTRAL COAST AND ADJACENT VALLEYS WILL WARM A FEW DEGREES AS WELL INTO THE LOWER 70S. .LONG TERM...(WED-SAT) BOTH GFS AND ECMWF IN PRETTY GOOD AGREEMENT THROUGH THE EXTENDED PERIOD. 500 MB HEIGHTS AND THICKNESS LVLS WILL BE ON THE RISE AS AN UPPER LVL RIDGE BUILD ACROSS THE ERN PAC. NOT MUCH CHANGE IN TEMPS FOR WED...BUT ANOTHER UPPER LVL DISTURBANCE BEGINS RETROGRADE FROM GREAT BASIN TOWARDS ERN NEVADA AND AZ. THIS WILL BRING A FEW DEGREES OF COOLING TO THE AREA...BUT NO PRECIPITATION EXPECTED. WEAK OFFSHORE DEVELOPS ONCE AGAIN BY FRI WARMING TEMPS ONCE AGAIN INTO THE 70S IN MANY AREAS AND POSSIBLY TO THE LOWER 80S BY SAT IN WARMEST VALLEYS. && .AVIATION...22/1030Z. DEEP MOIST LAYER AT LOWER LEVELS PRODUCING ALL SORTS OF CLOUDS AHEAD OF FRONTAL SYSTEM EXPECTED TO SWEEP QUICKLY ACROSS THE AREA TODAY. ALL TAF SITES WILL BE DEALING WITH RAPIDLY VARYING CIGS...FROM VFR TO MVFR/IFR AND BACK AGAIN. WILL BE SOME SHOWERS ACROSS THE AREA... BUT NO HEAVY PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED. MAIN STORY WITH THIS SYSTEM WILL BE STRONG AND GUSTY WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS. MOST TAF SITES CAN EXPECT SUSTAINED WINDS BETWEEN 20 AND 30 KNOTS TODAY WITH HIGHER GUSTS. WINDS WILL EVEN BE STRONGER AT KPMD AND KWJF IN THE ANTELOPE VALLEY. KLAX...LOW CONFIDENCE IN CLOUD FORECAST WITH 12Z TAF. DEEP MOIST LAYER WILL LIKELY PRODUCE CIGS BOUNCING BETWEEN VFR AND IFR AT THE AIRFIELD THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. ALSO...WILL BE SOME LIGHT SHOWERS... BUT NOTHING TOO SIGNIFICANT. CONFIDENCE IS MODERATE IN THE WIND FORECAST AS STRONG AND GUSTY WESTERLY WINDS WILL AFFECT THE AIRFIELD LATE THIS MORNING AND AFTERNOON. KBUR...LOW CONFIDENCE IN CLOUD FORECAST WITH 12Z TAF. DEEP MOIST LAYER WILL LIKELY PRODUCE CIGS BOUNCING BETWEEN VFR AND IFR AT THE AIRFIELD THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. ALSO...WILL BE SOME LIGHT SHOWERS...BUT NOTHING TOO SIGNIFICANT. CONFIDENCE IS MODERATE IN THE WIND FORECAST AS GUSTY WESTERLY WINDS WILL AFFECT THE AIRFIELD LATE THIS MORNING AND AFTERNOON...THEN SHIFT TO THE NORTHWEST THIS EVENING. && .LOX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING (SEE LAXNPWLOX). WIND ADVISORY (SEE LAXNPWLOX). GALE WARNING (SEE LAXMWWLOX). HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK (SEE LAXSRFLOX). MARINE WEATHER STATEMENT (SEE LAXMWSLOX). && PUBLIC...KAPLAN AVIATION...THOMPSON WWW.WEATHER.GOV/LOSANGELES
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA 600 AM PDT SUN MAR 22 2009 CAZ034>041-044>046-051>054-059-087-088-547-548-231300- 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 PDT SUN MAR 22 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA. .DAY ONE... TODAY A STRONG AND COLD STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING RAIN...SNOW ABOVE 3000 FEET...STRONG WINDS...AND COOLER TEMPERATURES TO THE AREA. GALE FORCE WINDS WILL BE EXPECTED OVER THE COASTAL WATERS...WITH POTENTIALLY DAMAGING WINDS POSSIBLE OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND ANTELOPE VALLEY. THERE WILL BE LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS IN THE LOS ANGELES...VENTURA AND SANTA BARBARA COUNTIES TODAY. DRIVERS SHOULD TAKE EXTRA CARE WHILE DRIVING THROUGH THE INTERSTATE 5 CORRIDOR LATE THIS MORNING THROUGH EARLY MONDAY MORNING AS STRONG WINDS AND SNOW FLURRIES COULD MAKE FOR HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. SURF ACROSS WEST FACING BEACHES WILL BECOME HIGHER THAN NORMAL THROUGH TONIGHT AS STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS OFF THE COAST CREATE HAZARDOUS RIP CURRENT CONDITIONS WITH SURF NEAR 7 FEET. * HIGH WIND WARNING..........SEE WWUS76 KLOX - NPWLOX 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... MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. KAPLAN
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA 536 AM PDT SUN MAR 22 2009 CAZ034>041-044>046-051>054-059-087-088-547-548-222315- 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- 536 AM PDT SUN MAR 22 2009 ...A COLD STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS TO SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA TODAY FOLLOWED BY STRONG WINDS... ...ACCUMULATING SNOW AND DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS MAY AFFECT MAJOR ROUTES THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT... A COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP ACROSS SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA...BRINGING NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS TO THE REGION THIS MORNING AND EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. BEHIND THE FRONT...COLD AND WINDY WEATHER WILL OVERSPREAD THE AREA...WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUING INTO THIS EVENING. SOME THUNDERSTORMS COULD PRODUCE BRIEFLY HEAVY PRECIPITATION... DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...AND SMALL HAIL. WIND ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA...WITH HIGH WIND WARNINGS IN EFFECT FOR AREAS WHERE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS ARE EXPECTED. SHOWER ACTIVITY SHOULD END IN MOST AREAS THIS EVENING. HOWEVER...MOIST NORTH TO NORTHWEST FLOW WILL KEEP A CHANCE OF SHOWERS ON NORTH FACING MOUNTAIN SLOPES THROUGH EARLY MONDAY MORNING. SNOW LEVELS WILL LOWER TO BETWEEN 3000 AND 4000 FEET THIS AFTERNOON...AND TO 2500 TO 3500 FEET TONIGHT. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE GENERALLY EXPECTED TO BE ON THE ORDER OF 1 TO 3 INCHES...WITH ISOLATED TOTALS TO 5 INCHES ON NORTHERN SLOPES. THESE EXPECTED ACCUMULATIONS ARE WELL BELOW WINTER STORM WARNING OR EVEN WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY THRESHOLDS. HOWEVER...WITH THE LOW SNOW LEVELS...THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR ACCUMULATING SNOW TO FALL ON MAJOR ROADWAYS THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS LATER TODAY THROUGH EARLY MONDAY...CAUSING TRAVEL PROBLEMS. TRAVEL MAY BE ADVERSELY IMPACTED BY SNOW AND GUSTY WINDS ON INTERSTATE 5 NEAR THE GRAPEVINE AND PORTIONS OF HIGHWAY 2. THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE THAT SNOW COULD EVEN IMPACT TRAVEL ON THE HIGHEST PORTIONS OF HIGHWAY 14 THROUGH THE SOLEDAD PASS. DRY WEATHER WILL RETURN TO THE ENTIRE AREA BY MONDAY AFTERNOON. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA OUTLET FOR THE LATEST UPDATES ON THIS STORM SYSTEM. IF YOU PLAN ON TRAVELING INTO OR THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS...CHECK THE LATEST ROAD REPORTS...AND PLAN FOR POSSIBLE TREACHEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. BRUNO/CAK
5 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The RAWS sensor at Montecito reported sustained north winds of 40 MPH with gusts to 69 MPH.
The RAWS sensor at Montecito reported sustained north winds of 40 MPH with gusts to 69 MPH.
Strong northerly winds developed across the Santa Monica Mountains. An automated sensor at Laguna Peak reported a peak wind gust of 63 MPH.
Strong northerly winds developed across the mountains of Los Angeles county. The ASOS at Sandberg reported a wind gust of 74 MPH while the RAWS sensor at Camp Nine reported a wind gust of 66 MPH.
Strong northerly winds developed across the mountains of Ventura county. Automated sensors in the area reported north winds gusting between 64 and 74 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, March 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: 154123, 154124, 154136, 154130, 154132.