A cold, upper-level trough of low pressure brought gusty west winds, and scattered showers to the mountains and San Diego County foothills on the 4th. Most areas that saw rain measured a quarter of an inch or less, but some up-slope foothill locations in San Diego County measured up to one-half of an inch.
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.
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 SGX wrote it up.
A cold, upper-level trough of low pressure brought gusty west winds, and scattered showers to the mountains and San Diego County foothills on the 4th. Most areas that saw rain measured a quarter of an inch or less, but some up-slope foothill locations in San Diego County measured up to one-half of an inch. The snow level dropped to around 3000 feet, with a trace to two inches of snow measured from I-8 to Big Bear. Pine Valley schools were closed on the 4th and chain control was enforced around the Big Bear and Pine Cove areas. The strongest winds were fairly well distributed over the area with several gusts above 60 mph.
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 3, 1:55 PM PST, 4 hours 5 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
155 PM PST TUE DEC 3 2013
.SYNOPSIS...
A COLD TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE WILL DIG ACROSS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
LATE TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...BRINGING MUCH COOLER WEATHER AS WELL AS
STRONG AND GUSTY WEST WINDS TO THE MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS. SOME
SHOWERS WILL DEVELOP THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT...MAINLY ALONG AND
WEST OF THE MOUNTAINS. ISOLATED SHOWERS AND COLD WEATHER WILL
PREVAIL THROUGH THURSDAY...WITH SHOWERS MAINLY OVER THE HIGHER
TERRAIN. VERY COLD AND FROST CONDITIONS WILL LIKELY DEVELOP EACH
NIGHT...ESPECIALLY IN THE HIGH DESERT AND INLAND VALLEYS. ALTHOUGH
DRIER CONDITIONS WILL BRIEFLY DEVELOP FOR FRIDAY...AN EVEN COLDER
SYSTEM WILL BRING A BETTER CHANCE OF SHOWERS ON SATURDAY AS WELL AS
LOWER SNOW LEVELS AND COLDER CONDITIONS.
&&
.DISCUSSION...FOR EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA INCLUDING ORANGE...
SAN DIEGO...WESTERN RIVERSIDE AND SOUTHWESTERN SAN BERNARDINO
COUNTIES...
WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS A VERY BROAD AND COLD TROUGH OF LOW
PRESSURE DIVING SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE WEST THIS AFTERNOON...WITH THE
COLD FRONT CURRENTLY DRAPED ACROSS WYOMING...CENTRAL UTAH...CENTRAL
NEVADA...AND CENTRAL CALIFORNIA. IN THE MEANTIME THOUGH...SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA REMAINS UNDER PREDOMINATELY CLEAR SKIES...WITH JUST SOME
MARINE STRATUS ALONG AND WEST OF THE MOUNTAINS. THESE LOW CLOUDS
ARE NOT MOVING INLAND QUITE AS QUICKLY AS THE HIGH RESOLUTION MODELS
WERE SHOWING THIS MORNING...BUT A FEW SPRINKLES ARE STARTING TO BE
REPORTED...MAINLY ALONG THE SAN DIEGO COUNTY COASTAL AREAS. FOR
NOW...HAVE BACKED OFF THE POPS FOR THIS EVENING...AS THE MARINE
LAYER NEEDS A LITTLE MORE TIME TO DEEPEN AND PUSH INLAND.
HOWEVER...SCATTERED SHOWERS WILL LIKELY DEVELOP...WITH THE BRUNT OF
THE SHOWER ACTIVITY OCCURRING LATE TONIGHT AND TOMORROW MORNING.
OTHERWISE...THE MAIN FOCUS RIGHT NOW IS ON THE INCREASING WINDS
ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS. MOST LOCATIONS ARE CURRENTLY
GUSTING IN THE 30 TO 40 MPH RANGE...WITH THE FAVORED AREAS DOWN WIND
OF BANNING PASS GUSTING TO NEAR 50 MPH. THESE WINDS WILL CONTINUE
TO INCREASE THIS EVENING...WITH THE LOCAL WRF SHOWING 850 MB UPPER
LEVEL WIND SUPPORT RANGING BETWEEN 50 AND 60 KTS BETWEEN 03Z AND
06Z. THEREFORE...THE HIGH WIND WARNING LOOKS ON TRACK FOR TONIGHT.
AS THIS COLD FRONT SAGS OVER THE REGION LATE TONIGHT AND DURING THE
DAY ON WEDNESDAY...SNOW LEVELS WILL LOWER FROM AROUND 8000 FEET TO
3500 FEET. HOWEVER...THE MAJORITY OF THE SHOWER ACTIVITY WILL
LIKELY BE OVER BY THEN...WITH JUST A FEW UPSLOPE SCATTERED SHOWERS
OVER THE MOUNTAINS BY THEN. THEREFORE...SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE
LIGHT...WITH MOST PLACES SEEING LESS THAN 4 INCHES. HOWEVER...LOCAL
AMOUNTS UP TO 6 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE HIGHEST TERRAIN THROUGH
THURSDAY.
THE OTHER MAIN CONCERN WITH THIS SYSTEM WILL BE WITH THE COLD
OVERNIGHT TEMPERATURES. THE HIGH DESERTS SHOULD SEE SOME CLEARING
LATE TONIGHT AND EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING...SO THERE COULD BE SOME
FROSTY CONDITIONS BY MORNING. THE REAL COLD AIR WILL SPREAD INTO
THE REGION ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY THOUGH...WITH AREAS OF
FROST POSSIBLE...EVEN ACROSS THE INLAND VALLEYS AND SOME OF THE
COLDER COASTAL LOCATIONS. THEREFORE...EXPECT THE FROST ADVISORY TO
BE EXPANDED FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY MORNING...WITH A
POTENTIAL FREEZE WARNING NEEDED FOR THE HIGH DESERTS.
HOWEVER...WANT TO WATCH THE SATELLITE TRENDS OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS
BEFORE EXPANDING THESE PRODUCTS. PEOPLE ARE URGED THOUGH TO MOVE
SENSITIVE PLANTS INSIDE EARLY IF POSSIBLE. IF NOT...THEN PLANTS
WILL LIKELY NEED TO BE COVERED WEDNESDAY NIGHT IN PREPARATION.
THESE COOL DAYTIME CONDITIONS AND COLD OVERNIGHT WILL PERSIST
THROUGH THE REST OF THE WORK WEEK...WITH ONLY MINOR DAY TO DAY
FLUCTUATIONS. ANOTHER POTENTIALLY COLDER AND WETTER SYSTEM WILL
THEN TAKE AIM AT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FOR SATURDAY. AT THIS
TIME...ALL THE EXTENDED MODELS SEEM TO BE IN PRETTY GOOD
AGREEMENT...WITH REGARDS TO TRACKING...STRENGTH...AND THE COLD AIR.
THEREFORE...EXPECT A BETTER CHANCE OF SHOWERS...WITH A DEEPER
MOISTURE LAYER...AND SNOW LEVELS MAY FALL AS LOW AS 3000 FEET BY
SATURDAY NIGHT. ALTHOUGH DRIER CONDITIONS SHOULD DEVELOP FOR
SUNDAY....THE COLD CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE TO PREVAIL. THE MODELS
THEN SHOW A SLOW WARMING AND DRYING TREND FOR THE FIRST PART OF NEXT
WEEK.
&&
.AVIATION...
032115Z...SCT/BKN STRATUS WILL CONTINUE TO DEEPEN WEST OF THE
MOUNTAINS THROUGH THIS EVENING AND INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. BASES
ARE CURRENTLY 1800 FT MSL AND TOPS 2400 FT MSL. HOWEVER...BASES WILL
RISE TO AROUND 3000 FT MSL BY LATE TONIGHT. VIS 2-4 SM BR WHERE
STRATUS INTERSECTS THE HIGHER TERRAIN. SHOWERS WILL INCREASE IN
COVERAGE TONIGHT AS WELL...ESPECIALLY OVER AND WEST OF THE
MOUNTAINS. WESTERLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE...WITH GUSTS UP
TO 55-60 KT POSSIBLE OVER THE WIND PRONE MTN RIDGES AND ALONG MTN
DESERT SLOPES THROUGH WED AFTERNOON.
WINDY CONDITIONS WILL DEVELOP OVER THE COACHELLA VALLEY TONIGHT.
KPSP AND KTRM MAY SEE SUSTAINED WINDS 10-15 KT GUSTING UP TO 25 KT
FROM 03/0000Z-06/0900Z.
&&
.MARINE...
WESTERLY WINDS WILL INCREASE THIS EVENING AS A DISTURBANCE
APPROACHES THE REGION...WITH GUSTS OF 20-30 KT EXPECTED. WINDS WILL
SLIGHTLY LESSEN LATE WEDNESDAY...WITH BREEZY CONDITIONS CONTINUING
INTO LATE THURSDAY AS ANOTHER DISTURBANCE TRAVERSES THE AREA.
COMBINED SEAS TO AROUND 10 FEET WILL BE POSSIBLE ON
WEDNESDAY...MAINLY IN THE OUTER WATERS.
THE SHORT PERIOD SWELL WILL INCREASE SURF THROUGH WEDNESDAY...WITH
SETS TO 6 FEET POSSIBLE ON WEST FACING BEACHES. STRONG AND DANGEROUS
RIP CURRENTS ARE LIKELY.
ASTRONOMICAL HIGH TIDES OF 7-7.5 FEET AT SAN DIEGO WILL OCCUR DURING
MID-MORNING ON WEDNESDAY. MINOR FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS ALONG
THE BEACH DURING TIMES OF HIGH TIDE IS POSSIBLE DUE TO THE ELEVATED
SURF AND TIDES. A BEACH HAZARD STATEMENT IS IN EFFECT THROUGH
WEDNESDAY MORNING.
&&
SKYWARN ACTIVATION IS NOT REQUESTED FOR THIS AREA...HOWEVER WEATHER
SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS.
&&
.SGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CA...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 4 AM PST WEDNESDAY FOR THE APPLE AND
LUCERNE VALLEYS...COACHELLA VALLEY...RIVERSIDE COUNTY
MOUNTAINS...SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY MOUNTAINS...SAN DIEGO
COUNTY DESERTS...SAN DIEGO COUNTY MOUNTAINS.
BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING FOR THE ORANGE
COUNTY COASTAL AREAS...SAN DIEGO COUNTY COASTAL AREAS.
FROST ADVISORY FROM 2 AM TO 9 AM PST WEDNESDAY FOR THE APPLE AND
LUCERNE VALLEYS.
PZ...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM PST THURSDAY FOR THE 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.
&&
PUBLIC...PALMER
AVIATION/MARINE...JTThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A spotter in Lucerne Valley reported an estimated wind gust of 65 mph during the evening of the 3rd.
High winds began at the Volcan Mountain SDGE mesonet between 2210-2220 PST on the 3rd and ended between 0520 and 0530 PST on the 4th. During this time, sustained winds were around 40-50 mph with gusts mainly over 60 mph. A peak gust of 69 mph was measured twice between 0400-0420 PST on the 4th. |High winds began at the Harrison Park SDGE mesonet between 2240-2250 PST on the 3rd and ended between 0350 and 0400 PST on the 4th. During this time, sustained winds were around 39-44 mph with off and on gusts over 58 mph. A peak gust of 62 mph was measured twice between 0100-0400 PST on the 4th.
High winds began at the Sky Valley mesonet between 0147-0152 PST on the 4th and ended between 0417 and 0422 PST. During this time, winds gusted mainly over 60 mph, with a few lulls in the 50s. A peak gust of 74 mph was measured several times between 0200-0215 PST and again between 0400-0415 PST.
High winds occurred at the Toro Peak mesonet between 0215-0245 PST on the 4th. During this time, sustained winds were 55 mph with peak gusts of 62 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in California, December 2013
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: 489610, 489611, 489612, 489613.