California, 2013

High Wind in California, October 8 to 9, 2013

October 8 to 9, 2013 · NWS SGX · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

A strong, upper-level low pressure system moved through southern California with gusty westerly winds along the mountain ridges and down the desert slopes. There were three periods of enhanced winds over the mountain ridges and through the aligned passes, with gusts 55-75 mph.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

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 pressure system moved through southern California with gusty westerly winds along the mountain ridges and down the desert slopes. There were three periods of enhanced winds over the mountain ridges and through the aligned passes, with gusts 55-75 mph. Visibility was reduced in the Coachella Valley below the San Gorgonio Pass due to blowing sand and dust. No damage was reported, however. This event was also the first significant precipitation event of the winter season. The rainfall was likely a factor in the 318 accidents that occurred during the event, versus a normal day of 75 accidents.

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 8, 2:50 PM PST, 5 hours 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 8, 2:50 PM PST, 5 hours 40 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

2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Coachella Valley

When
October 8, 8:30 PM PST to October 9, 4:00 AM PST
Where
Coachella Valley forecast zone
Measured
78 kt (90 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 off and on from 2000 PST on the 8th to 0400 PST on the 9th, with several gusts over 60 mph. During this time, a peak gust of 78 mph was recorded twice between 0222 and 0232 PST on the 9th. The Whitewater RAWS station reported a peak gust of 60 mph between 0150 and 0250 PST on the 9th.

High Wind, San Diego County Mountains

When
October 9, 2:00 AM PST to 3:00 AM PST
Where
San Diego County Mountains forecast zone
Measured
57 kt (66 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Park/Forest Service
Coordinates
33.028, -116.770 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The observer at the Los Pinos fire lookout reported a peak wind gust of 66 mph, measured at 1308 PST on the 9th. The Volcan Mountain mesonet station reported wind gusts over 58 mph between 0200-0300 PST, with a peak gust of 64 mph recorded between 0230 and 0240 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 481187, 481189.