High Wind in California, January 23 to 24, 2015

Name: High Wind in California, January 23 to 24, 2015
Start: 2015-01-23T21:10
End: 2015-01-24T23:52
Location: California

January 23 to 24, 2015 · 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: $42,000
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 strong surface high pressure area over the Great Basin resulted in gusty east to northeast winds near the mountain crests, in the coastal foothills, and western inland valleys, including the Inland Empire. Gusty winds began on the 21st, reaching peak strength on the 23rd through 24th. Several stations recorded gusts above 65 mph. Damage included several trees and power lines down in the Inland Empire and foothills of San Diego County. There were also reports of two semi trucks overturned, one in Rancho Cucamonga, and the other just west of Pine Valley.

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 Jan 23, 8:57 PM PST, 13 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 23, 8:57 PM PST, 13 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
857 PM PST FRI JAN 23 2015

.SYNOPSIS...
STRONG AND GUSTY OFFSHORE FLOW THIS WEEKEND WITH MILD TEMPERATURES
DUE TO HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT AND SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE GREAT
BASIN. SLIGHTLY COOLER WEATHER AND SHOWERS POSSIBLE MONDAY AND
TUESDAY...DRY WEDNESDAY...AND MORE SHOWERS POSSIBLE THURSDAY AND
FRIDAY.

&&

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

AT 8 PM PST...WATER VAPOR SATELLITE IMAGERY DISPLAYED AN UPPER-LEVEL
LOW DEVELOPING AROUND 200 MILES SOUTH OF SAN DIEGO...AND AN
UPPER-LEVEL RIDGE AROUND 600 MILES OFF THE CALIFORNIA COAST. SURFACE
HIGH PRESSURE OF 1039 MB OVER CENTRAL NEVADA AND 1021 MB LOW
PRESSURE OVER THE CA BIGHT WAS PRODUCING MODERATE OFFSHORE
FLOW...AND NORTHEASTERLY WIND GUSTS OF 30-40 MPH THROUGH MOUNTAIN
PASSES...CANYONS AND FAR INLAND VALLEYS...WITH A 59 MPH GUST AT
FREEMONT CANYON.

THE UPPER-LEVEL LOW WILL CONTINUE SOUTHWEST AND THE UPPER-LEVEL
RIDGE WILL BUILD EAST TOWARDS NORTHERN CA THROUGH SUNDAY.
THIS...ALONG WITH A FORECAST OFFSHORE PRESSURE GRADIENT FROM SAN
DIEGO TO TONOPAH INCREASING TO AROUND -14 TO -16 MB SATURDAY
MORNING....WILL PROVIDE THE NECESSARY INGREDIENTS FOR CONTINUED
OFFSHORE FLOW THROUGH THE PERIOD...ESPECIALLY TONIGHT THROUGH
SATURDAY. PEAK LOCAL WIND GUSTS SATURDAY MORNING ARE FORECAST
BETWEEN 60 TO 80 MPH ALONG FAVORED AREAS OF THE COASTAL MOUNTAIN
SLOPES. MOUNTAIN WAVE ACTIVITY WILL HELP SOME GUSTY WINDS SURFACE IN
THE VALLEYS AT TIMES...AS WELL. ALTHOUGH PRESSURE GRADIENTS LESSEN
ON SUNDAY IN NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA...WINDY OFFSHORE
CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE CWA TO
CLOSE OUT THE WEEKEND. NEARBY UPPER-LEVEL HIGH PRESSURE AND
COMPRESSIONAL HEATING FROM THE OFFSHORE WINDS WILL HELP HIGH
TEMPERATURES RISE INTO THE UPPER 70S TO LOW 80S WEST OF THE
MOUNTAINS BY SUNDAY...WHICH IS AROUND 10 TO 15 DEGREES F ABOVE
NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. SKIES WILL BE MOSTLY CLEAR THROUGH
SUNDAY...WITH NO MARINE LAYER CLOUDS PRESENT THROUGH THE PERIOD. A
HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT. SEE LAXNPWSGX FOR ADDITIONAL
DETAILS.

THE UPPER-LEVEL LOW TO OUR SOUTH WILL TRAVERSE NORTHEAST TOWARDS SW
CA MONDAY. THIS FEATURE WILL TRANSPORT SUBTROPICAL MOISTURE TO THE
REGION...GENERATING LIGHT TO MODERATE PRECIPITATION OVER THE AREA
MONDAY AND TUESDAY...WITH SNOW LEVELS MAINLY AROUND 8000 FT OR
HIGHER. SOUTH TO SOUTHEASTERLY WINDS WITH THE SYSTEM WILL LIMIT
USUAL OROGRAPHIC ENHANCEMENT OF PRECIP ON COASTAL MOUNTAIN SLOPES.
HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN FAIRLY MILD MONDAY AND TUESDAY DUE TO
THE WARM NATURE OF THE SYSTEM.

WEAK RIDGING WILL SLIGHTLY RAISE HIGHS ON WEDNESDAY...AND CREATE DRY
WEATHER OVER THE AREA. A TROUGH APPROACHING FROM THE WEST IS
FORECAST TO CREATE A CUTOFF LOW NEAR THE REGION TO CLOSE OUT NEXT
WEEK...AND STALL OVER THE AREA. MODELS CONTINUE TO DISAGREE WITH THE
DETAILS. HOWEVER...PERIODS OF PRECIPITATION WILL BE POSSIBLE AGAIN
OVER THE REGION.

&&

.AVIATION...
240420Z...A FEW HIGH CLOUDS AND UNRESTRICTED VIS THROUGH SAT EVENING.

NORTHEAST TO EAST WINDS STRENGTHENING TONIGHT INTO SAT MORNING WITH
SFC GUSTS 35-50 KTS...LOCALLY 55 KT OR HIGHER... TONIGHT THROUGH
SATURDAY. STRONGEST WINDS WILL OCCUR THROUGH AND BELOW THE PASSES
AND CANYONS...AS WELL AS OVER THE COASTAL SLOPES AND FOOTHILLS OF
THE MOUNTAINS. STG-SVR UDDFS AND LLWS ARE LIKELY WITH THESE WINDS
OVER AND SW/W OF THE MTNS...INCLUDING VCNTY
KONT...KCNO...KAJO...KRIV...AND KSNA. SOME LLWS IS ALSO POSSIBLE
OVER KCRQ AND KSAN SAT MORNING.  WINDS WILL WEAKEN SLIGHTLY DURING
SAT AFTERNOON BEFORE INCREASING AGAIN SAT NIGHT.

&&

.MARINE...
825 PM...NORTHEAST WIND GUSTS NEAR 20 KTS POSSIBLE OVER PORTIONS OF
THE COASTAL WATERS SAT MORNING...MAINLY NORTH AND EAST OF SAN
CLEMENTE ISLAND. OTHERWISE NO HAZARDOUS MARINE WEATHER IS EXPECTED
THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

&&

.BEACHES...
830 PM...A LARGE...LONG-PERIOD WEST-NORTHWEST SWELL WILL ARRIVE IN
THE COASTAL WATERS TONIGHT. THIS SWELL WILL GENERATE SURF OF 5-7
FEET SURF WITH SETS UP TO 9 FEET AND STRONG RIP CURRENTS ON
SATURDAY. HIGHEST SURF WILL BE ALONG WEST-FACING BEACHES NORTH OF
NEWPORT BEACH...BETWEEN LAGUNA BEACH AND SAN CLEMENTE...AND SOUTH OF
DEL MAR. SWELL AND SURF WILL LOWER SLIGHTLY ON SUNDAY...WITH A
GREATER DECREASE BEGINNING ON MONDAY. A HIGH SURF ADVISORY IN EFFECT
THROUGH 6 PM SATURDAY.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
OFFSHORE WINDS WILL STRENGTHEN TONIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING...WITH
STRONG NORTHEASTERLY WINDS OF 20-35 MPH AND GUSTS TO 65 MPH ALONG
THE MOUNTAIN RIDGES...COASTAL SLOPES...THROUGH AND BELOW THE
MOUNTAIN PASSES/CANYONS AND INTO THE COASTAL FOOTHILLS. ISOLATED
GUSTS OF 75 TO 80 MPH ARE POSSIBLE. MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITIES
WILL FALL INTO THE MID TO LOW TEENS THROUGH THIS WEEKEND. HUMIDITY
RECOVERIES WILL BE POOR TO LOCALLY MODERATE. NO PLANS TO ISSUE A
FIRE WEATHER HAZARD PRODUCT AT THE MOMENT DUE TO THE RECENT GREEN-
UP FROM THE DECEMBER AND EARLY JANUARY RAINS. OFFSHORE FLOW WILL
WEAKEN LATER SUNDAY INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK.

CHANCES FOR WETTING RAINS WILL DEVELOP LATE MONDAY INTO
TUESDAY...AND AGAIN LATER IN THE WEEK.

&&

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

&&

.SGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CA...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 10 PM PST SATURDAY FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY
     COASTAL AREAS...SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY MOUNTAINS...SAN
     BERNARDINO AND RIVERSIDE COUNTY VALLEYS-THE INLAND EMPIRE...
     SANTA ANA MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS.

     HIGH SURF ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM PST SATURDAY FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY
     COASTAL AREAS...SAN DIEGO COUNTY COASTAL AREAS.

     HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 10 AM PST SUNDAY FOR THE RIVERSIDE
     COUNTY MOUNTAINS...SAN DIEGO COUNTY MOUNTAINS...SAN DIEGO
     COUNTY VALLEYS.

PZ...NONE.

&&

PUBLIC/FIRE WEATHER...JJT
AVIATION/MARINE...SS
FIRE WEATHER...HARRISON

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, San Diego County Mountains

When: January 23, 9:10 PM PST to January 24, 11:30 PM PST
Where: San Diego County Mountains forecast zone
Measured: 77 kt (89 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 33.028, -116.770 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High winds occurred at the Sill Hill Mesonet between 2110 PST on the 23rd and 2330 PST on the 24th. During this time, winds were sustained out of the E at 35-55 mph with most gusts in the high 50s to mid 70s. However, a peak gust of 89 mph was recorded between 0720-0730 PST on the 24th. Strong winds also occurred at the Big Black Mountain (peak gust of 81 mph between 0737 and 0747 on the 24th), West Santa Ysabel (peak gust of 58 mph between 0830 and 0840 on the 24th), Viejas Grade (peak gust of 67 mph between 0830 and 0840 on the 24th), and KG6SIB Descanso (peak gust of 59 mph between 1014 and 1024 on the 24th) mesonet sites. The California Highway Patrol also reported a semi truck knocked on its side near the intersection of Interstate 8 and State Highway 79 due to strong winds at 0937 PST.

High Wind, Santa Ana Mountains and Foothills

When: January 24, 12:00 AM PST to 10:00 PM PST
Where: Santa Ana Mountains and Foothills forecast zone
Measured: 67 kt (77 mph) measured gust
Reported by: RAWS
Coordinates: 33.483, -116.847 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High winds occurred at the Fremont Canyon RAWS between 0000-2200 PST on the 24th. During this time, winds were sustained out of the ENE at 35-40 mph with gusts in the 60s and 70s. A peak gust of 77 mph was recorded between 0651-0751 PST. High winds occurred at the Pleasants Peak mesonet between 0222-1352 PST on the 24th. During this time, winds were sustained out of the ENE at 40-50 mph with gusts in the upper 50s and 60s. A peak gust of 63 mph was recorded twice between 0852-0952 PST.

High Wind, San Diego County Valleys

When: January 24, 1:52 AM PST to 11:52 PM PST
Where: San Diego County Valleys forecast zone
Measured: 63 kt (72 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: RAWS
Coordinates: 33.028, -116.770 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High winds occurred at the Alpine RAWS site between 0152 to 2352 PST on the 24th. During this time, sustained winds out of the NE reached 35-45 mph with gusts in the high 50s to low 70s. A peak gust of 72 mph was recorded between 0952 and 1052 PST on the 24th. A wind gust of 73 mph was also measured an 0921 PST near the city of Poway by a trained weather spotter using a vortex anemometer. An additional wind gust of 62 mph was recorded at the Hellhole Canyon Mesonet station between 0610 and 0620 PST. Finally, California Highway Patrol reported power lines and a pole down across both lanes on Sutherland Dam Road at 1328 PST.

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

When: January 24, 4:00 AM PST to 2:00 PM PST
Where: San Bernardino and Riverside County Valleys - the Inland Empire forecast zone
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $30,000
Reported by: RAWS
Coordinates: 34.293, -116.086 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High winds occurred at the Highland Springs RAWS between 0516-0716 PST on the 24th. During this time, winds were sustained out of the ENE at 40-50 mph with gusts in the 60s. A peak gust of 69 mph was recorded between 0616-0716 PST. The Ontario Airport ASOS recorded a peak gust of 64 mph around 0405 PST on the 24th. ABC7 news reported several trees down due to wind in Rancho Cucamonga and Alta Loma, as well as power lines down and customers without electricity in Fontana. One large tree fell on a car, completely crushing it, in Rancho Cucamonga. CHP also reported a big rig flipped over into a ditch along Highway 210 near the Interstate 15 junction, likely wind-related.

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

Every storm in California in 2015 Every state in 2015 This day in weather history Warnings in California, January 2015

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: 555557, 554763, 555577, 554764.