California, 2013

High Wind in California, October 27 to 28, 2013

October 27 to 28, 2013 · NWS SGX · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

A strong, upper-level low moved down the West Coast on the 27th, through the 28th. Strong to severe, pre-frontal, southwest to west winds impacted the northern desert slopes before a powerful 130 knot jet moved around the backside of the low and through southern California, increasing westerly winds in the mountains and lower deserts through the 29th.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
3

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS SGX wrote it up.

A strong, upper-level low moved down the West Coast on the 27th, through the 28th. Strong to severe, pre-frontal, southwest to west winds impacted the northern desert slopes before a powerful 130 knot jet moved around the backside of the low and through southern California, increasing westerly winds in the mountains and lower deserts through the 29th. Several locations reported gusts above 65 mph, with a highest wind gust measured of 85 mph.

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 Oct 27, 1:21 PM PST, 5 hours 39 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 27, 1:21 PM PST, 5 hours 39 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 27, 2:47 PM PST, 4 hours 13 minutes before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, San Diego County Mountains

When
October 27, 7:00 PM PST to October 28, 7:00 PM PST
Where
San Diego County Mountains forecast zone
Measured
70 kt (81 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
33.028, -116.770 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A Mt. Laguna mesonet station reported wind gusts over 58 mph for the majority of the time between 1930 PST on the 27th and 1900 PST on the 28th, with most gusts well over 60 mph. During this time, a peak gust of 80 mph was recorded between 0135 and 0145 PST on the 28th. The Volcan Mountain mesonet station reported wind gusts over 58 mph for the majority of the time between 0220 PST on the 27th and 1840 PST on the 28th, with most gusts over 60 mph. During this time, a peak gust of 72 mph was recorded between 0440 and 0610 PST on the 28th. The Harrison Park mesonet station reported wind gusts over 58 mph off and on between 0330 and 0720 PST on the 28th. During this time, a peak gust of 61 mph was recorded between 0330 and 0340 PST on the 28th.

High Wind, Apple and Lucerne Valleys

When
October 27, 9:00 PM PST to October 28, 9:00 AM PST
Where
Apple and Lucerne Valleys forecast zone
Measured
69 kt (79 mph) measured gust
Reported by
RAWS
Coordinates
34.841, -116.178 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Burns Canyon RAWS station reported wind gusts over 58 mph consistently between 0451 to 0851 PST on the 28th, with an early gust to 63 mph between 2051 and 2151 PST on the 27th. A peak gust of 79 mph was recorded between 0551 and 0651 PST on the 28th. The Apple Valley Airport measured a peak wind gust of 59 mph between 0155 and 0255 PST on the 28th. A Lucerne Valley mesonet station measured a peak wind gust of 28 mph twice between 0515 and 0530 PST on the 28th.

High Wind, Coachella Valley

When
October 27, 11:00 PM PST to October 28, 4:00 PM PST
Where
Coachella Valley forecast zone
Measured
74 kt (85 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
33.744, -115.994 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Sky Valley mesonet station reported wind gusts over 58 mph from 2300 PST on the 27th to 1600 PST on the 28th, with a couple short breaks. Most gusts were over 65 mph. During this time, a peak gust of 85 mph was recorded twice between 0412 and 0422 PST on the 28th. The Whitewater RAWS station reported wind gusts over 58 mph from 2150 PST on the 27th to 0950 PST on the 28th. During this time, a peak gust of 65 mph was recorded twice between 0350 and 0550 PST.

What these are

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.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in California in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in California, October 2013

Sources

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 481196, 481194, 481192.