California, 2015Damaging Wind in California, October 15, 2015
October 15, 2015 · NWS PSR · 1 event in 1 county or zone
Strong thunderstorms associated with an upper level low off the southern California coast moved slowly north along the western Imperial county line during the early morning hours on October 15th. Some of the storms generated gusty and damaging winds which affected areas along the western side of the Salton Sea.
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- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $100,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 1
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.
Strong thunderstorms associated with an upper level low off the southern California coast moved slowly north along the western Imperial county line during the early morning hours on October 15th. Some of the storms generated gusty and damaging winds which affected areas along the western side of the Salton Sea. Thunderstorm outflow winds estimated to be at least 60 mph in strength blew down over 10 power poles several miles to the northwest of the town of Salton City. No injuries were reported due to the strong winds.
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 Phoenix, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 14, 8:28 PM PST, 4 hours 12 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Oct 14, 8:28 PM PST, 4 hours 12 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
928 PM MST WED OCT 14 2015
.SYNOPSIS...
A SLOW MOVING PACIFIC LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION
TONIGHT AND CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEKEND. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORM
CHANCES INCREASE LATE THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...WITH CLEARING
SATURDAY NIGHT. WEAKER DISTURBANCES ARE FORECAST TO MOVE ACROSS THE
REGION LATE SUNDAY AND MONDAY. THIS WILL REINFORCE THE COOLER
TEMPERATURES OVER THE AREA...BUT ONLY BRING A SLIGHT CHANCE OF
SHOWERS OVER PARTS OF SOUTH-CENTRAL ARIZONA LATE SUNDAY AND MONDAY.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
TONIGHT...THE UPPER LEVEL LOW OFF THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COAST
NUDGED A BIT EASTWARD DURING THE AFTERNOON...ALLOWING THE FIRST
BAND/WEAK VORT LOBE TO ROTATE OVER NORTHERN BAJA CALIFORNIA
SPINE...FIRING OFF A FEW THUNDERSTORMS THAT MOVED NORTHWARD INTO FAR
WESTERN IMPERIAL COUNTY JUST BEFORE SUNSET. STORM ACTIVITY HAS
SLACKED OFF FOR THE REST OF THE EVENING...AND THE MAIN CENTER OF
CIRCULATION OF THE LOW IS STILL OFF SHORE. HOWEVER...MODELS STILL
SHOW THE SYSTEM SLOWLY MOVING INLAND LATE TONIGHT...THEN MOVING
FURTHER INLAND THROUGH SATURDAY. HI-RES MODELS DO SUGGEST THE NEXT
BAND OF PRECIPITATION AND STORMS WILL MOVING NORTH ACROSS SOUTHEAST
CALIFORNIA/IMPERIAL AND EASTERN RIVERSIDE COUNTY LATER TONIGHT...
SOMETIME AFTER 3 AM/10Z...WITH CHANCES CONTINUING OVER THE AREA
THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING...LEAVING MOST OF SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH
CENTRAL ARIZONA WITH JUST INCREASING CLOUDS AND ONLY SLIGHT POP
CHANCES UNTIL LATE THURSDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING. BASED ON CURRENT
TRENDS...TAPERED THE POPS DOWN A BIT OVER OUR EASTERN CWA...AND KEPT
POPS HIGHER OVER SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA FOR THE REST OF TONIGHT. THE
REST OF THE FORECAST LOOK TO BE ON TRACK AT THIS TIME.
PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...MOST OF THE GUIDANCE PLACES
CHANCE POPS OR HIGHER HIGH
THURSDAY...THE SYSTEM WILL OPEN UP INTO A NEGATIVE TILT DIFLUENT
TROF...WITH INCREASING DYNAMICS OVER THE ENTIRE FORECAST AREA AT
TIMES. A FEW SHOWERS WILL BEGIN SPREADING EAST INTO SOUTH CENTRAL AZ
INCLUDING PHOENIX LATE THURSDAY AFTERNOON. ANOTHER CHANCE OF
SHOWERS...PERHAPS A BETTER CHANCE WITH COLDER TEMPS ALOFT AND MORE
MOISTURE WILL DEVELOP FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. CLEARING SATURDAY NIGHT.
SUNDAY AND MONDAY...CLOUDS WITH BE ON THE INCREASE AGAIN THIS PERIOD
AS A COUPLE OF WEAKER DISTURBANCES MOVE INTO THE REGION. ONLY A
SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS ARE FORECAST OVER PARTS OF SOUTH CENTRAL AZ
THIS PERIOD.
TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY...DRY NORTHERLY FLOW WITH ALOFT WITH A FEW
HIGH CLOUDS WILL DOMINATE THE PATTERN THIS PERIOD.
&&
.AVIATION...
SOUTH-CENTRAL ARIZONA INCLUDING KPHX...KIWA...AND KSDL...
INCREASING MID-HIGH CLOUD DECKS AOA 12KFT THROUGH THURSDAY
AFTERNOON. SURFACE WINDS WILL REMAIN VERY LIGHT...AND IN MANY CASES
HAVE A VARIABLE HEADING FOR PROLONGED PERIODS. SHOWERS AND POSSIBLY
AN EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORM COULD FORM AROUND SOUTH-CENTRAL ARIZONA
LATER THURSDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING...MAINLY AFTER 21Z.
SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA/SOUTHWEST ARIZONA INCLUDING KIPL AND KBLH...
CIGS WILL GRADUALLY DEVELOP AND LOWER AS LOW AS 10KFT ACROSS
SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA TONIGHT. ISOLD SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE
NEAR KBLH/KIPL AFTER 10Z...STORMS REMAINING WIDELY SCATTERED OVER
THE AREA THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL GENERALLY BE LIGHT
DURING THE PERIOD...STRONG GUSTY AND ERRATIC WIND SHIFTS NEAR
THUNDERSTORMS.
AVIATION DISCUSSION NOT UPDATED FOR AMENDED TAFS.
MOST OF THE GUIDANCE PLACES
CHANCE POPS OR HIGHER HIGH
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...
SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...
UNSETTLED WEATHER WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MOST OF THE WEEKEND...WITH
ANY WETTING RAINS FAVORING HIGHER TERRAIN AREAS OF CENTRAL ARIZONA
SATURDAY. WHILE DRIER WEATHER WILL GRADUALLY SPREAD INTO THE REGION
NEXT WEEK...A FEW LIGHTER SHOWERS MAY STILL BE POSSIBLE EARLY IN THE
WEEK. AFTERNOON HUMIDITY VALUES WILL REMAIN ELEVATED IN A 20 TO 35
PERCENT RANGE DURING THE WEEKEND...ONLY DRYING TO A 15 TO 25 PERCENT
RANGE BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. OVERNIGHT RECOVERY WILL BE GOOD TO
EXCELLENT. A FEW STRONGER EASTERLY RIDGE TOP AND GAP WIND GUSTS WILL
POSSIBLE SATURDAY OVER CENTRAL ARIZONA...AND NORTHERLY WIND GUSTS
DOWN THE LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY TUESDAY. OTHERWISE...WINDS WILL
GENERALLY BE LIGHT AND NOT A FIRE WEATHER IMPACT.
&&
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT BASED ON STANDARD OPERATING
PROCEDURES.
&&
.PSR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AZ...NONE.
CA...NONE.
&&
VISIT US ON FACEBOOK...TWITTER...AND AT WEATHER.GOV/PHOENIX
DISCUSSION...MEYERS/VASQUEZ
AVIATION...MEYERS/MO
FIRE WEATHER...MO
Thunderstorm Wind, Imperial
- When
- October 15, 12:40 AM PST to 12:45 AM PST
- Where
- Imperial County, 3.2 mi WNW of Salton City
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
- Property damage
- $100,000
- Reported by
- Department of Highways
- Coordinates
- 33.320, -116.020
Strong thunderstorms developed just to the west of the Salton Sea during the early morning hours on October 15th, and they moved quickly towards the north-northeast. As the storms raced to the northeast they produced gusty and damaging outflow winds estimated to be at least 60 mph in strength. According to the California Department of Highways, at about 0040PST, gusty outflow winds blew down between 10 and 15 power poles along State Route 86 at the Black Diamond Road. The damaged power poles were located about 6 miles northwest of the town of Salton City.
- Thunderstorm Wind
- Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Flash Flooding and Lightning Strikes in California, October 15 to 19, 2015$25 million · 19 events
- Wildfire in Louisiana, October 15 to 16, 2015$400,000 · 1 event
- High Wind in New Mexico, October 15 to 16, 2015$50,000 · 62 kt wind · 2 events
- Flash Flooding and Hail in California, October 15 to 16, 20151.75 in hail · 8 events
- Marine Strong Wind in Lake Michigan, October 15, 2015$10,000 · 62 kt wind · 5 events
- Flash Flooding in California, October 15 to 16, 20154 events
- Waterspouts in South Atlantic Coastal Waters, October 15, 20152 events
- Drought in Arkansas, October 15 to 31, 20152 events
- Drought in Mississippi, October 15 to 29, 20152 events
- Waterspouts in Lake Superior, October 15, 20152 events
- Hail in Michigan, October 15, 20150.88 in hail · 2 events
- Marine Thunderstorm Winds in Lake Huron, October 15, 20152 events
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: 600071.