High Wind and Strong Wind in California, November 15 to 17, 2014

Name: High Wind and Strong Wind in California, November 15 to 17, 2014
Start: 2014-11-15T18:00
End: 2014-11-17T04:00
Location: California

November 15 to 17, 2014 · NWS SGX · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

Where it happened

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.

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: $25,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 4

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 dry cold front passed through the area overnight on the 15th, into the 16th, with gusty west winds. Behind the front, winds turned northeasterly (Santa Ana winds) and gusty later on the 16th, lasting through the 17th as surface high pressure built in over the Great Basin. Riverside and Orange Counties were the most affected with winds during this event, with a few reports of wind damage in the Inland Empire.

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 Nov 15, 1:15 PM PST, 4 hours 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 15, 1:15 PM PST, 4 hours 45 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
115 PM PST SAT NOV 15 2014

.SYNOPSIS...
ALTHOUGH LOW CLOUDS WILL PREVAIL WEST OF THE MOUNTAINS THROUGH
TONIGHT...A DRY COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
DURING THE DAY ON SUNDAY....BRINGING STRONG AND GUSTY NORTH TO
NORTHEAST WINDS TO THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS AND VALLEYS.  THESE WINDS
WILL SHIFT SOUTHWARD INTO SAN DIEGO COUNTY...AND TURN MORE NORTHEAST
AND EASTERLY SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY.  ALTHOUGH COOLER CONDITIONS
WILL DEVELOP IN THE MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS...WARMER CONDITIONS WILL
BE POSSIBLE WEST OF THE MOUNTAINS TOWARD THE COAST.  THIS OFFSHORE
FLOW WILL WEAKEN ON TUESDAY...WITH WEAK ONSHORE FLOW RETURNING ON
WEDNESDAY.  FOR THE LATTER HALF OF THE WEEK...ONSHORE FLOW WILL
BRING A COOLING TREND...WITH AREAS OF NIGHT AND MORNING LOW CLOUDS
AND FOG FOR COASTAL AREAS.

&&

.DISCUSSION...FOR EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA INCLUDING ORANGE...
SAN DIEGO...WESTERN RIVERSIDE AND SOUTHWESTERN SAN BERNARDINO
COUNTIES...

WATER VAPOR IMAGERY CONTINUES TO SHOW A HIGHLY AMPLIFIED RIDGE OF
HIGH PRESSURE ALONG 130 WEST THIS AFTERNOON...WITH AN OMEGA BLOCK
REMAINING WELL TO OUR NORTH.  AT THIS POINT IN TIME...SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA REMAINS UNDER THE NORTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT...WITH JUST A
FEW HIGH CLOUDS FILTERING ACROSS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.  AT THE
SURFACE...ONSHORE FLOW CONTINUES TO PREVAIL...WITH STABLE LOW LEVEL
CUMULUS LINGERING WEST OF THE MOUNTAINS.  AS A RESULT...TEMPERATURES
ARE RUNNING WITHIN A COUPLE OF DEGREES OF THIS TIME YESTERDAY...WHICH
WILL MAKE FOR ANOTHER COOL EVENING ACROSS THE REGION.  THESE LOW
CLOUDS WILL FILL IN TONIGHT...WITH SOME PATCHY FOG POSSIBLE NEAR THE
COASTAL SLOPES.

WATER VAPOR IMAGERY ALSO SHOWS MORE COLD AIR DIVING SOUTH ACROSS THE
INTERMOUNTAIN WEST THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THE GREAT BASIN.  THIS
BACK DOOR COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH SOUTHWARD TONIGHT AND
ACROSS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ON SUNDAY.  A STRONG SURFACE BASIN HIGH
PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL THEN BUILD INTO THE GREAT BASIN DURING THE
DAY.  AS A RESULT...COOLER CONDITIONS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE
MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS.  HOWEVER...THE PRIMARY CONCERN WILL BE WITH
THE MODERATELY STRONG NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS ACROSS OUR NORTHERN
MOUNTAINS...INLAND EMPIRE...AND ORANGE COUNTY.  THE MODELS CONTINUE
TO SHOW THAT THE OFFSHORE PRESSURE GRADIENTS BETWEEN TONOPAH AND SAN
DIEGO WILL PEAK AROUND 15 MB ON LATE SUNDAY MORNING...WITH 850 MB
WINDS OF AT 50 KTS OR STRONGER DEPENDING ON THE MODEL.  FOR THIS
REASON...BELIEVE THE HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE NORTHERN AREAS LOOKS
ON TRACK...AND IS GOOD TO GO FOR SUNDAY.  THESE WINDS WILL SHIFT
SOUTHWARD INTO SAN DIEGO COUNTY LATE IN THE DAY ON SUNDAY...AND TURN
MORE NORTHEASTERLY AND EASTERLY AS THEY DO.  ALTHOUGH THE MODELS ARE
SHOWING THAT THE GRADIENT AND THE UPPER LEVEL WIND SUPPORT WILL NOT
BE QUITE AS STRONG ON MONDAY MORNING...IT STILL LOOKS LIKE HIGH WIND
CRITERIA WILL BE MET...ESPECIALLY IN THE FAVORED CANYONS AND
PASSES AS WELL AS ALONG THE COASTAL FOOTHILLS.  THEREFORE...WILL
UPGRADE THE HIGH WIND WATCH TO A WARNING WITH THE AFTERNOON
PACKAGE.  ALTHOUGH THE GRADIENTS AND THE UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT
CONTINUE TO WEAKEN INTO TUESDAY...SOME LOCALLY GUSTY CONDITIONS WILL
LIKELY BE POSSIBLE AGAIN ON TUESDAY MORNING.

ALTHOUGH THIS COLDER AIR WILL KEEP THE MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS QUITE
COOL FOR SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...WARMER CONDITIONS WILL DEVELOP
WEST OF THE MOUNTAINS...ESPECIALLY TOWARDS THE COAST.  THIS COLDER
AIR IS ALSO QUITE DRY...SO EXPECT THE HUMIDITY LEVELS TO DROP
SIGNIFICANTLY FROM WHERE THEY HAVE BEEN...WITH THE MARINE LAYER
COMPLETELY MIXING OUT DURING THE DAY ON SUNDAY.  THE ONE OTHER POINT
TO MENTION IS THAT AREAS THAT ARE WIND SHELTERED AREAS ON SUNDAY
NIGHT AND MONDAY NIGHT WILL LIKELY SEE VERY CHILLY
CONDITIONS...DROPPING INTO THE 30S ON SUNDAY NIGHT.  HAVE ADJUSTED
TEMPERATURES DOWN A BIT IN THESE WIND SHELTERED AREAS...AND MAY NEED
TO THINK ABOUT A FROST ADVISORY FOR THIS TIME PERIOD.  FOR
NOW...WILL HOLD OFF...BUT THIS IS SOMETHING TO CONTINUE TO WATCH.

THE EXTENDED MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW SEVERAL SYSTEMS MOVING INTO THE
WEST COAST FOR THE LATTER PART OF THE WORK WEEK AND WEEKEND.  THERE
ARE STILL SEVERAL TIMING AND STRENGTH ISSUES WITH THESE
SYSTEMS...ESPECIALLY THE LATTER SYSTEMS FOR FRIDAY AND THE WEEKEND.
FOR NOW...EXPECT ONSHORE FLOW TO RETURN ON WEDNESDAY AND PREVAIL
THROUGH THE WEEKEND...WITH COOLER CONDITIONS DEVELOPING AS WELL.
COASTAL LOW CLOUDS AND FOG WILL ALSO REDEVELOP...AND SOME DENSE FOG
MIGHT BE POSSIBLE DURING THE LATE NIGHT AND EARLY MORNING HOURS.
ALTHOUGH THE EXTENDED MODELS CONTINUE TO KEEP THE BRUNT OF THE
MOISTURE WELL NORTH OF OUR AREA THROUGH THE PERIOD...THE 12Z ECMWF
IS NOW HINTING AT A STRONGER SYSTEM FOR FRIDAY AND SATURDAY...WHICH
COULD BRING US SOME MOISTURE.  GIVEN THAT THIS IS THE FIRST OF THE
MODELS AND MODEL RUNS TO SHOW A WETTER SCENARIO FOR SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA...WILL KEEP THINGS DRY FOR NOW...BUT MAYBE SOME MARINE
DRIZZLE IS NOT SO FAR FETCHED FOR FRIDAY OR SATURDAY.

&&

.AVIATION...
152104Z...COAST/VALLEYS/COASTAL MOUNTAIN SLOPES...THROUGH 16/0000
UTC...SCT-FEW CLOUDS BETWEEN ABOUT 2000 AND 5000 FT MSL AND
UNRESTRICTED VIS. 16/0000-1200 UTC...CLOUDS BECOMING PATCHY BKN-OVC
WITH BASES 1700-2500 FT MSL AND TOPS 3500-4000 FT MSL...WITH LOCAL
VIS 3-5 SM AND SOME MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION. 16/1200-1500 UTC...CLOUDS
STARTING TO CLEAR OUT OF SAN BERNARDINO...RIVERSIDE AND ORANGE
COUNTIES...AS DEVELOPING N TO NE WINDS 15-30 KT WITH GUSTS 30-45 KT
BRING STG-SVR UP/DOWNDRAFTS...POSSIBLE ROTORS...LOWERED VIS IN
BLOWING DUST...AND LLWS WHERE WINDS DO NOT SURFACE. CONFIDENCE IN
LLWS AND WIND FORECAST FOR KSNA AND KONT IS MODERATE. STRATUS THEN
CLEARING OUT OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY 16/1400-1700 UTC WITH SOME OF THE
STRONG NE TO E WINDS CREATING SOME UP/DOWNDRAFTS AND LLWS IN THAT
AREA AS WELL.

MOUNTAIN RIDGES AND DESERT SLOPES/DESERTS...FEW-SCT CLOUDS AOA 15000
FT MSL THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING. THROUGH 16/1200 UTC...AREAS OF W
WINDS 15-25 KT WITH GUSTS 30-40 KT WILL CREATE MOD-STG UP/DOWNDRAFTS
AND LLWS OVER AND E OF THE MOUNTAINS. AFTER 16/1200 UTC...DEVELOPING
N TO NE WINDS 15-30 KT WITH GUSTS 30-45 KT WILL BRING STG-SVR
UP/DOWNDRAFTS...POSSIBLE ROTORS...LOWERED VIS IN BLOWING
DUST/SAND...AND LLWS WHERE WINDS DO NOT SURFACE. CONFIDENCE IN WIND
FORECAST FOR KPSP AND KTRM IS LOW-TO-MODERATE.

&&

.MARINE...
104 PM...NORTHEAST WIND GUSTS MAY APPROACH 20 TO 25 KT OVER THE
CENTRAL AND NORTHERN SAN DIEGO COUNTY COASTAL WATERS SUNDAY
AFTERNOON AND EVENING...BUT CONFIDENCE IS LOW THAT WIND SPEEDS AND
AREA COVERAGE OF THE WINDS WILL REACH SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY
THRESHOLDS. THUS...NO HAZARDOUS MARINE WEATHER IS EXPECTED THROUGH
THURSDAY.

&&

.BEACHES...
104 PM...THE SAN CLEMENTE BASIN BUOY INDICATES THAT THE
WEST-NORTHWEST SWELL HAS LOWERED SLIGHTLY TO AROUND 6 FT/12-14
SECONDS. THIS SWELL WILL CONTINUE TO BRING ELEVATED SURF OF 3 TO 5
FEET AND STRONG RIP CURRENTS TODAY. LOCAL SETS OF 6 FEET ARE
POSSIBLE NORTH OF NEWPORT BEACH AND SOUTH OF ENCINITAS. THE SWELL
SHOULD GRADUALLY LOWER THROUGH TODAY AND MORE SIGNIFICANTLY SUNDAY
AND MONDAY...RESULTING IN DIMINISHED SURF AND A LOWER RIP CURRENT
THREAT.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
FIRE WEATHER WATCHES WILL BE CONVERTED TO RED FLAG WARNINGS WITH THE
AFTERNOON PACKAGE...AS STRONG AND GUSTY NORTHEAST WINDS WILL DEVELOP
ACROSS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SUNDAY AND MONDAY...FAVORING AREAS BELOW
THE PASSES AND CANYONS...BELOW THE MOUNTAIN CRESTS...AND ALONG THE
COASTAL SLOPES.  THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE ON SUNDAY MORNING AND
CONTINUE INTO THE AFTERNOON FOR A CORRIDOR FROM CAJON SUMMIT TO
ORANGE COUNTY.  THESE WINDS WILL DEVELOP AROUND SUNRISE...WITH
HUMIDITIES FALLING THE CRITICAL THRESHOLDS AFTER 10 AM.  THESE
STRONG WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES WILL THEN SPREAD SOUTHWARD INTO SAN
DIEGO COUNTY BY SUNDAY EVENING...AND CONTINUE INTO MONDAY.  DAYTIME
HUMIDITIES WILL FALL INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS EACH DAY THROUGH
TUESDAY...WITH WIDESPREAD POOR OVERNIGHT RECOVERIES DEVELOPING.
ALTHOUGH THE OFFSHORE FLOW WILL WEAKEN SOME FOR MONDAY NIGHT AND
TUESDAY...GUSTY NORTHEAST WINDS MAY REMAIN NEAR CRITICAL THRESHOLDS.

&&

.SKYWARN...
SKYWARN ACTIVATION IS NOT REQUESTED. HOWEVER WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE
ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS.

&&

.SGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CA...HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 4 AM SUNDAY TO NOON PST MONDAY FOR THE
     COACHELLA VALLEY...ORANGE COUNTY COASTAL AREAS...RIVERSIDE
     COUNTY MOUNTAINS...SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY MOUNTAINS...SAN
     BERNARDINO AND RIVERSIDE COUNTY VALLEYS-THE INLAND EMPIRE...
     SANTA ANA MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS.

     RED FLAG WARNING FROM 8 PM SUNDAY TO 8 PM PST MONDAY FOR THE
     RIVERSIDE COUNTY MOUNTAINS-INCLUDING THE SAN JACINTO RANGER
     DISTRICT OF THE SAN BERNARDINO NATIONAL FOREST...SAN DIEGO
     COUNTY INLAND VALLEYS...SAN DIEGO COUNTY
     MOUNTAINS-INCLUDING THE PALOMAR AND DESCANSO RANGER
     DISTRICTS OF THE CLEVELAND NATIONAL FOREST.

     RED FLAG WARNING FROM 10 AM SUNDAY TO 8 PM PST MONDAY FOR THE
     ORANGE COUNTY COASTAL AREAS...SAN BERNARDINO AND RIVERSIDE
     COUNTY VALLEYS-THE INLAND EMPIRE...SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
     MOUNTAINS-INCLUDING THE MOUNTAIN TOP AND FRONT COUNTRY
     RANGER DISTRICTS OF THE SAN BERNARDINO NATIONAL FOREST...
     SANTA ANA MOUNTAINS-INCLUDING THE TRABUCO RANGER DISTRICT
     OF THE CLEVELAND NATIONAL FOREST.

     HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 8 PM SUNDAY TO NOON PST MONDAY FOR THE
     SAN DIEGO COUNTY MOUNTAINS...SAN DIEGO COUNTY VALLEYS.

PZ...NONE.

&&

PUBLIC/FIRE WEATHER...PALMER
AVIATION/MARINE...HARRISON

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, 1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Coachella Valley

When: November 15, 6:00 PM PST to November 16, 12:00 AM PST
Where: Coachella Valley forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Reported by: RAWS
Coordinates: 33.744, -115.994 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High winds began at the Whitewater RAWS between 1650-1750 PST and ended between 2250-2350 PST on the evening of the 15th. During this time, winds were sustained out of the west-northwest at 35-45 mph with gusts near 60, including the peak gust of 60 mph recorded between 2150-2250 PST.

High Wind, Santa Ana Mountains and Foothills

When: November 16, 4:00 AM PST to 12:00 PM PST
Where: Santa Ana Mountains and Foothills forecast zone
Measured: 66 kt (76 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 33.483, -116.847 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High winds began at the Pleasants Peak SDGE mesonet between 0425-0455 PST and ended between 1059-1129 PST on the morning of the 16th. During this time, winds were sustained out of the east-northeast at 35-55 mph with gusts over 60 mph. The peak gust of 76 mph recorded between 1029-1059 PST. High winds also occurred at the Fremont Canyon RAWS between 0651-0951 PST on the 16th, with sustained winds out of the northeast at 35-40 mph, including the peak gust of 62 mph recorded between 0851-0951 PST.

Strong Wind, San Bernardino and Riverside County Valleys - the Inland Empire

When: November 16, 10:30 AM PST to 11:30 AM PST
Where: San Bernardino and Riverside County Valleys - the Inland Empire forecast zone
Measured: 45 kt (52 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 34.293, -116.086 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong easterly winds caused damage to a roof in Eastvale, near the city of Riverside. Wind gusts were estimated around 52 mph, based on nearby observations. The Press Enterprise newspaper cited 1400 customers without power in central San Bernardino at 1022 PST on the 16th. CHP also reported power lines down northeast of Perris at 1347 PST and east of Moreno Valley at 2355 PST on the 16th.

High Wind, San Diego County Mountains

When: November 16, 2:00 PM PST to November 17, 4:00 AM PST
Where: San Diego County Mountains forecast zone
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 33.028, -116.770 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong winds occurred at the Sill Hill and Crestwood SDGE mesonet stations from the evening of the 16th through the early morning of the 17th. During this period, winds were gusting 45 to 55 mph out of the east to northeast. Crestwood recorded a peak gust of 59 mph as well, between 1200-1210 PST on the 16th. Sill Hill recorded a peak gust of 59 mph between 0230-0240 PST on the 17th.

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
Strong Wind: Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in California in 2014 Every state in 2014 This day in weather history Warnings in California, November 2014

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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 548602, 548612, 548616, 548647.