Strong surface high pressure in the Great Basin generated a moderate Santa Ana wind event across Southern California. Gusty northeast winds were reported across the mountains and valleys of Ventura and Los Angeles Counties.
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 generated a moderate Santa Ana wind event across Southern California. Gusty northeast winds were reported across the mountains and valleys of Ventura and Los Angeles Counties.
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 2, 3:30 AM PST, 13 minutes earlier.
SOUTHWEST CALIFORNIA AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA 330 AM PST WED FEB 2 2011 .SYNOPSIS... HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE GREAT BASIN WILL BRING STRONG AND POSSIBLY DAMAGING OFFSHORE WINDS TO THE AREA THROUGH THURSDAY. BY THE END OF THE WEEK...WINDS WILL DIMINISH AND TEMPERATURES WILL GRADUALLY WARM THROUGH THE WEEKEND. && .SHORT TERM (TODAY-FRI)... WIND EVENT DOING WELL WITH THE CHILAO SENSOR IN THE SAN GABRIEL MTNS GUSTING TO 66 MPH. SENSORS IN ALL OF THE REST OF THE WARNING AND ADVISORY AREAS ARE GUSTING BETWEEN 40 AND 50 MPH. WHILE THESE WINDS ARE STRONG THEY ARE A LITTLE LESS STRONG THAN PREVIOUS MDLS HAD FORECAST BUT LATEST NAM RUN AT 06Z CAUGHT ON TO THIS DELAYING TREND AND PUSHES THE MAX WIND WINDOW TO THE MORE TYPICAL SUNRISE TO LATE MORNING TIME PERIOD AND THIS SOUNDS GOOD. BIGGEST CONCERNS ARE THE MOUNTAINS ESP THE L.A. MTNS WHERE ISOLATED GUSTS TO 80 MPH ARE LIKELY AND CATALINA WHERE ADVISORY LEVEL WINDS WILL GENERATE WIND WAVES THAT WILL IMPACT THE USUALLY PROTECTED HARBOR. WINDS WILL FALL OFF QUICKLY THIS AFTERNOON AS THE COLD AIR ADVECTION WINDS DOWN AND COMBINES WITH THE DIURNAL MINIMUM. A STRONG LOW LEVEL JET JUST TO THE EAST OF L.A. COUNTY WILL KEEP WARNING LEVEL WIND GUSTS GOING OVER THE EASTERN L.A. MTNS THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND OVERNIGHT. THE 06Z NAM IS A LITTLE WEAKER THAN PREVIOUS RUNS BUT IT IS LIKELY THAT THE OTHER WARNING AREAS WILL STILL NEED WIND ADVISORIES LASTING THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING AFTER THE WARNINGS EXPIRE AT 3PM. MAX TEMPS TODAY WILL BE FAIRLY TRICKY WITH LOTS OF COLD AIR ADVECTION OFFSET BY THE COMPRESSIONAL WARMING. MAX TEMPS WILL LIKELY BE IN THE LOWER 60S TODAY WHILE THE INTERIOR VLYS AND DESERTS WILL ONLY SEE HIGHS IN THE UPPER 40S TO MID 50S. TONIGHT THERE WILL LIKELY BE ADVISORIES ACROSS THE VENTURA MTNS... THE EASTERN PORTION OF THE VTA VLYS...THE SANTA MONICA MTNS...THE SANTA CLARITA VLY AND THE WIND WARNING FOR THE L.A. MTNS. IN ADDITION IT WILL BE BREEZY ACROSS THE VTA COASTAL PLAIN AND BELOW PASSES AND CANYONS OF L.A. COUNTY. MIN TEMPS WILL BE PAINFULLY DIFFICULT TO FORECAST SINCE THE DRY COLD AIRMASS WILL ALLOW FOR RAPID COOLING IN THE ABSENCE OF WIND...BUT ANYWHERE THERE ARE WINDS MIN TEMPS WILL BE 10 TO 15 DEGREES WARMER THAN NEAR BY WIND SHELTERED AREAS. LOWS IN THE DESERTS WILL BE IN THE TEENS TO THE LOWER 20S WHILE THE INTERIOR VLYS WILL SEE LOWS NEAR 30. THE WINDS WILL END THURSDAY MORNING AND THEN WITH PLENTY OF SUNSHINE AND CONTINUED OFFSHORE FLOW THE MAX TEMPS WILL RISE A FEW DEGREES FROM TODAYS CHILLY VALUES. A GREAT DAY ON TAP FOR FRIDAY. CLEAR SKIES AND MAX TEMPS WARMING TO A DEGREES OR TWO ABOVE NORMAL. .LONG TERM (SAT-TUE)... HARD TO ASK FOR A BETTER WEEKEND. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BRING 578DM HGTS TO THE AREA ALONG WITH WEAK OFFSHORE FLOW HIGH TEMPS OVER THE COASTS AND VLY WILL SPIKE UP TO THE UPPER 70S AND MAYBE THERE WILL BE A FEW READINGS IN THE LOWER 80S. EARLY NEXT WEEK LOOKS CLEAR AND WARM WITH A LARGE UPPER HIGH JUST OFF THE COAST AND SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE GREAT BASIN. THE GFS DOES FORECAST A HUMONGOUS NEAR RECORD 1062MB SURFACE HIGH ON TUESDAY MORNING WHICH WOULD PRODUCE ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT OFFSHORE WIND EVENT BUT THE OTHER MDLS ARE MUCH LESS BULLISH ON THIS HIGH AND FOR NOW WILL JUST KEEP AN EYE ON IT. && .AVIATION... 02/1200Z EXPECT CLEAR SKIES ACROSS THE REGION TODAY AND TONIGHT...WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE INTERIOR SXNS OF SLO COUNTY...WHERE SOME MVFR VSBYS AND POSSIBLY CIGS ARE EXPECTED BETWEEN NOW AND 17Z. NORTHEAST WINDS WILL INCREASE THIS MORNING OVER MOST OF LOS ANGELES AND VENTURA COUNTY AIRPORTS. LLWS WILL ALSO BE A CONCERN...ESPECIALLY OVER KBUR AND KVNY...AND POSSIBLY KLAX...KLGB AND KOXR. KLAX...HIGH CONFIDENCE IN 12Z TAF. 20 TO 30 PERCENT CHANCE OF EAST WINDS AT OR ABOVE 10 KT BETWEEN NOW AND 20Z. KBUR...HIGH CONFIDENCE IN 12Z TAF. MODERATE NORTHEAST WINDS WILL DEVELOP THIS MORNING AND CONTINUE AT TIMES THRU THE DAY. EXPECT OCNL LLWS AND UDDF AT THE AIRPORT THROUGH THE EVENING. && .LOX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING (SEE LAXNPWLOX). WIND ADVISORY (SEE LAXNPWLOX). SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY (SEE LAXMWWLOX). MARINE WEATHER STATEMENT (SEE LAXMWSLOX). && PUBLIC...RORKE AVIATION...BRUNO SYNOPSIS...MEIER WWW.WEATHER.GOV/LOSANGELES
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA 316 PM PST TUE FEB 1 2011 CAZ034>041-044>046-051>054-059-087-088-547-548-021400- 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- 316 PM PST TUE FEB 1 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA. .DAY ONE... TODAY STRONG AND DANGEROUS WIND GUSTS WILL AFFECT THE AREA LATE TONIGHT. WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH IN THE MOUNTAINS WILL MAKE TRAVEL OR EVEN WALKING DIFFICULT AS WELL CREATING FLYING DEBRIS. WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH WILL MAKE TRAVEL HAZARDOUS IN THE L.A. AND VENTURA VLYS. WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH WILL CREATE LOCALLY HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS ALONG THE VENTURA AND L.A. COASTS. GUSTY WINDS ACROSS THE INNER WATERS AND INTO AVALON HARBOR MAY CREATE HAZARDOUS WIND WAVES IN AVALON HARBOR. * HIGH WIND WARNING..........SEE WWUS76 KLOX - NPWLOX FOR DETAILS * * WIND ADVISORY..............SEE WWUS76 KLOX - NPWLOX FOR DETAILS * .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY STRONG AND DANGEROUS WIND GUSTS WILL AFFECT THE AREA WEDNESDAY. WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH IN THE MOUNTAINS WILL MAKE TRAVEL OR EVEN WALKING DIFFICULT AS WELL CREATING FLYING DEBRIS. WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH WILL MAKE TRAVEL HAZARDOUS IN THE L.A. AND VENTURA VLYS. WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH WILL CREATE LOCALLY HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS ALONG THE VENTURA AND L.A. COASTS. GUSTY WINDS ACROSS THE INNER WATERS AND INTO AVALON HARBOR MAY CREATE HAZARDOUS WIND WAVES IN AVALON HARBOR. WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY MORNING WILL SEE GUSTY WINDS BUT NOT AS STRONG AS WEDNESDAY'S THESE WINDS WILL CREATE LOCAL DRIVING HAZARDS. * HIGH WIND WARNING..........SEE WWUS76 KLOX - NPWLOX FOR DETAILS * * WIND ADVISORY..............SEE WWUS76 KLOX - NPWLOX FOR DETAILS * .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. KITTELL
5 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong northeast winds developed across the valleys of Ventura County. The RAWS sensor at Wiley Ridge reported sustained winds between 42 and 51 MPH along with gusts between 59 and 68 MPH.
Strong northeast winds developed across the Santa Monica Mountains. The RAWS sensor at Malibu Hills reported wind gusts between 60 and 67 MPH. A trained spotter in the Malibu area reported sustained winds of 48 MPH with gusts to 67 MPH.
Strong northeast winds developed across the mountains of Los Angeles County. The RAWS sensor at Chilao reported sustained winds between 40 and 46 MPH along with gusts between 59 and 66 MPH. The RAWS sensor at Camp Nine reported wind gusts between 58 and 60 MPH.
Strong northeast winds developed across the mountains of Ventura County. Sustained winds between 40 and 45 MPH were reported in some area with wind gusts to 58 MPH.
Strong north to northeast winds developed across the San Fernando Valley. A trained weather spotter estimated wind gusts to 60 MPH. Also, it was reported that one inch diameter tree branches were snapped off by the offshore winds.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in California, February 2011
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: 278240, 278239, 278237, 278238, 278241.