A strong northerly pressure gradient generated strong and gusty north winds across the mountains of Ventura and Los Angeles counties. The strongest winds occurred in the Interstate 5 corridor with wind gusts as high as 76 MPH.
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 LOX wrote it up.
A strong northerly pressure gradient generated strong and gusty north winds across the mountains of Ventura and Los Angeles counties. The strongest winds occurred in the Interstate 5 corridor with wind gusts as high as 76 MPH.
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 Los Angeles, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 31, 8:33 PM PST, 2 hours 15 minutes earlier.
SOUTHWEST CALIFORNIA AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA 933 PM PDT TUE MAR 31 2015 .SYNOPSIS... THE GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS WILL PERSIST DURING THE NIGHT AND MORNING HOURS INTO THURSDAY...WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS OVER THE MOUNTAINS. THE GUSTY WINDS WILL TURN MORE NORTH ON THURSDAY FOR A SLIGHT WARMUP...THEN SANTA ANA WINDS WILL START FRIDAY FOR WELL ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES. A LOW SYSTEM WILL ARRIVE EARLY NEXT WEEK FOR MORE CLOUDS AND TEMPERATURES BACK TO AROUND NORMAL. && .UPDATE... A BROAD TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE CONTINUES TO MOVE OVER THE WESTERN STATES THIS EVENING. THE TROUGH IS CENTERED OVER THE NORTHERN INTERMOUNTAIN REGION WITH THE AXIS MOVING OVER SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGION CURRENTLY. ANOTHER DEVELOPING SHORTWAVE TROUGH NEAR 42N AND 142W WILL DROP INTO THE REGION ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND BRING ANOTHER ROUND OF GUSTY WINDS...POSSIBLY STRONGER IN SOME LOCATIONS. MOST ATTENTION WAS PAID TO GETTING THE RIGHT HEADLINES ISSUED. LATEST MODEL SOLUTIONS ARE INCREASING THE WINDS FOR TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING. A HIGH WIND WARNING WAS ADDED FOR THE LOS ANGELES AND VENTURA COUNTY MOUNTAINS AS NAM-WRF SOLUTIONS INDICATE 10 DEGREE CELSIUS 850 MB THERMAL GRADIENTS ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS WITH 40 KNOTS OF WIND AT 850 MB. NAM MOS GUIDANCE AT SANDBERG CONTINUES TO INDICATE SUSTAINED WINDS WELL OVER 30 KNOTS THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING. WITH SOME NORTHERLY WINDS FILTERING THROUGH THE INTERSTATE 5 CORRIDOR INTO THE SANTA CLARITA VALLEY...A WIND ADVISORY WAS ADDED THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING. A WIND ADVISORY WAS ALSO EXTENDED FOR WEST WINDS IN THE ANTELOPE VALLEY INTO WEDNESDAY EVENING. NAM-WRF SOLUTIONS ARE INDICATING 950 MB WINDS AROUND 45-50 KNOTS ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT ACROSS THE SANTA BARBARA SOUTH COAST AND MOUNTAINS. WITH LOCAL 2-KM WRF SOLUTIONS SUGGESTING 45-50 KNOTS AT 975 MB AND 950 MB AND INLINE WITH NAM-WRF SOLUTIONS...A HIGH WIND WATCH WAS ADDED FOR THE SANTA BARBARA SOUTH COAST AND MOUNTAINS...AND SAN MIGUEL AND SANTA ROSA ISLANDS OFFSHORE. POTENTIALLY DAMAGING WINDS WITH WIND GUSTS UP TO 65 MPH COULD DEVELOP ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT FOR THESE AREAS. && .PREV DISCUSSION... SHORT TERM...WINDS SHIFT TO THE NORTHEAST AND WE GET A BRIEF BUT MODERATE SANTA ANA WIND EVENT FRIDAY WITH WHAT LOOKS LIKE SOLID ADVISORY LEVEL WINDS ACROSS VENTURA AND LA COUNTIES, EVEN FOR THE COAST. 950 TEMPS AND THICKNESSES ARE NOT QUITE AS HIGH AS WE SAW WITH THE LAST EVENT WHERE TEMPS GOT UP INTO THE MID 90S SO FRIDAY'S HIGHS PROBABLY WILL TOP OUT IN THE 80S, MAYBE AN ISOLATED 90, UNLESS A MUCH WARMER AIR MASS MOVES IN THAN CURRENTLY DEPICTED IN THE MODELS. LONG TERM...A RAPID COOL DOWN EXPECTED THIS WEEKEND WITH HIGHS BACK DOWN INTO THE 60S TO LOWER 70S BY EASTER SUNDAY AND LIKELY PLENTY OF MARINE LYR CLOUDS FOR COAST/VALLEYS. FORECAST FOR EARLY TO MID NEXT WEEK REMAINS SOMEWHAT IN FLUX DUE TO CONTINUED MODEL DISPARITIES BUT THE LATEST THINKING IS THAT WE'LL REMAIN DRY. TEMPS VERY MUCH UP IN THE AIR BUT NOT EXPECTED TO STRAY TO FAR FROM NORMAL IN EITHER DIRECTION. && .AVIATION... 01/0600Z AT 0535Z...THE MARINE LAYER DEPTH WAS 1000 FEET DEEP AT KLAX. THE INVERSION TOP WAS AT 1600 FEET WITH A TEMPERATURE OF 17 DEGREES CELSIUS. VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD...EXCEPT FOR A CHANCE OF IFR TO MVFR CONDITIONS BETWEEN 07Z AND 16Z AT KLAX AND KLGB. PERIODS OF LIGHT TO MODERATE LOW-LEVEL WIND SHEAR AND TURBULENCE IS EXPECTED AT KSBA...KVNY AND KBUR. KLAX...GOOD CONFIDENCE IN TAF WITH A 30 PERCENT CHC OF IFR CIGS FROM 12Z-16Z. KBUR...VERY GOOD CONFIDENCE IN TAF THERE IS A 30 PERCENT CHANCE OF LIGHT-MODERATE LOW-LEVEL WIND SHEAR AND TURBULENCE...MAINLY BETWEEN BETWEEN 10Z AND 18Z. && .MARINE...31/900 PM. HIGH CONFIDENCE IN ALL GALE WARNINGS AND SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES. IT IS ALSO LIKELY THAT ALL GALE WATCHES WILL BE UPGRADED TO GALE WARNINGS IN THE NEXT 18 HOURS. ALL AREAS...INCLUDING AREAS THAT DO NOT SEE THE WINDS...WILL EXPERIENCE LARGE AND STEEP SEAS AT SHORT PERIODS. WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS SEA CONDITIONS WILL RESULT. IMPROVEMENT IS EXPECTED THURSDAY AND ESPECIALLY FRIDAY AS OFFSHORE FLOW FORMS. && .FIRE WEATHER... INCREASING NORTH-SOUTH PRESSURE GRADIENTS COMBINED WITH SOME UPPER LEVEL WIND AND THERMAL SUPPORT WILL GENERATE GUSTY SUNDOWNER WINDS ACROSS THE SANTA YNEZ RANGE AND SBA SOUTH COAST TONIGHT INTO EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING AND AGAIN LATE WEDNESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY NIGHT. WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO GUST BETWEEN 40 AND 45 MPH ACROSS COASTAL AREAS...WITH GUSTS BETWEEN 50 AND 60 MPH IN THE SANTA YNEZ MOUNTAINS. WITH SBA-BAKERSFIELD GRADIENT EXPECTED TO PEAK BETWEEN -6 AND -7 MB LATE TONIGHT AND AGAIN LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT...THE FOCUS OF STRONGEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BE IN THE VICINITY OF MONTECITO HILLS...WHERE ISOLATED GUSTS OVER 60 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED. THE OTHER FOCUS OF GUSTY NORTHERLY WINDS WITH THIS EVENT WILL BE THE INTERSTATE 5 CORRIDOR OF THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY MOUNTAINS...WHERE GUSTS BETWEEN 45 AND 55 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT...WITH ISOLATED GUSTS OVER 60 MPH NEAR WHITAKER PEAK. DOWNSLOPE LOCATIONS IN THE MOUNTAINS ARE ALSO EXPECTED TO SEE LOWERING HUMIDITIES OVERNIGHT INTO THURSDAY...WHERE THERE WILL BE PERIODS OF READINGS IN THE TEENS AND SINGLE DIGITS. THE COMBINATION OF GUSTY WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES WILL BRING ELEVATED FIRE DANGER TO THE MOUNTAINS AND SBA SOUTH COAST TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY...WITH BRIEF PERIODS OF CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. THE FLOW WILL THEN SHIFT TO THE NORTHEAST ON THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY...SETTING THE STAGE FOR GUSTY SANTA ANA WINDS AND VERY LOW HUMIDITIES ACROSS PORTIONS OF VENTURA AND LOS ANGELES COUNTIES. && .LOX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING (SEE LAXNPWLOX). GALE WARNING (SEE LAXMWWLOX). WIND ADVISORY (SEE LAXNPWLOX). SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY (SEE LAXMWWLOX). HIGH SURF ADVISORY (SEE LAXCFWLOX). GALE WATCH (SEE LAXMWWLOX). BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT (SEE LAXCFWLOX). HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK (SEE LAXSRFLOX). && PUBLIC...HALL/MW AVIATION..ASR MARINE...RORKE SYNOPSIS...SETO/HALL WWW.WEATHER.GOV/LOSANGELES
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA 600 AM PDT TUE MAR 31 2015 CAZ034>041-044>046-051>054-059-087-088-547-548-011300- SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY CENTRAL COAST- SANTA BARBARA COUNTY CENTRAL COAST-SANTA YNEZ VALLEY- SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY INTERIOR VALLEYS-CUYAMA VALLEY- SANTA BARBARA COUNTY SOUTH COAST-VENTURA COUNTY COAST- LOS ANGELES COUNTY COAST INCLUDING DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES- VENTURA COUNTY INTERIOR VALLEYS-VENTURA COUNTY COASTAL VALLEYS- SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS RECREATIONAL AREA- SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY MOUNTAINS- SANTA BARBARA COUNTY MOUNTAINS-VENTURA COUNTY MOUNTAINS- LOS ANGELES COUNTY MOUNTAINS EXCLUDING THE SANTA MONICA RANGE- ANTELOPE VALLEY-CATALINA ISLAND-SANTA CLARITA VALLEY- LOS ANGELES COUNTY SAN FERNANDO VALLEY- LOS ANGELES COUNTY SAN GABRIEL VALLEY- 600 AM PDT TUE MAR 31 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA. .DAY ONE... TODAY AND TONIGHT STRONG WINDS ACROSS THE CENTRAL COAST AND THE ANTELOPE VALLEY WILL CREATE LOCAL DRIVING HAZARDS. THERE WILL BE A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS ON ALL BEACHES TODAY AND TONIGHT. GALE FORCE WINDS WILL CREATE BOATING HAZARDS ACROSS THE OUTER WATERS. * WIND ADVISORY..............SEE WWUS76 KLOX - NPWLOX FOR DETAILS * * GALE WARNING...............SEE WHUS76 KLOX - MWWLOX FOR DETAILS * * HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK......SEE FZUS56 KLOX - SRFLOX FOR DETAILS * * BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT...SEE WHUS46 KLOX - CFWLOX FOR DETAILS * .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY STRONG WINDS THROUGH AND BELOW PASSES AND CANYONS WILL CREATE LOCAL DRIVING HAZARDS. THERE WILL BE A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS ON ALL BEACHES TODAY AND TONIGHT. GALE FORCE WINDS WILL CREATE BOATING HAZARDS ACROSS THE OUTER WATERS. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF GALE FORCE WINDS EXTENDING INTO THE INNER WATERS. * GALE WARNING...............SEE WHUS76 KLOX - MWWLOX FOR DETAILS * * HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK......SEE FZUS56 KLOX - SRFLOX FOR DETAILS * * BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT...SEE WHUS46 KLOX - CFWLOX FOR DETAILS * * GALE WATCH...............SEE WHUS76 KLOX - MWWLOX FOR DETAILS * .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. RORKE
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong northerly winds were reported through the Interstate 5 corridor. The RAWS sensor at Whitaker Peak reported wind gusts as high as 76 MPH. The ASOS at Sandberg reported wind gusts as high as 66 MPH.
Strong northerly winds were reported through the Interstate 5 corridor. Wind gusts between 60 and 65 MPH were reported near the Interstate 5 corridor in the northern parts of the Ventura county mountains.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in California, March 2015
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: 568849, 568850.