California, 2013High Wind in California, December 23 to 25, 2013
December 23 to 25, 2013 · NWS SGX · 4 events in 3 counties and zones
Strong surface pressure gradients due to high pressure over the Great Basin produced locally gusty high winds from the east and northeast, mainly in the mountains and western foothills of the San Diego County mountains on the 23rd and 25th, with a lull on the 24th.
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.
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- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
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- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- 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.
Strong surface pressure gradients due to high pressure over the Great Basin produced locally gusty high winds from the east and northeast, mainly in the mountains and western foothills of the San Diego County mountains on the 23rd and 25th, with a lull on the 24th.
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 Dec 23, 3:13 AM PST, 17 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Dec 23, 3:13 AM PST, 17 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
313 AM PST MON DEC 23 2013
.SYNOPSIS...
DRY AND WARM WEATHER WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEK AS HIGH
PRESSURE REMAINS OVER THE REGION. BREEZY OFFSHORE WINDS WILL TAKE
PLACE IN THE USUAL FAVORED LOCATIONS AS SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE
BUILDS OVER THE GREAT BASIN. SLIGHTLY COOLER WEATHER AND A SHALLOW
MARINE LAYER NEXT WEEKEND AS THE HIGH ALOFT WEAKENS.
&&
.DISCUSSION...FOR EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA INCLUDING ORANGE...
SAN DIEGO...WESTERN RIVERSIDE AND SOUTHWESTERN SAN BERNARDINO
COUNTIES...
AT 2 AM PST...WATER VAPOR SATELLITE IMAGERY DISPLAYED AN UPPER-
LEVEL RIDGE OFF OF THE CA COAST...AND AN UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH ALONG
THE PLAINS. FOG SATELLITE SHOWED CLEAR SKIES OVER THE CWA. SURFACE
OBSERVATIONS SHOWED OFFSHORE PRESSURE GRADIENTS INCREASING...WITH
GRADIENTS 5.2 MB OFFSHORE FROM SAN DIEGO TO TONOPAH. EAST-
NORTHEAST SURFACE WINDS WERE INCREASING OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND
COASTAL FOOTHILLS TO AROUND 30 MPH.
23/0000 UTC MODEL RUNS ARE IN VERY GOOD AGREEMENT THROUGH THE
END OF NEXT WEEKEND. SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING OVER THE GREAT
BASIN WILL CREATE GUSTY EAST TO NORTHEAST WINDS THROUGH FAVORED
MOUNTAIN PASSES....CANYONS AND OVER COASTAL FOOTHILLS...WITH
STRONGEST GUSTS TAKING PLACE THIS AFTERNOON. WINDS ARE FORECAST TO
REMAIN BELOW ADVISORY CRITERIA. ISOLATED GUSTY OFFSHORE WINDS
WILL LINGER THROUGHOUT THE WEEK IN THE USUAL FAVORED LOCATIONS.
THE AFOREMENTIONED UPPER-LEVEL RIDGE WILL REMAIN ALONG THE COAST
THROUGH MID WEEK...THEN TRAVERSE SOUTHEAST CENTERING OVER SW CA BY
THE END OF THE WORKWEEK. SUBSIDENCE ALOFT WILL CREATE MOSTLY CLEAR
SKIES OVER THE REGION...AND NEAR NORMAL TEMPERATURES IN THE
DESERTS. DOWNSLOPING WINDS WILL HELP HIGH TEMPERATURES RISE 5 TO
15 DEGREES F ABOVE NORMAL WEST OF THE MOUNTAINS THROUGH FRIDAY.
THICKNESSES/HEIGHTS BEGIN TO DECREASE NEXT WEEKEND AS AN CUT-OFF
UPPER-LEVEL CLOSED LOW APPROACHES SW CA FROM THE PAC NW. MODELS
ARE NOT GENERATING ANY PRECIP OVER THE REGION AS OF NOW DUE TO A
LACK OF SUFFICIENT MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY. HOWEVER...THE LOW
WILL HELP LOWER HIGH TEMPERATURES CLOSER TO NORMAL...AND GENERATE
A SHALLOW MARINE LAYER BY SUNDAY.
OFFSHORE SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENTS INCREASE AGAIN EARLY NEXT WEEK
AS SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE REBUILDS OVER THE GREAT BASIN. GUSTY
NORTHEASTERLY WIND GUSTS ARE FORECAST TO RETURN TO FAVORED
LOCATIONS...WHICH WILL ALSO HELP TO PUSH ANY MARINE STRATUS/FOG
OFFSHORE.
&&
.AVIATION...
231015Z...COAST/VALLEYS...CLEAR SKIES AND UNRESTRICTED VIS WILL
PREVAIL TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT...EXCEPT AREAS OF 2-4 MI VIS DUE TO
LIGHT FOG IN ORANGE COUNTY AND VCNTY KCNO/KAJO THROUGH 14Z. LOCAL
SURFACE GUSTS FROM THE E-NE WINDS WILL OCCUR MAINLY THROUGH/BELOW
PASSES/CANYONS 14Z-22Z. WEAK TO MODERATE LLWS IS LIKELY VCNTY
KRAL/KONT/KSNA AFT 12Z.
MTNS/DESERTS...CLEAR SKIES WITH UNRESTRICTED VIS THROUGH TONIGHT.
AREAS OF SURFACE GUSTS 30-35 KT FROM THE E-NE WILL OCCUR THROUGH 00Z
OVER THE MTNS...WITH ISOLATED GUSTS OVER 35 KT IN SOUTHERN SAN DIEGO
COUNTY. WINDS WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH THIS EVENING.
&&
.MARINE...
A MODERATELY LARGE NW SWELL...FROM 285-290 DEGREES...WITH A 15-17
SECOND PERIOD WILL MOVE THROUGH THE COASTAL WATERS THROUGH TUESDAY
MORNING...THEN WEAKEN. THE LARGEST PART OF THE SWELL WILL REMAIN
OFFSHORE...HOWEVER ENOUGH ENERGY WILL REFRACT TOWARD THE COAST TO
GENERATE AREAS OF SURF OF 4-6 FT AND STRONG RIP CURRENTS...WITH
GREATEST SURF IN NORTHERN ORANGE COUNTY AND SOUTHERN SAN DIEGO
COUNTY. THE LONG PERIOD WILL CREATE SIGNIFICANT LULLS IN WAVE
ACTIVITY...FOLLOWED BY HIGHER WAVE SETS THAT MAY CATCH SWIMMERS OFF
GUARD. THE BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT CONTINUES THROUGH TUESDAY
MORNING.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...
BREEZY EAST-NORTHEAST WINDS THROUGH MOUNTAIN PASSES...CANYONS AND
COASTAL FOOTHILLS...COMBINED WITH LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY
VALUES...WILL CREATE ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS THROUGH THE
WEEK. STRONGEST WIND GUSTS TO AROUND 40 MPH IN FAVORED LOCATIONS WILL
TAKE PLACE THIS AFTERNOON. HOWEVER...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES
WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEK...WITH POOR OVERNIGHT RECOVERY.
HIGH TEMPERATURES WEST OF THE MOUNTAINS WILL ALSO INCREASE TO 5
TO 15 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL.
&&
SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY.
&&
.SGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CA...BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING FOR THE ORANGE
COUNTY COASTAL AREAS...SAN DIEGO COUNTY COASTAL AREAS.
PZ...NONE.
&&
PUBLIC/FIRE...JJT
AVIATION/MARINE...MAXWELLHigh Wind, San Diego County Mountains
- When
- December 23, 3:30 AM PST to 11:00 AM PST
- Where
- San Diego County Mountains forecast zone
- Measured
- 63 kt (72 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 33.028, -116.770 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High winds began at the Sill Hill SDGE mesonet between 0330-0340 PST and ended between 1050-1100 PST on the 23rd. During this time, winds were sustained 45-50 mph out of the east with gusts over 60 mph. The peak gust of 73 mph was measured between 0600-0610 PST.
High Wind, San Diego County Valleys
- When
- December 23, 9:30 AM PST to 10:30 AM PST
- Where
- San Diego County Valleys forecast zone
- Measured
- 55 kt (63 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 33.028, -116.770 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High winds occurred at the Big Black Mountain mesonet between 0945-1015 PST on the 23rd with a peak gust of 63 mph during that period.
High Wind, San Diego County Mountains
- When
- December 25, 1:45 AM PST to 12:00 PM PST
- Where
- San Diego County Mountains forecast zone
- Measured
- 62 kt (71 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 33.028, -116.770 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High winds began at the Sill Hill mesonet between 0150-0200 PST and ended between 1150-1200 PST on the 25th. During this time, winds were sustained at 45-55 mph out of the east with most gusts over 60 mph. The peak gust of 71 mph was measured twice between 0630-0830 PST.
High Wind, Santa Ana Mountains and Foothills
- When
- December 25, 3:30 AM PST to 10:00 AM PST
- Where
- Santa Ana Mountains and Foothills forecast zone
- Measured
- 60 kt (69 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- RAWS
- Coordinates
- 33.483, -116.847 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High winds began at the Fremont Canyon RAWS between 0350-0450 PST and ended between 0851-0951 PST on the 25th. During this time, winds were sustained out of the east at 40-50 mph with several gusts over 60 mph. The peak gust of 69 mph was measured between 0451-0551 PST. |High winds occurred at the Pleasants Peak mesonet between 0700-0900 PST on the 25th with a peak gust of 62 mph during that period.
- 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.
- High Wind in Montana, December 23 to 27, 201366 kt wind · 24 events
- High Wind in Wyoming, December 23 to 24, 201367 kt wind · 21 events
- Freezing Fog in Texas, December 23 to 24, 201319 events
- Cold in Nebraska, December 23, 201310 events
- Winter Weather in Wyoming, December 23 to 24, 201310 events
- Extreme Cold in Minnesota, December 23, 20138 events
- Extreme Cold in South Dakota, December 23, 20137 events
- Ice Storm in Maine, December 23, 20135 events
- Extreme Cold in Iowa, December 23, 20135 events
- Winter Weather in Arkansas, December 23, 20134 events
- Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Michigan, December 23 to 24, 20133 events
- Extreme Cold in Minnesota, December 23, 20132 events
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: 489647, 489649, 489653, 489658.