A strong northerly pressure gradient generated gusty Sundowner winds across southern Santa Barbara county. Wind gusts in excess of 60 MPH were reported.
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 northerly pressure gradient generated gusty Sundowner winds across southern Santa Barbara county. Wind gusts in excess of 60 MPH were reported.
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 Mar 22, 4:07 AM PST, 4 hours 40 minutes earlier.
SOUTHWEST CALIFORNIA AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA 507 AM PDT FRI MAR 22 2013 UPDATED AVIATION SECTION .SYNOPSIS... MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK...ALTHOUGH SOME NIGHT AND MORNING LOW CLOUDS AND FOG CAN BE EXPECTED ALONG PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHERN COAST. GUSTY NORTHWEST TO NORTH WINDS WILL AFFECT PARTS OF THE AREA AT TIMES THROUGH SATURDAY. SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES ARE IN THE FORECAST DURING THE PERIOD. A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL LIKELY KEEP SHOWERS NORTH OF SAN LUIS OBISPO BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK...WITH A BETTER CHANCE OF RAIN FOR THE AREA LATE NEXT WEEK INTO THE WEEKEND. && .SHORT TERM (TODAY-SUN)...IT HAS BEEN AN INTERESTING NIGHT. HIGH WINDS HAVE HELD SURPRISINGLY LONGER ACROSS THE ANTELOPE VALLEY THEN EXPECTED. THEREFORE HAVE KEPT WIND ADVISORY GOING UNTIL 6 AM THIS MORNING. WHAT WAS EXPECTED WAS THE SUNDOWNER WIND EVENT ACROSS THE SANTA BABARA COUNTY MOUNTAINS AND ADJACENT SOUTH COAST LAST EVENING WHERE HIGH TEMPS REACHED THE UPPER 70S IN PORTIONS OF SANTA BARBARA SOUTH COAST. IN FACT...THE CITY OF SANTA BARBARA BROKE A RECORD HIGH YESTERDAY AT 79 DEGREES. THE OLD RECORD WAS OF 78 DEGREES BACK IN 1976. A STRONG NORTHERLY GRADIENT BETWEEN LAX-BFL WAS UP TO -5.7MB THIS MORNING. THIS GENERALLY TRANSLATES INTO GUSTY NORTH WINDS ACROSS THE LOS ANGELES AND VENTURA COUNTY MOUNTAINS INCLUDING THE I-5 CORRIDOR AS WELL AS THE SANTA CLARITA VALLEY. THERE HAVE BEEN SOME STRONG ISOLATED WIND GUSTS ACROSS THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY AND SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS AS WELL. A FEW LOCATIONS IN THE ADVISORY AREAS WERE REPORTING HIGH WIND WARNING CRITERIA GUSTS FROM 60 TO 72 MPH INCLUDING MONTECITO HILLS...SAUGUS...CAMP NINE AND WHITAKER PEAK. THERE WILL BE A REPEAT OF THESE CONDITIONS FOR THE SAME AREAS LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY MORNING...BUT NOT AS LONG INTO THE MORNING HOURS SATURDAY. HAVE WENT AHEAD AND EXTENDED WIND ADVISORIES FOR THE MOUNTAIN LOCATIONS EXCLUDING THE SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. LAX-BFL SURFACE GRADIENTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE A TAD WEAKER THIS EVENING...SO WILL LET DAY SHIFT LOOK CLOSER AT ADDING WIND ADVISORIES FOR THE SANTA CLARITA VALLEY AND POSSIBLY THE SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS AND SAN FERNANDO VALLEY. THE OTHER POINT OF INTEREST HAS BEEN THE GALE FORCE WINDS ACROSS THE OUTER WATERS THAT HAVE HELPED TO SPIN UP AN EDDY ALONG THE LA COUNTY COAST. LATEST FOG PRODUCT IMAGERY INDICATED LOW CLOUDS PUSHING IN ACROSS THE SAN GABRIEL VALLEY AND THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE LA COUNTY COAST NEAR LONG BEACH. THIS IS TRICKY AS THIS MOIST AIR MASS IS BATTLING THE DRIER WINDIER AIR MASS TO THE NORTH. AT THIS POINT...IT IS A TOUGH CALL IF WEST LA WILL SEE ANY STRATUS...BUT BETTER CHANCE TO THE SOUTH NEAR THE PALOS VERDES PENINSULA AND INTO THE SAN GABRIEL VALLEY WHERE NORTH WINDS HAVE NOT BEEN A PROBLEM THIS MORNING. LOW CLOUDS COULD BACKDOOR IN ACROSS DOWNTOWN NOT AFFECTING THE COAST. WITH THE INVERSION QUITE WEAK...NOT EXPECTING LOW CLOUDS TO LAST LONG THIS MORNING FOR THE SAN GABRIEL VALLEY AND SOUTHERN LA COUNTY COASTAL AREAS. FURTHER INLAND...SOME CLOUDS HAVE BANKED UP AGAINST THE NORTHERN SLOPES OF THE VENTURA COUNTY MOUNTAINS THIS MORNING BUT THIS SHOULD ALSO BE SHORT LIVED. MODELS ARE ADVERTISING LOW LEVEL MOISTURE PUSHING INTO THE ANTELOPE VALLEY AS WELL...BUT WILL KEEP SKIES MOSTLY CLEAR TODAY BUT A FEW STRATOCU COULD DEVELOP BRIEFLY THIS MORNING. TEMPS TODAY SHOULD BE A TAD WARMER ALONG COASTAL AND COASTAL VALLEYS WHILE BEING SLIGHTLY COOLER ACROSS INTERIOR AREAS. SANTA BARBARA CITY SHOULD REACH THE LOWER 80S LATE THIS AFTERNOON OR EARLY EVENING DUE TO THE SUNDOWNER WINDS. THE COMBINATION OF GUSTY WINDS AND LOWERING HUMIDITIES WILL RESULT IN ELEVATED FIRE DANGER ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS AND SBA SOUTH COAST THROUGH TONIGHT. FOR MORE DETAILS...PLEASE REFER TO FIRE WEATHER SECTION BELOW. FOR SUNDAY...EXPECT COOLER CONDITIONS ALONG THE COAST AS WEAK OFFSHORE FLOW TURNS WEAKLY ONSHORE ALLOWING FOR BEST COOLING ACROSS THE COAST. THERE WILL CONTINUE TO BE BROAD NW FLOW ALOFT WITH THICKNESS AND HEIGHTS LOWERING SLIGHTLY TO HELP WITH THE COOL DOWN. BY SUNDAY NIGHT WEAKER NORTHERLY FLOW WILL DEVELOP BRINGING MORE WINDS TO THE SAME AREAS MENTIONED...BUT LIKELY WEAKER. LOW CLOUDS WILL BE LIMITED TO THE LA COAST AND SAN GABRIEL VALLEY OVERNIGHT. .LONG TERM (MON-THU)... BOTH THE GFS AND EURO MODELS SHOW A WEAK RIDGE ALOFT AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING AREA OF LOW PRESSURE. BY MONDAY MORNING...NORTH WINDS WILL BEGIN TO SHIFT TO THE NORTHEAST CAUSING A FEW DEGREES OF WARMING ALONG THE COAST AND COASTAL VALLEYS. THIS WILL BE SHORT LIVED AS A WEAK UPPER LEVEL TROUGH SHIFTS TOWARDS THE AREA. THIS WILL BRING THE START OF A MILD COOLING TREND THROUGH THE WEAK. HAVE PULLED OUT POPS FOR WEDNESDAY BUT KEPT THEM IN THE FORECAST FOR THURSDAY FOR AREAS N OF POINT CONCEPTION. A BETTER CHANCE OF RAIN LOOKS POSSIBLE FOR FRIDAY INTO THE WEEKEND. && .AVIATION...22/1207Z. VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AT ALL TERMINALS EXCEPT FOR IFR CONDITIONS OCCURRING AT LOS ANGELES COUNTY COASTAL AND VALLEY TERMINALS BETWEEN THROUGH AT LEAST 16Z OR AS LATE AS 19Z. PERIODS OF MODERATE LOW-LEVEL WIND SHEAR AND TURBULENCE IS EXPECTED THROUGH 16Z AT MOST TERMINALS SOUTH OF POINT CONCEPTION...WITH A CHANCE OF LOW-LEVEL WIND SHEAR AND TURBULENCE FOR TERMINALS NORTH OF POINT CONCEPTION. KLAX...IFR CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST AT KLAX THROUGH AT LEAST 16Z...OR AS LATE AS 19Z. PERIODS OF MODERATE LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR AND TURBULENCE ARE POSSIBLE AFTER 03Z THIS EVENING. KBUR...LIFR CONDITIONS WILL SPREAD IN THROUGH 13Z..AND REMAIN LIFR TO IFR THROUGH AT LEAST 15Z...OR AS LATE AS 17Z. PERIODS OF MODERATE LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR AND TURBULENCE ARE POSSIBLE AFTER 03Z THIS EVENING. && .FIRE WEATHER... ELEVATED FIRE DANGER ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS AND SBA SOUTH COAST THROUGH TONIGHT DUE TO COMBINATION OF STRONG NORTHERLY WINDS AND LOWERING HUMIDITIES. SIMILAR WIND SPEEDS EXPECTED TONIGHT...WITH GUSTS GENERALLY BETWEEN 40 AND 50 MPH. HOWEVER...COULD SEE ISOLATED GUSTS OVER 60 MPH ACROSS FAVORED RIDGETOPS OF THE INTERSTATE 5 CORRIDOR AS WELL AS MONTECITO HILLS IN SBA COUNTY. ALREADY SEEING SOME HUMIDITIES FALL TO BETWEEN 15 AND 25 PERCENT ACROSS THESE LOCATIONS THIS MORNING. LATEST 06Z NAM CONTINUES TO SHOW ADDITIONAL DRYING TODAY ACROSS DOWNSLOPE AREAS...WITH HUMIDITIES POTENTIALLY FALLING INTO SINGLE DIGITS IN A FEW LOCATIONS. COMPRESSIONAL WARMING AND DRYING WILL CONTINUE TODAY ACROSS THE SBA SOUTH COAST AS WELL AS PORTIONS OF LA COUNTY...WITH WIDESPREAD HUMIDITIES IN THE TEENS AND SINGLE DIGITS. THIS COUPLED WITH DRYING 10-HOUR DEAD FUEL MOISTURE LEVELS WILL RESULT IN BRIEF CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ACROSS THE SBA SOUTH COAST AND ADJACENT FOOTHILLS...AS WELL AS THE LA COUNTY MOUNTAINS NEAR THE INTERSTATE 5 CORRIDOR. .LOX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY (SEE LAXNPWLOX). GALE WARNING (SEE LAXMWWLOX). SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY (SEE LAXMWWLOX). && PUBLIC...KAPLAN AVIATION...HALL FIRE...GOMBERG/CK WWW.WEATHER.GOV/LOSANGELES
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA 930 AM PDT FRI MAR 22 2013 CAZ034>041-044>046-051>054-059-087-088-547-548-231300- 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- 930 AM PDT FRI MAR 22 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA. .DAY ONE... TODAY AND TONIGHT GUSTY NORTH WINDS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS AND SANTA BARBARA SOUTH COAST THIS MORNING AND AGAIN TONIGHT. IT WILL ALSO BE WINDY THROUGH THE SANTA CLARITA VALLEY AT TIMES. A GALE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE OUTER WATERS THROUGH THIS EVENING. * WIND ADVISORY..............SEE WWUS76 KLOX - NPWLOX FOR DETAILS * * GALE WARNING...............SEE WHUS76 KLOX - MWWLOX FOR DETAILS * .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY GUSTY NORTH WINDS WILL CONTINUE INTO SATURDAY MORNING FOR THE MOUNTAINS OF LOS ANGELES...VENTURA AND SANTA BARBARA COUNTY MOUNTAINS. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN FOR THURSDAY...WITH A BETTER CHANCE THE FOLLOWING WEEKEND. * 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. EB/KAPLAN
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OXNARD CA
527 AM PDT FRI MAR 22 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0247 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 5 ENE SANTA BARBARA 34.46N 119.65W
03/22/2013 M71.00 MPH SANTA BARBARA CA MESONET
NORTHEAST WINDS 38 MPH GUSTING TO 71 MPH AT MONTECITO
HILLS RAWS...ELEVATION 1619 FEET.
0257 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 6 SSW CASTAIC LAKE 34.57N 118.74W
03/22/2013 M83.00 MPH LOS ANGELES CA MESONET
NORTHWEST WINDS 51 MPH GUSTING TO 83 MPH AT WHITAKER PEAK
RAWS...ELEVATION 4120 FEET.
0424 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 2 NNE SANTA BARBARA 34.46N 119.71W
03/22/2013 M57.00 MPH SANTA BARBARA CA MESONET
NORTHEAST WINDS 34 MPH GUSTING TO 57 MPH AT THE SANTA
BARBARA BOTANICAL GARDEN...ELEVATION 753 FEET.
&&
HALL2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The RAWS sensor at Montecito Hills reported northerly wind gusts to 64 MPH.
The RAWS sensor at Montecito Hills reported northerly wind gusts to 64 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, March 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: 436925, 436926.