A strong north-south pressure gradient produce strong and gusty northerly winds across the Santa Ynez Range in the Santa Barbara County mountains.
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 north-south pressure gradient produce strong and gusty northerly winds across the Santa Ynez Range in the Santa Barbara County mountains.
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 Jan 17, 9:10 PM PST, 1 hour 4 minutes earlier.
SOUTHWEST CALIFORNIA AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA 910 PM PST MON JAN 17 2011 ...UPDATED AVIATION DISCUSSION... .SYNOPSIS... THE HIGH PRESSURE AND OFFSHORE WINDS WILL WEAKEN TUESDAY. A LOW PRESSURE WILL BRING GUSTY NORTH WINDS AND COOLER TEMPERATURES ON WEDNESDAY...THEN SWITCH OFFSHORE AND WARM THE VENTURA AND LOS ANGELES VALLEYS A FEW DEGREES THURSDAY. ANOTHER WEAK SYSTEM WILL BRING BELOW SEASONAL NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND A RETURN TO ONSHORE BREEZES BY THE WEEKEND. && .SHORT TERM (TODAY-THURSDAY)... MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY WAS QUITE A CONTRAST WEATHERWISE COMPARED TO LAST YEAR WHEN STORMY CONDITIONS PREVAILED. TODAY WAS A CHAMBER OF COMMERCE DAY ACROSS SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA. HIGH TEMPERATURES PEAKED TODAY WITH SOME AREAS REACHING NEAR 90 DEGREES. SIMI VALLEY AND PASADENA REPORTED 89 DEGREES...WHILE SEVERAL OTHER AREAS IN THE LA/VTU VALLEYS REACHED 88 DEGREES TODAY. EVEN THE CITY OF SANTA BARBARA FIRE STATION RECORDED A HIGH OF 87 DEGREES. THE COMBINATION OF A PERSISTENT STRONG UPPER LVL HIGH 588DM SITUATED OFF THE CALIFORNIA COAST...AND CONTINUED WEAK TO MODERATE OFFSHORE FLOW MADE THIS THE WARMEST DAY OF THE PAST SEVERAL. THERE WERE SEVERAL LOCATIONS THAT WERE BETWEEN 15 TO 20 DEGREES WARMER THAN NORMAL...INCLUDING COAST...VALLEYS AND THE ANTELOPE VALLEY WHICH SAW BOTH PALMDALE AND LANCASTER BREAK RECORDS TODAY. BOTH CITIES RECORDED A HIGH OF 76...WHILE 57 DEGREES IS THE NORM HIGH THIS TIME OF YEAR. FOR TONIGHT...A VERY STRONG SURFACE GRAD BETWEEN SBA-BFL HAS DEVELOPED ONCE AGAIN PEAKING AT -9.6MB THIS EVENING. THIS GRADIENT IS GENERALLY A PRECURSOR TO A HEFTY WIND EVENT ACROSS THE SANTA YNEZ RANGE...ESPECIALLY THE HILLS ABOVE MONTECITO. THIS FAVORS GUSTY NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS. IF WINDS ARE ABLE TO SURFACE TO THE GROUND...WIND GUSTS UP TO 65 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED. THEREFORE A HIGH WIND WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE SANA YNEZ MOUNTAIN RANGE. THESE TYPES OF WINDS ARE GENERALLY NOT WIDESPREAD IN NATURE...BUT MORE LOCALIZED ACROSS THE MONTECITO AREA. HOWEVER SINCE EXPECTING SEVERAL HOURS OF STRONG GUSTS...WENT AHEAD WITH HIGH WIND WARNING FOCUSING ON THIS AREA. THERE IS ALSO A WIND ADVISORY OUT FOR THE WIND PRONE PASSES AND CANYONS OF THE SANTA BARBARA SOUTH COAST. AT THIS TIME...HAVE NOT ISSUED ANY WIND ADVISORIES FOR THE LA/VTU COUNTY MOUNTAINS ALTHOUGH THE LAX-BFL SFC GRAD IS ALSO QUITE IMPRESSIVE. BUT LATEST OBS ONLY INDICATING WHITAKER PEAK WITH GUSTY WINDS OVER 45 MPH OVER THE LAST SEVERAL HOURS. WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THROUGH THE NIGHT HOWEVER. THE UPPER LVL HIGH OVER THE EASTERN PAC WILL BEGIN TO PULL BACK WEST OVER THE ERN PAC WHILE A WEAK DISTURBANCE PUSHES ACROSS CALIFORNIA TUESDAY AFTERNOON. OFFSHORE FLOW WILL WEAKEN SUBSTANTIALLY THROUGH THE DAY TOMORROW...THEN WEAKLY TURNING ONSHORE BY TOMORROW NIGHT. ALTHOUGH HEIGHTS AND THICKNESS LVLS WILL BEGIN TO LOWER...THE WARMEST VALLEYS WILL REMAIN IN THE LOWER 80S....BUT MANY AREAS...ESPECIALLY NEAR THE COAST SHOULD LOWER A GOOD 4 TO 8 DEGREES. BY TUE NIGHT NORTHERLY WINDS WILL ONCE AGAIN DEVELOP...WHILE H5 LOWER TO AROUND 572DM DUE TO AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE ALOFT DROPPING INTO THE INTERMOUNTAIN REGION. THIS SHOULD CAUSE ANOTHER ROUND OF GUSTY WINDS ACROSS THE SANTA BARBARA COUNTY MOUNTAINS AND THE I-5 CORRIDOR THROUGH THE LA/VTU COUNTY MOUNTAINS TUE NIGHT INTO WED MORNING WHERE WIND ADVISORIES MAY BE NEEDED. BY WEDNESDAY...THE UPPER LVL TROUGH DIGS IN ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN LEAVING BROAD NORTHERLY FLOW ALOFT COOLING TEMPS ACROSS THE BOARD ACROSS THE REGION WITH HIGHS ONLY REACHING THE LOWER TO MID 70S ALONG THE COAST AND VALLEYS...TO THE MID 60S ACROSS THE INTERIOR VALLEYS AND ANTELOPE VALLEY. THERE WILL CONTINUE TO BE GUSTY NORTHERLY WINDS ACROSS THE FAVORED MOUNTAINS OF LA/VTU/SBA COUNTIES. BY WEDNESDAY EVENING...A STRONG SURFACE HIGH BUILDS IN BEHIND THE EXITING AREA OF LOW PRESSURE ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN AND NEVADA. THIS WILL SET UP A MODERATE SANTA ANA WIND ACROSS THE USUAL WIND PRONE LA/VTU COUNTY AREAS. THERE WILL BE SOME GOOD COLD AIR ADVECTION MOVING INTO THE ANTELOPE VALLEY AND MOUNTAINS AND GOOD UPPER LVL SUPPORT TO HELP ENHANCE WIND SPEEDS...AND COULD BE MORE WIDESPREAD AFFECTING THE SAN GABRIEL VALLEY AND ADJACENT FOOTHILLS AS WELL. WITH DECENT COLD AIR ADVECTION EXPECTED ON THU...THE USUAL WARMING OF THE LA/VTU COUNTY COAST AND VALLEYS WILL LIKELY NOT OCCUR RIGHT AWAY...AND WARMEST COAST AND VALLEYS SHOULD REACH THE MID 70S...WHILE THE ANTELOPE VALLEY SHOULD ONLY BE IN THE MID 50S. WIND ADVISORIES WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED WHEN WINDS SHIFT TO THE NORTHEAST WED NIGHT INTO THU. ***FROM PREVIOUS DISCUSSION*** .LONG TERM (FRIDAY-MONDAY)... ANOTHER WEAK SYSTEM NIPPING AT THE HEELS OF THE PREVIOUS ONE WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA BY SATURDAY. THIS WILL QUICKLY KILL THE OFFSHORE FLOW FROM THURSDAY...AND SHOULD EVEN BRING SOME MUCH DELAYED ONSHORE GRADS AND BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES BY THE WEEKEND. ALTHOUGH THIS SYSTEM WILL TRACK FURTHER WEST THAN THE OTHER...NO PRECIP IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME...BUT CERTAINLY NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION. TEMPERATURES SHOULD START TO REBOUND EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .AVIATION...18/0510Z... OVERALL...OFFSHORE FLOW SHOULD KEEP MOST SITES VFR THRU THE PERIOD. ONLY EXCEPTION WILL BE KPRB WHERE SOME MVFR VSBYS CAN BE EXPECTED TOWARDS SUNRISE ON TUESDAY. ALSO...THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SOME MVFR CONDS AT KSBP/KSMX OVERNIGHT. AS FOR WINDS...SOME STRONG NORTH/NORTHEAST WINDS NEAR MONTECITO WHICH MAY PRODUCE SOME LLWS AND TURBULENCE AT KSBA OVERNIGHT. KLAX...HIGH CONFIDENCE IN 06Z TAF. KBUR...HIGH CONFIDENCE IN 06Z TAF. && .LOX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY (SEE LAXMWWLOX). HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK (SEE LAXSRFLOX). && PUBLIC...KITTELL AVIATION...RAT SYNOPSIS...BB WWW.WEATHER.GOV/LOSANGELES
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA 609 PM PST MON JAN 17 2011 CAZ034>041-044>046-051>054-059-087-088-547-548-181400- 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- 609 PM PST MON JAN 17 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA. .DAY ONE... TODAY STRONG AND DAMAGING GUSTY NORTHERLY WINDS WILL AFFECT PORTIONS OF THE SANTA YNEZ RANGE...MAINLY THE HILLS ABOVE MONTECITO THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. EXPECT WIND GUSTS TO 65 MPH. ALTHOUGH THIS WILL NOT BE A WIDESPREAD WIND EVENT...THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF MONTECITO COULD BE AFFECTED WITH THESE HIGH WIND GUSTS. THERE WILL ALSO BE LESS GUSTY WINDS POSSIBLE TO AROUND 40 MPH FOR THE PASSES AND CANYONS BELOW GAVIOTA TO REFUGIO BEACH AS WELL AS THE CITY OF MONTECITO. OTHERWISE...BREEZY NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS WILL AFFECT THE FAVORED PASSES AND CANYONS THROUGH TONIGHT...CREATING LOCAL DRIVING HAZARDS FOR MOTORISTS. THERE IS A HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK AS WELL ALONG THE LOS ANGELES AND VENTURA COUNTY BEACHES. * HIGH WIND WARNING..........SEE WWUS76 KLOX - NPWLOX FOR DETAILS * * WIND ADVISORY..............SEE WWUS76 KLOX - NPWLOX FOR DETAILS * * HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK......SEE FZUS56 KLOX - SRFLOX FOR DETAILS * .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY A LARGE SWELL FROM THE WEST NORTHWEST WILL INCREASE THE SURF ON TUESDAY RESULTING IN A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS. THE SURF WILL INCREASE FURTHER TUESDAY NIGHT AND A HIGH SURF ADVISORY WILL LIKELY BE ISSUED IN THE NEXT 12 HOURS. BREEZY NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS WILL AFFECT THE FAVORED PASSES AND CANYONS TUESDAY MORNING...CREATING LOCAL DRIVING HAZARDS FOR MOTORISTS.STRONG NORTHEAST WINDS ARE EXPECTED NEAR MONTECITO TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY. THESE WINDS WILL THEN SHIFT TO LOS ANGELES AND VENTURA COUNTIES WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. KAPLAN
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong and gusty north winds developed across the Santa Ynez Mountains. The RAWS sensor at Montecito reported sustained winds of 41 MPH with gusts between 59 and 61 MPH.
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, January 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: 278224.