Strong north to south pressure gradients generate gusty northerly winds across the mountains of Los Angeles county. Sustained winds over 40 MPH and gusts over 60 MPH were reported.
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.
Strong north to south pressure gradients generate gusty northerly winds across the mountains of Los Angeles county. Sustained winds over 40 MPH and gusts over 60 MPH were reported.
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 Oct 29, 7:30 PM PST, 5 hours 17 minutes earlier.
SOUTHWEST CALIFORNIA AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA 830 PM PDT THU OCT 29 2015 .SYNOPSIS... SANTA ANA CONDITIONS WILL BRING GUSTY WINDS AND HIGH FIRE DANGER TO PARTS OF THE AREA THROUGH TOMORROW. WEAK OFFSHORE FLOW WILL RESULT IN WELL ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES ON SATURDAY. A COOLING TREND WILL BEGIN ON SUNDAY AS A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE APPROACHES. TEMPERATURES WILL BE BELOW NORMAL EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS. && .SHORT TERM (TONIGHT-SUN)...WINDS CONTINUE TO BE THE MAIN WEATHER STORY THROUGH FRIDAY...WITH THE FIRST WIDESPREAD SANTA ANA WIND EVENT OF THE SEASON. GUSTY NORTHERLY WINDS BEING FELT ACROSS MANY AREAS THIS EVENING. WINDS WILL BEGIN TO SHIFT TO THE NORTHEAST SHORTLY ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS LATER THIS EVENING...THEN DESCEND INTO COASTAL AND VALLEY AREAS OVERNIGHT INTO FRIDAY. A STRONG 110 KNOT NORTHERLY JET WILL BE DIVING SOUTHWARD TONIGHT BRINGING STRONG WIND SUPPORT ALOFT. IN FACT...CROSS SECTIONS SHOWING A DEFINITIVE RAMP-UP OF WINDS IN THE 850-700 MB LAYER BETWEEN 10 PM TONIGHT AND NOON FRIDAY...ESPECIALLY OVER LOS ANGELES COUNTY WHERE WIND SPEEDS OF 40 TO 60 KNOTS ARE BEING PROJECTED IN THIS LAYER. SUCH STRONG WINDS IN THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE WILL CREATE FAVORABLE CONDITIONS FOR MOUNTAIN WAVE WIND CONDITIONS TO DEVELOP LATER TONIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING ACROSS THE SAN GABRIEL MOUNTAINS. THESE VERY GUSTY AND ERRATIC WINDS COULD SURFACE INTO AREAS THAT ARE NORMALLY SHELTERED FROM WINDS...SUCH AS THE FOOTHILLS OF THE SAN GABRIEL VALLEY AND PORTIONS OF THE LOS ANGELES BASIN. IN LATEST UPDATE...HAVE INCLUDED WIND ADVISORY FOR SAN GABRIEL VALLEY...WITH GREATEST CONCERN BEING IN THE FOOTHILLS ALONG THE INTERSTATE 210 CORRIDOR WHICH COULD SEE SOME GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH. OTHERWISE OTHER WIND ADVISORIES AND HIGH WIND WARNINGS LOOK ON TRACK. STILL EXPECTING STRONGEST SANTA ANA WINDS TO BE FOCUSED ACROSS THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY MOUNTAINS AND SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS...WHERE DAMAGING GUSTS AROUND 60 MPH OR GREATER ARE EXPECTED. FOR THE VALLEYS OF LA/VENTURA COUNTIES AND LA COUNTY COAST...WIND GUSTS BETWEEN 40 AND 50 MPH WILL BE COMMON. DOWNED TREES COULD BE A MAJOR IMPACT WITH THIS WIND EVENT AS LONG TERM DROUGHT HAS MANY TREES HAVE BECOME WEAKENED AND DISEASED. OTHER POTENTIAL IMPACTS INCLUDE DOWNED POWER LINES...POWER OUTAGES...AND ELEVATED FIRE DANGER. PLEASE SEE FIRE SECTION BELOW FOR MORE DETAILS ON FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS. THE SANTA ANA WINDS WILL BRING ANOTHER WARM DAY ACROSS MUCH OF THE REGION ON FRIDAY WITH WARMEST LOCATIONS TOPPING OUT IN THE MID 80S. IN FACT...SOME OF THE WARMEST TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE COAST ON FRIDAY. WINDS EXPECTED TO DIMINISH ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON. HOWEVER BREEZY OFFSHORE CONDITIONS WILL BRING ADDITIONAL WARMING ON SATURDAY FOR ALL AREAS...WITH WARMEST LOCATIONS TOPPING OUT AROUND 90 DEGREES. *** FROM PREVIOUS DISCUSSION *** COOLER SUNDAY AS THE RIDGE FLATTENS AHEAD OF THE NEXT TROUGH APPROACHING THE WEST COAST. STILL WELL ABOVE NORMAL, BUT ON AVERAGE 3-6 DEGREES COOLER THAN SATURDAY, MORE SO AT THE COAST. .LONG TERM (MON-THU)...MODELS STILL STRUGGLING A BIT WITH THE TRAJECTORY OF THE NEXT SYSTEM. THE 12Z GFS HAS SHIFTED A BIT FURTHER WEST, MEANING MORE MOISTURE AND BETTER RAIN CHANCES. BUT IT'S A FAST MOVING SYSTEM AND NOT LIKELY TO GENERATE MUCH PRECIP DURING IT'S SHORT DURATION OVER OUR AREA. LOOKS LIKE THE COLD FRONT SHOULD MOVE THROUGH THE AREA MONDAY INTO MONDAY NIGHT WITH COLD AND SLIGHTLY UNSTABLE AIR OVERHEAD TUESDAY. HAVE BUMPED UP POPS A BIT MONDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING, AND KEPT IN SOME SHOWER CHANCES TUESDAY. BY WEDNESDAY MOST OF THE MOISTURE SHOULD BE EAST OF THE AREA BUT TEMPS REMAINING COOL. && .AVIATION...29/2350Z... THE MAIN WEATHER CONCERN FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS WILL BE THE WINDS AND ASSOCIATED LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR AND TURBULENCE. THE MOST VULNERABLE LOCATIONS WILL BE KSBA KBUR KVNY KLAX AND KLGB AS MOUNTAIN WAVE WINDS COULD DEVELOP ACROSS LOS ANGELES AND SANTA BARBARA COUNTIES. HOWEVER LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR AND TURBULENCE IS POSSIBLE AT ALMOST ANY LOCATION THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING AS STRONG UPPER LEVEL NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS DEVELOP ACROSS THE REGION. OUTSIDE OF THE WINDS VFR CONDITIONS LOOK VERY LIKELY. THERE IS A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF LIFR CONDITIONS AT KPRB. KLAX...GOOD CONFIDENCE IN THE 00Z TAF. NORTHERLY CROSS WINDS EXPECTED FOR MUCH OF THE NIGHT AFTER 03Z...WITH WIND DIRECTIONS GENERALLY IN THE 350-020 RANGE. THERE IS A CHANCE OF NORTH WINDS GUSTING IN THE 20 TO 25 KNOT RANGE AT TIMES TONIGHT. DUE TO THE STRONG FLOW IN THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE...LLWS AND TURBULENCE ARE LIKELY AT TIMES TONIGHT. KBUR...GOOD CONFIDENCE IN THE 00Z TAF...WITH GUSTY NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS PREVAILING THROUGH MUCH OF THE PERIOD. CHANCE OF OCCASIONAL NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS GUSTING IN THE 30 TO 40 KNOT RANGE AT TIMES. DUE TO THE STRONG FLOW IN THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE...LLWS AND TURBULENCE ARE LIKELY AT TIMES TONIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING. && .FIRE...29/830 PM RED FLAG WARNING POSTED FOR THE MOUNTAINS AND ADJACENT FOOTHILLS OF LOS ANGELES AND VENTURA COUNTIES FOR LATER TONIGHT INTO FRIDAY WHERE EXTREME FIRE DANGER EXISTS. THESE AREAS WILL SEE THE COMBINATION OF STRONGEST WINDS AND LONGEST DURATION OF LOWEST HUMIDITIES WITH THIS EVENT...ALONG WITH VERY DRY FUELS. WIND GUSTS OF 50 TO 60 MPH WILL BE COMMON ACROSS THESE AREAS THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING...WITH WINDS DIMINISHING SOME IN THE AFTERNOON. MEANWHILE HUMIDITIES IN THE MOUNTAINS ARE EXPECTED TO LOWER TO LESS THAN THE CRITICAL 15 PERCENT ACROSS SOUTH FACING SLOPES AND ADJACENT FOOTHILLS BY EARLY FRIDAY MORNING...POTENTIALLY LOWERING INTO SINGLE DIGITS LATER IN THE DAY. ELEVATED FIRE DANGER CONTINUES ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE COASTAL AND VALLEY AREAS THROUGH FRIDAY...ESPECIALLY LOS ANGELES AND VENTURA COUNTIES WHERE GUSTS BETWEEN 40 AND 50 MPH WILL BE COMMON. HUMIDITIES ARE ALSO EXPECTED TO LOWER INTO THE TEENS BY MID MORNING FRIDAY...THEN LOCALLY FALLING INTO SINGLE DIGITS IN THE AFTERNOON. AS A RESULT...THERE WILL BE BRIEF CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR COASTAL/VALLEY AREAS AND SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS BUT FOR THE MOST PART NOT SUFFICIENTLY LONG ENOUGH DURATION TO WARRANT A RED FLAG WARNING FOR THESE AREAS. OF SPECIAL NOTE IS THE MOUNTAIN WAVE WIND CONDITIONS THAT COULD BRING VERY GUSTY AND ERRATIC WINDS TO PORTIONS OF THE LOS ANGELES BASIN TONIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING. THE FOOTHILLS OF THE SAN GABRIEL VALLEY (ESPECIALLY NEAR THE 210 CORRIDOR) COULD LOCALLY SEE WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH. THE SANTA ANA WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BE WEAKER ON SATURDAY...BUT VERY WARM AND DRY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE...WITH HUMIDITIES FALLING TO BETWEEN 10 AND 15 PERCENT ACROS MUCH OF THE AREA. && .MARINE...29/800 PM....MODERATE TO HIGH CONFIDENCE IN SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY WINDS OVER THE OUTER WATERS THROUGH LATE TONIGHT. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES WILL CONTINUE FOR THE SOUTHERN INNER WATERS THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING WITH GUSTY NE WINDS EXPECTED MAINLY NEAR SHORE LATE TONIGHT AND FRIDAY MORNING. SHORT PERIOD HAZARDOUS SEAS WILL ALSO AFFECT THE WATERS THROUGHOUT. ANOTHER FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL DROP SOUTH INTO THE REGION BETWEEN SUNDAY AND TUESDAY...BRINGING THE POTENTIAL FOR GUSTY AND POSSIBLY GALE FORCE WINDS TO THE COASTAL WATERS. THE HIGHEST LIKELIHOOD OF GALE FORCE WIND GUSTS APPEARS TO OCCUR BETWEEN MONDAY AFTERNOON AND MONDAY NIGHT. && .BEACHES...29/800 PM...A HIGH SURF ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE WEST AND NORTHWEST FACING BEACHES NORTH OF POINT CONCEPTION THROUGH FRIDAY. SOME ENERGY FROM THIS SWELL WILL COMBINE WITH INCREASING SOUTHWEST SWELL TO BRING ELEVATED SURF TO BEACHES SOUTH OF POINT CONCEPTION. THERE WILL BE ASTRONOMICALLY HIGH TIDES EACH MORNING THIS WEEK...HIGHEST THIS MORNING BETWEEN 1030 AND 1100 AM. WITH RESIDUALS RUNNING AROUND 6 INCHES...WATER LEVELS WILL RISE TO BETWEEN 7 AND 7.5 FEET FOR BEACHES SOUTH OF POINT CONCEPTION. HIGH TIDES WILL RISE TO NEAR 7 FEET ALONG THE CENTRAL COAST. THE HIGH TIDES COMBINED WITH HIGHER SURF MAY CAUSE LOCAL COASTAL FLOODING IN SOME LOCATIONS SUCH AS OCEANO...PISMO BEACH...PORT HUENEME...MALIBU AND LONG BEACH. CHECK THE COASTAL FLOOD STATEMENT LAXCFWLOX FOR MORE DETAILS. && .LOX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING (SEE LAXNPWLOX). RED FLAG WARNING (SEE LAXRFWLOX). WIND ADVISORY (SEE LAXNPWLOX). GALE WARNING (SEE LAXMWWLOX). SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY (SEE LAXMWWLOX). HIGH SURF ADVISORY (SEE LAXCFWLOX). COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY (SEE LAXCFWLOX). && PUBLIC...GOMBERG/MW AVIATION/MARINE...GOMBERG/SIRARD FIRE...GOMBERG SYNOPSIS...SUKUP/THORNTON WWW.WEATHER.GOV/LOSANGELES
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA 122 PM PDT THU OCT 29 2015 CAZ034>041-044>046-051>054-059-087-088-547-548-301300- 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- 122 PM PDT THU OCT 29 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA. .DAY ONE... TODAY GUSTY WINDS WILL AFFECT MUCH OF LOS ANGELES AND VENTURA COUNTIES...AND SOUTHERN SANTA BARBARA COUNTIES TODAY AND TONIGHT. DAMAGING WIND GUSTS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE MOUNTAINS OF LOS ANGELES AND VENTURA COUNTIES TONIGHT. CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE MOUNTAINS OF LOS ANGELES AND VENTURA COUNTY BY LATE TONIGHT. MINOR COASTAL FLOODING IS POSSIBLE NEAR THE TIME OF HIGH TIDE LATE THIS MORNING. HIGH SURF WILL AFFECT THE CENTRAL COAST BEACHES TODAY AND TONIGHT...WITH ELEVATED SURF ELSEWHERE. THERE IS A HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK ON ALL AREA BEACHES TODAY AND TONIGHT.GALE FORCE WINDS WILL AFFECT PORTIONS OF THE OUTER WATERS THROUGHTHIS EVENING. * HIGH WIND WARNING..........SEE WWUS76 KLOX - NPWLOX FOR DETAILS * * RED FLAG WARNING...........SEE WWUS86 KLOX - RFWLOX FOR DETAILS * * WIND ADVISORY..............SEE WWUS76 KLOX - NPWLOX FOR DETAILS * * GALE WARNING...............SEE WHUS76 KLOX - MWWLOX FOR DETAILS * * HIGH SURF ADVISORY.........SEE WHUS46 KLOX - CFWLOX FOR DETAILS * * COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY.....SEE WHUS46 KLOX - CFWLOX FOR DETAILS * .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY GUSTY NORTHEAST WINDS WILL AFFECT MUCH OF LOS ANGELES AND VENTURA COUNTIES FRIDAY MORNING. CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE MOUNTAINS OF LOS ANGELES AND VENTURA COUNTY FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON. MINOR COASTAL FLOODING IS POSSIBLE NEAR THE TIME OF HIGH TIDE LATE FRIDAY MORNING. HIGH SURF WILL AFFECT THE CENTRAL COAST BEACHES FRIDAY...WITH ELEVATED SURF ELSEWHERE. THERE IS A HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK ON ALL AREA BEACHES FRIDAY. * HIGH WIND WARNING..........SEE WWUS76 KLOX - NPWLOX FOR DETAILS * * RED FLAG WARNING...........SEE WWUS86 KLOX - RFWLOX FOR DETAILS * * WIND ADVISORY..............SEE WWUS76 KLOX - NPWLOX FOR DETAILS * * HIGH SURF ADVISORY.........SEE WHUS46 KLOX - CFWLOX FOR DETAILS * * COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY.....SEE WHUS46 KLOX - CFWLOX FOR DETAILS * .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. SWEET
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OXNARD CA
1128 PM PDT THU OCT 29 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0957 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 6 SSW CASTAIC LAKE 34.57N 118.74W
10/29/2015 M85.00 MPH LOS ANGELES CA MESONET
NORTHWEST WINDS 47 MPH GUSTING TO 85 MPH AT WHITAKER PEAK
RAWS...ELEVATION 4120 FEET.
1257 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 3 SSW WOODLAND HILLS 34.14N 118.61W
10/29/2015 M55.00 MPH LOS ANGELES CA MESONET
EAST WIND GUSTS TO 55 MPH AT TOPANGA RAWS...ELEVATION
1600 FEET.
0759 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 4 N CHATSWORTH 34.33N 118.60W
10/29/2015 M58.00 MPH LOS ANGELES CA MESONET
NORTHWEST WINDS 28 MPH GUSTING TO 58 MPH AT OAT
MOUNTAIN...3693 FEET.
1053 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 8 NNE MOUNT WILSON 34.33N 118.03W
10/29/2015 M59.00 MPH LOS ANGELES CA MESONET
NORTHEAST WINDS 33 MPH GUSTING TO 59 MPH AT CHILAO
RAWS...ELEVATION 5450 FEET.
&&
HALL2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The RAWS sensor at Malibu Hills reported sustained north winds of 43 MPH.
The RAWS sensor at Camp Nine reported northerly wind gusts of 63 MPH.
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, October 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: 605676, 605675.