California, 2009

High Wind and Strong Wind in California, October 27, 2009

October 27, 2009 · NWS SGX · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

Strong onshore flow behind a cold front brought gusty winds to the mountains and deserts of Southern California on November 27th. The wind blew down several eucalyptus trees and caused a few power outages in the region.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
2
Property damage
$20,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
4

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS SGX wrote it up.

Strong onshore flow behind a cold front brought gusty winds to the mountains and deserts of Southern California on November 27th. The wind blew down several eucalyptus trees and caused a few power outages in the region.

What forecasters said that day

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 Oct 27, 2:20 AM PST, 5 hours 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 27, 2:20 AM PST, 5 hours 40 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 27, 3:50 AM PST, 4 hours 10 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
450 AM PDT TUE OCT 27 2009

PZZ750-775-281300-
COASTAL WATERS FROM SAN MATEO POINT TO THE MEXICAN BORDER AND OUT
30 NM-
WATERS FROM SAN MATEO POINT TO THE MEXICAN BORDER EXTENDING 30 TO
60 NM OUT INCLUDING SAN CLEMENTE ISLAND-
450 AM PDT TUE OCT 27 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EXTREME
SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR STRONG
GUSTY NORTHWEST TO NORTH WINDS. SEE LAXCWFSGX AND LAXMWWSGX FOR
DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

FOR EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR STRONG GUSTY
NORTH WINDS. SEE LAXCWFSGX AND LAXMWWSGX FOR DETAILS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SKYWARN WEATHER ACTIVATION IS NOT REQUESTED FOR THIS AREA...
HOWEVER WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER CONDITIONS.

CAZ055-056-058-060>062-280500-
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY MOUNTAINS-RIVERSIDE COUNTY MOUNTAINS-
SAN DIEGO COUNTY MOUNTAINS-APPLE AND LUCERNE VALLEYS-
COACHELLA VALLEY-SAN DIEGO COUNTY DESERTS-
450 AM PDT TUE OCT 27 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EXTREME
SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

FOR THIS LATE THIS MORNING THROUGH THIS EVENING...HIGH WIND WARNING.
SEE LAXNPWSGX FOR DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SKYWARN WEATHER ACTIVATION IS NOT REQUESTED FOR THIS AREA...
HOWEVER WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER CONDITIONS.

CAZ048-057-281300-
SAN BERNARDINO AND RIVERSIDE COUNTY VALLEYS-THE INLAND EMPIRE-
SANTA ANA MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS-
450 AM PDT TUE OCT 27 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EXTREME
SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

FOR LATE TONIGHT...WIND ADVISORY. SEE LAXNPWSGX FOR DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

FOR WEDNESDAY...WIND ADVISORY. SEE LAXNPWSGX FOR DETAILS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SKYWARN WEATHER ACTIVATION IS NOT REQUESTED FOR THIS AREA...
HOWEVER WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER CONDITIONS.

MARTIN

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Oct 27, 2:48 AM PST, 5 hours 12 minutes before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 high wind, 1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Strong Wind, San Diego County Valleys

When
October 27, 8:00 AM PST to 4:00 PM PST
Where
San Diego County Valleys forecast zone
Measured
26 kt (30 mph) estimated gust
Injuries
2 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
Newspaper
Coordinates
33.028, -116.770 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winds gusting around 30 MPH caused a eucalyptus tree to fall on a car driving along Rancheros Drive in San Marcos. The tree trapped the driver and one passenger in the car. The couple sustained only minor injuries.

High Wind, San Bernardino County Mountains

When
October 27, 8:51 AM PST to 9:51 AM PST
Where
San Bernardino County Mountains forecast zone
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Reported by
RAWS
Coordinates
34.841, -116.178 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A peak wind gust of 60 MPH was measured by the Burns Canyon RAWS between 0851 and 0951 PST.

High Wind, Coachella Valley

When
October 27, 9:50 AM PST to 1:50 PM PST
Where
Coachella Valley forecast zone
Measured
59 kt (68 mph) measured gust
Reported by
RAWS
Coordinates
33.744, -115.994 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High winds began in Whitewater between 0950 and 1050 PST, during which time a peak gust of 68 MPH was measured by the Whitewater RAWS. High winds ended between 1250 and 1350 PST.

High Wind, San Diego County Mountains

When
October 27, 1:05 PM PST to 1:30 PM PST
Where
San Diego County Mountains forecast zone
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
33.028, -116.770 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A spotter measured gusts in excess of 58 MPH between 0100 and 0130 PST along Montezuma Grade Road in Ranchita. At 0109 PST, a peak gust of 60 MPH was measured.

What these are

Strong Wind
Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.
High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in California in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in California, October 2009

Sources

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 200090, 200072, 200075, 200074.