A Pacific storm brought moderate to heavy rain and flash flooding to the region from the 2nd through the 4th. 5 inches at Yucaipa Ridge).
Every event with a place to put it. 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 Pacific storm brought moderate to heavy rain and flash flooding to the region from the 2nd through the 4th. Two-day rainfall totals of 1 to 2 inches were recorded west of the mountains, while the southern slopes of the San Bernardino County mountains saw up to 5 inches of rain (isolated amount of 14.5 inches at Yucaipa Ridge). The heavy rain caused countless instances of flooding, with mud, debris and water closing several roadways and stranding vehicles. Snow levels remained above 8000 feet, so no snow accumulation was observed.
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 2, 9:00 AM PST, 5 hours earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
900 AM PST TUE DEC 2 2014
.SYNOPSIS...
A PACIFIC STORM WILL BRING MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINFALL AND THE
POTENTIAL FOR FLASH FLOODING TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA THIS AFTERNOON
INTO TONIGHT. SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE INTO WEDNESDAY AND MAY LINGER
INTO THURSDAY. MINOR WARMING AND DRYING FRIDAY. WEAKER LOW PRESSURE
SYSTEMS COULD BRING LIGHT PRECIPITATION LATE FRIDAY NIGHT INTO
SATURDAY AND AGAIN SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. DRY WITH A WARMING
TREND FOR EARLY NEXT WEEK.
&&
.DISCUSSION...FOR EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA INCLUDING ORANGE...
SAN DIEGO...WESTERN RIVERSIDE AND SOUTHWESTERN SAN BERNARDINO
COUNTIES...
THE RAIN IS INCREASING AND EXPANDING IN COVERAGE THIS MORNING.
PRECIPITABLE WATER WAS 1.20" IN THE 12Z NKX SOUNDING WHICH IS 258%
OF NORMAL. THESE VALUES WILL INCREASE DURING THE DAY AS THE
ATMOSPHERE BELOW 700 MB GOES THROUGH A TOP-DOWN SATURATION PROCESS.
LIGHT RAIN EXPANDING IN COVERAGE THIS MORNING ACROSS THE LA
BASIN...ORANGE COUNTY AND ALSO OVER THE COASTAL WATERS. THIS RAIN
AREA WILL CONTINUE SHIFTING SOUTHEAST INTO SAN DIEGO COUNTY THROUGH
MIDDAY WITH MODERATE TO LOCALLY HEAVY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS
THE COLUMN REACHES COMPLETE SATURATION. AT 1430Z...EMBEDDED AREAS OF
HIGHER INTENSITY RAINFALL RATES OF .2-.3"/HOUR WERE NEAR PT
CONCEPTION. MOISTURE IS ALSO INCREASING FROM THE SOUTHWEST WITH THE
POES AMSU RAINFALL RATE IMAGE SHOWING A SECOND AREA OF HIGHER
INTENSITY RAINFALL RATES 170 MILES SOUTHWEST OF SAN DIEGO. THIS AREA
IS MOVING NORTHEAST AND COULD CLIP SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA LATER THIS
AFTERNOON AND THROUGH THE EVENING. THE FLASH FLOOD THREAT WILL BE
MAXIMIZED DURING THIS TIME.
RAIN WILL CONTINUE TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY WITH CONTINUED OROGRAPHIC
LIFT IN PERSISTENT WEST-SOUTHWEST LOW LEVEL FLOW ENHANCING THE
RAINFALL POTENTIAL OVER THE COASTAL MTN SLOPES.
WEDNESDAY...THE 12Z GFS CONTINUES ITS TREND OF BRINGING A WEAK VORT
MAX AND A SECONDARY SURGE OF HIGH PRECIPITABLE WATER INTO SOUTHERN
CAL ON WEDNESDAY. THIS COULD BRING ANOTHER ROUND OF MORE WIDESPREAD
MODERATE TO LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WEDNESDAY. THIS WOULD REQUIRE
EXTENDING THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH INTO WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON OR EVENING.
WILL CONTINUE TO EVALUATE THE NEW MODEL DATA FOR THIS POSSIBILITY.
MODEL SOLUTIONS VARY WITH THE PRECIPITATION OUTLOOK THURSDAY. THE
NAM4 KEEPS MAINLY OROGRAPHICALLY BASED SHOWERS THROUGH THURSDAY
WHILE THE GLOBAL MODELS END THE PRECIP BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON. THE
FLOW DOES REMAINS PREDOMINATELY SOUTHWEST THROUGH THURSDAY AND THE
ATMOSPHERE WILL BE SOMEWHAT SATURATED WHICH COULD KEEP PRECIP GOING
LATER INTO THURSDAY.
RAINFALL PROJECTIONS HAVE NOT CHANGED. TOTALS THROUGH EARLY THURSDAY
ARE EXPECTED TO RANGE FROM 1.5 INCHES NEAR THE COAST TO 2.5 TO 4.5
INCHES ON THE COASTAL MOUNTAIN SLOPES WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS
EXCEEDING 6 INCHES. RAINFALL IN THE DESERTS OF ONE HALF TO ONE INCH
IS POSSIBLE. SNOW LEVELS WILL BE QUITE HIGH... MOSTLY ABOVE 8000
FEET.
HEAVY RAINFALL AND ASSOCIATED FLOODING ARE THE MAIN THREATS WITH
THIS STORM....ESPECIALLY OVER RECENTLY BURNED AREAS AND STEEP
TERRAIN. SOUTH WINDS WILL BECOME GUSTY AHEAD OF THE FRONT THIS
AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING...WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS OVER THE
COASTAL WATER AND ADJACENT COASTAL AREAS...AND ALONG WEST-EAST
ALIGNED RIDGES. WIND GUSTS WILL MAINLY BE LESS THAN 25 MPH...EXCEPT
ON THE RIDGES WHERE ISOLATED GUSTS AROUND 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE. WINDS
WEAKEN OVER THE LOWER ELEVATIONS QUICKLY TONIGHT...AND OVER THE
RIDGES DURING THE DAY WEDNESDAY.
.FROM PREVIOUS DISCUSSION.
.LONG TERM (FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY)...
THE DETAILS REMAIN MUDDLED ON THE IMPACTS OF MAINLY WEAK SHORTWAVES
ON FAR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FOR SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY. FRIDAY
SHOULD BE DRY. MORE HEAVILY WEIGHTING THE ECMWF WOULD BRING SMALL
CHANCES FOR MAINLY LIGHT PRECIPITATION LATE FRIDAY NIGHT INTO
SATURDAY...AND AGAIN SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. DRY WEATHER WITH
A WARMING TREND IS EXPECTED FOR EARLY NEXT WEEK.
&&
.AVIATION...
021654Z...MULTIPLE BKN-OVC CLOUD LAYERS IN THE 2000-18000 FT MSL
LAYER THROUGH 03/0900 UTC...WITH SHOWER COVERAGE INCREASING IN
COVERAGE AND INTENSITY THROUGH 2100 UTC. DURING PERIODS OF HEAVIEST
SHOWERS...EXPECT VIS BELOW 1 SM...AND LOCAL CIGS BELOW 500 FT AGL.
HIGHER TERRAIN ABOVE 2000 FT MSL WILL BE OBSCURED. AT COASTAL
AIRPORTS...WINDS WILL BE SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST AND RATHER GUSTY DURING
THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING...AND LOW VIS AND CIGS ARE LIKELY AT
TIMES. AFTER 03/0900 UTC...MULTIPLE BKN-OVC CLOUD LAYERS IN THE
2000-13000 FT MSL LAYER...WITH SHOWERS DIMINISHING A LITTLE...BUT
STILL WIDESPREAD AND PRODUCING AREAS OF VIS 5 SM OR LESS AND CIGS
1000 FT AGL OR LESS. DESERTS WILL SEE LESS SHOWER ACTIVITY TODAY AND
TONIGHT...WITH MAINLY ISOL TO SCT SHOWERS BEGINNING AFTER 2100
UTC...PRODUCING LOCAL VIS AND CIGS OR 3 SM OR LESS AND 2500 FT AGL
OR LESS RESPECTIVELY.
&&
.MARINE...
854 AM...SOUTH TO SOUTHEASTERLY WINDS WILL START TO PICK UP LATE
THIS MORNING OVER THE COASTAL WATERS...WITH WIND GUSTS REACHING 25
TO 30 KT THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING...BEFORE DIMINISHING A BIT
LATE TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING. A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY GOES
INTO EFFECT AT 10 AM THIS MORNING AND CONTINUES THROUGH EARLY
WEDNESDAY MORNING.
&&
.BEACHES...
HIGH TIDES ARE RUNNING SEVERAL INCHES ABOVE WHAT THEY WERE
PREDICTED...ACCORDING TO THE LA JOLLA AND LOS ANGELES TIDE
GAGES...WITH THE TIDE PEAKING AT 6.5 FEET THIS MORNING. TIDES WILL
CONTINUE TO INCREASE WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY...LIKELY REACHING NEAR
7 FEET WEDNESDAY...AND ABOVE 7 FEET ON THURSDAY. THE HIGH TIDES IN
ADDITION TO MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINFALL RUNOFF WILL RESULT IN THE
POSSIBILITY OF MINOR COASTAL FLOODING OF LOW-LYING AREAS DURING THE
TIMES OF HIGH TIDE. A COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE
ORANGE AND SAN DIEGO COUNTY COASTAL AREAS.
&&
.HYDROLOGY...
A PLUME OF SUBTROPICAL MOISTURE WILL BE DRAWN NORTHWARD INTO
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TODAY. THIS DEEP MOISTURE AND MODERATE LOW AND
MID LEVEL SOUTHWEST FLOW WILL GENERATE SIGNIFICANT OROGRAPHIC
RAINFALL ALONG THE COASTAL SLOPES OF THE MOUNTAINS THIS AFTERNOON
AND EVENING.
RAINFALL TOTALS THROUGH EARLY THURSDAY ARE EXPECTED TO RANGE FROM
AROUND 1.5 INCHES NEAR THE COAST TO 2.5 TO 4.5 INCHES ON THE COASTAL
MOUNTAIN SLOPES WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS EXCEEDING 6 INCHES. GREATEST
RAINFALL TOTALS WILL BE ON THE SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST FACING COASTAL
SLOPES OF THE MOUNTAINS. RAINFALL IN THE DESERTS OF ONE HALF TON ONE
INCH IS POSSIBLE. SNOW LEVELS WILL BE QUITE HIGH... MOSTLY ABOVE
8000 FEET.
A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING.
THE HEAVY RAINFALL COULD GENERATE FLASH FLOODING AND MUD AND DEBRIS
FLOWS TO RECENT BURN AREAS...AS WELL AS OTHER STEEP TERRAIN ALONG
THE COASTAL SLOPES OF THE MOUNTAINS. THERE IS A HIGH LIKELIHOOD OF
URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING WEST OF THE MOUNTAINS...WITH THE
POTENTIAL FOR FLASH FLOODING SHOULD HIGH INTENSITY SHOWERS DEVELOP.
WHILE NO MAJOR RIVER FLOODING IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME...RAINFALL
AMOUNTS COULD BE SUFFICIENT TO PRODUCE SOME MINOR NUISANCE FLOODING
ALONG THE SUSCEPTIBLE PORTIONS OF THE SAN DIEGO RIVER AROUND AND
WEST OF INTERSTATE 15.
&&
.SKYWARN...
SKYWARN ACTIVATION IS REQUESTED THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING.
&&
.SGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CA...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH LATE TONIGHT FOR ORANGE
COUNTY COASTAL AREAS...SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY MOUNTAINS...
SAN BERNARDINO AND RIVERSIDE COUNTY VALLEYS-THE INLAND
EMPIRE...SANTA ANA MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS.
FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH WEDNESDAY
MORNING FOR THE RIVERSIDE COUNTY MOUNTAINS...SAN DIEGO
COUNTY COASTAL AREAS...SAN DIEGO COUNTY MOUNTAINS...SAN
DIEGO COUNTY VALLEYS.
COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY FROM 3 AM WEDNESDAY TO 10 AM PDT
THURSDAY FOR THE BEACHES IN ORANGE COUNTY AND SAN DIEGO COUNTY.
PZ...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR WINDS FROM UNTIL 2 AM
PST WEDNESDAY 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...MOEDE
HYDROLOGY...17
AVIATION/MARINE...HARRISONThe Santa Ana Mts radar (KSOX), 72 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:00 UTC.
9 flood, 7 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Valley of the Falls Road reported open, but minor flooding as Mill Creek was running full. Yucaipa Ridge reported 4 inches of rain in 6 hours.
CHP reported the right lanes of Van Buren closed due to flooding.
CHP reported Glen Helen Parkway closed due to flooding from heavy rain.
CHP reported Duncan road in Phelan closed due to flooding between Sheepcreek and Buckwheat roads and minor street flooding at Main St. and I Ave near Hesperia.
The Desert Sun reports that Gene Autry trail...Indian Canyon Drive...Araby Drive...and Vista Chino were closed due to flooding from water rushing down the Whitewater basin from heavy rains over Yucaipa. At the Snow Creek stream gage in Whitewater at 1830 PST the 2nd, the flow peaked at 157 cfs.
CHP reported a mudslide covering all lanes for 50 yards along Sloan Canyon Road, mud was approximately 18 inches deep.
CHP reported the closure of Quarry Road between Lakeview Avenue and Elkelton Drive due to flooding.
CHP reported flooding and mud at San Timoteo Canyon Road and Live Oak Canyon Road.
CHP reported vehicles stuck in mud with debris 10 feet high on both sides of Soboba Road, which was made a hard closure. A spotter reported a swift water rescue on Soboba Road west of Lake Park in San Jacinto. Three people were rescued and all were unharmed. CHP also reported flooding and a mudslide near Gilman Springs Road and Sublette Road, as well as a BMW sedan stuck in water at Cornell Street and Thornton Ave.
CHP and ABC 7 news reported Highway 74 between Dartmouth and Columbia closed due to flooding.
CHP reported multiple vehicles stuck in flood waters near Highway 163 South and I-5, and heavy flooding at the India Street on-ramp to I-5 north, but cars were able to make it through. NBC 7 also reported a flooded underground parking lot in Mission Hills, with several vehicles underwater.
CHP reported 6 to 10 inches of water on the off ramp for Balboa Avenue from Highway 163.
CHP reported 5 to 6 vehicles stuck in flood waters near I-805 and Highway 54, multiple vehicles stranded in flood waters near I-805 and 47th Avenue, and lanes 3 and 4 at the intersection of Highland Avenue and Highway 54 East completely flooded.
CHP reported that the road needs to be closed due to flooding at Rancho California Road and Anza Road.
CHP reported mud too deep to drive through at the intersection of Harmony Grove Road and Wilgen Drive. The roadway was closed for roughly 1 hour.
A swift water rescue was conducted to retrieve an adult male from the San Diego River near the Fashion Valley Mall. No injury report available.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in California, December 2014
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: 553066, 552250, 552256, 552257, 552251, 552261, 552260, 552258, 552252, 552254, 552270, 552307, 552259, 552253, 552308, 552282.