A fast-moving, upper-level trough moved through southern California on the 11th, bringing mainly light to moderate rain and snow showers through early morning on the 12th. Rainfall amounts ranged from around one-tenth to one-half of an inch in the coast and valleys, up to one inch in the mountains, and around one-tenth of an inch in the deserts.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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 SGX wrote it up.
A fast-moving, upper-level trough moved through southern California on the 11th, bringing mainly light to moderate rain and snow showers through early morning on the 12th. Rainfall amounts ranged from around one-tenth to one-half of an inch in the coast and valleys, up to one inch in the mountains, and around one-tenth of an inch in the deserts. Snow levels remained fairly high with this system, with 1 to 3 inches of snow falling above 6000 feet. Between 1400-1900 PST on the 11th, a line of convective showers (QLCS) with minimal lightning, but strong winds, moved through the area. Several locations reported 46-55 mph wind gusts and downed trees with the passage of the line, as well as a few much stronger gusts which downed power lines near Edom Hill and Riverside.
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 Mar 11, 9:46 AM PST, 4 hours 14 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
946 AM PST FRI MAR 11 2016
.SYNOPSIS...
A QUICK MOVING LOW PRESSURE TROUGH WILL PUSH THROUGH SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY SATURDAY. THIS FEATURE WILL
BRING MAINLY LIGHT TO MODERATE SHOWERS OVER AND WEST OF THE
MOUNTAINS...SNOW TO THE HIGHER TERRAIN...AND A BRIEF PERIOD OF GUSTY
WESTERLY WINDS FROM THE COAST TO THE DESERTS. COOLER WEATHER WILL
CONTINUE OVER THE WEEKEND WITH LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS POSSIBLE SUNDAY
NIGHT INTO EARLY TUESDAY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BRING DRY AND WARMER
WEATHER BY MID NEXT WEEK.
&&
.DISCUSSION...FOR EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA INCLUDING ORANGE...
SAN DIEGO...WESTERN RIVERSIDE AND SOUTHWESTERN SAN BERNARDINO
COUNTIES...
AT 8 AM...IR SATELLITE IMAGERY DISPLAYED THE CENTER OF A DEEP LOW
PRESSURE TROUGH AROUND 150 MILES WEST OF SAN FRANCISCO. A WELL
DEFINED COLD FRONT EXTENDED SOUTHWARD DOWN PAST THE CENTRAL
CALIFORNIA COAST. THE 12Z KNKX SOUNDING INDICATED A SATURATED LAYER
AT THE SURFACE...WHICH COINCIDES WELL WITH THE 1/4 AND 1/2 MILE VIS
REPORTS EARLIER THIS MORNING ALONG THE COASTAL MESAS...AS WELL AS A
DEEP MOIST LAYER ALOFT. 24-HOUR SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENTS HAVE
STRENGTHENED...CURRENTLY +6.9 MB SAN-TPH AND +4.2 SAN-DAG.
THIS AFTERNOON...A VERY COMPACT AND QUICK MOVING LOW PRESSURE
DISTURBANCE WILL APPROACH THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COAST. THE LATEST
HRRR AND WRF MODELS ARE IN AGREEMENT ON TIMING OF THE PRECIP...
ADVECTING THE INITIAL BAND TO THE COAST BETWEEN 2 PM AND 5 PM. WEAK
TO MODERATE INSTABILITY PARAMETERS...COMBINED WITH A TIGHTLY WOUND
VORT MAX...ARE ENOUGH TO MAINTAIN THE SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS
OVER AND WEST OF THE MOUNTAINS THROUGH THIS EVENING. LATEST FORECAST
TOTAL ESTIMATES THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING...COAST/VALLEYS 0.25"-
0.75"...MOUNTAINS 0.50"-1.25"...AND DESERTS TRACE-0.25". SNOW LEVELS
WILL START AROUND 8000 FT THIS AFTERNOON...LOWERING TO 5000 FEET
OVERNIGHT. WITH THE CONVECTIVE SHOWERS...THE SNOW MAY OCCUR BRIEFLY
BELOW THE 5000 FOOT LEVEL. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT
THROUGH LATE TONIGHT FOR THE SAN BERNARDINO AND RIVERSIDE COUNTY
MOUNTAINS. SEE LAXWSWSGX FOR SNOW AMOUNTS. ALONG WITH THE RAIN AND
SNOW...GUSTY WESTERLY WINDS WILL DEVELOP AS THE COLD FRONT PUSHES
THROUGH THE REGION. THE HRRR MODEL FIRST INCREASES WESTERLY WINDS IN
THE MOUNTAINS EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...THEN DEVELOP THE GUSTY WEST
WINDS AT THE COAST AND VALLEYS BY LATE AFTERNOON. A WIND ADVISORY IS
IN EFFECT FOR ALL ZONES FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 4 AM SATURDAY.
SEE LAXNPWSGX FOR DETAILS. RAIN...SNOW...AND WINDS WILL QUICKLY COME
TO AN END AS THE SYSTEM MOVES EAST DURING THE DAY SATURDAY.
THIS WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK...A MOIST ZONAL FLOW WILL CONTINUE
OVER THE REGION...MAINTAINING ONSHORE FLOW AND COOLER WEATHER.
INLAND HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE MAINLY 5 TO 10 DEGREES BELOW
NORMAL. A WEAK TROUGH WILL PASS TO THE NORTH OF THE REGION SUNDAY
EVENING THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT. RELATIVELY HIGH ATMOSPHERIC MOISTURE
FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR...PW BETWEEN 0.80 AND 0.90...AND OROGRAPHIC
LIFT WILL REGENERATE A CHANCE OF LIGHT SHOWERS DURING THIS TIME
FRAME. MID TO LATE NEXT WEEK...LONG RANGE MODELS BUILD A LARGE DOME
OF HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE WEST COAST BRINGING A RETURN TO WARM AND
DRY WEATHER.
&&
.AVIATION...
111600...COAST/VALLEYS...PATCHY LOW CLOUDS...WITH VARIABLE BASES 300-
1200 FT MSL AND TOPS AROUND 1100-1300 FT MSL...WILL LIFT THROUGH
17Z. 17Z-21Z...SCT CLOUDS 1000-2500 FT MSL WITH PRIMARILY P6SM. SHRA
CHANCES INCREASE AFTER 21Z WITH THE BULK OF THE RAIN LOOKING TO BE
CENTERED WITHIN A COUPLE OF HOURS CENTERED AROUND 00Z...PER A HIGH
RES MODEL CONSENSUS. SLIGHT CHANCE OF TSRA 00Z-06Z WITH CB TOPS
REACHING 25000 FT MSL. SHRA ARE FORECAST TO BECOME SPOTTIER AFTER
03Z.
MTNS/DESERTS...UNRESTRICTED VIS AND SCT-BKN CLOUDS AOA 20000 FT MSL
THROUGH EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. INCREASING AND LOWERING CLOUDS OVER
THE MOUNTAINS AS PRECIPITATION APPROACHES THIS EVENING. SOUTHWEST
WINDS PICKING UP THIS AFTERNOON...SHIFTING TO WEST-NORTHWEST WITH
THE FRONTAL PASSAGE TONIGHT AND INCREASING WITH SURFACE GUSTS 50 TO
60 KT OVER RIDGES AND DESERT MOUNTAIN SLOPES. THIS WILL RESULT IN
MOD-STG UP/DOWNDRAFTS AND POSSIBLE ROTORS OVER AND E OF THE MTNS.
EXPECT MTN OBSCURATION ALONG THE COASTAL SLOPES ABOVE 2000 FT MSL.
&&
.MARINE...
800 AM...NORTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE OVER THE SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA BIGHT THIS EVENING INTO EARLY SATURDAY AS A COLD FRONT
MOVES THROUGH THE REGION. DURING THIS PERIOD...SUSTAINED WINDS 10-20
KTS AND GUSTS TO 25 KTS ARE POSSIBLE...AND A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY
GOES INTO EFFECT AT 4 PM. RAIN SHOWERS ARE LIKELY WITH JUST A SLIGHT
CHANCE OF A THUNDERSTORM. ALSO...A WEST-NORTHWEST SWELL WILL BUILD
INTO THE COASTAL WATERS...PEAKING EARLY SATURDAY AT 8-11 FT WITH A
PERIOD OF 11-13 SEC. CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO IMPROVE SUNDAY.
&&
.AVIATION...
111600...COAST/VALLEYS...PATCHY LOW CLOUDS...WITH VARIABLE BASES 300-
1200 FT MSL AND TOPS AROUND 1100-1300 FT MSL...WILL LIFT THROUGH
17Z. 17Z-21Z...SCT CLOUDS 1000-2500 FT MSL WITH PRIMARILY P6SM. SHRA
CHANCES INCREASE AFTER 21Z WITH THE BULK OF THE RAIN LOOKING TO BE
CENTERED WITHIN A COUPLE OF HOURS CENTERED AROUND 00Z...PER A HIGH
RES MODEL CONSENSUS. SLIGHT CHANCE OF TSRA 00Z-06Z WITH CB TOPS
REACHING 25000 FT MSL. SHRA ARE FORECAST TO BECOME SPOTTIER AFTER
03Z.
MTNS/DESERTS...UNRESTRICTED VIS AND SCT-BKN CLOUDS AOA 20000 FT MSL
THROUGH EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. INCREASING AND LOWERING CLOUDS OVER
THE MOUNTAINS AS PRECIPITATION APPROACHES THIS EVENING. SOUTHWEST
WINDS PICKING UP THIS AFTERNOON...SHIFTING TO WEST-NORTHWEST WITH
THE FRONTAL PASSAGE TONIGHT AND INCREASING WITH SURFACE GUSTS 50 TO
60 KT OVER RIDGES AND DESERT MOUNTAIN SLOPES. THIS WILL RESULT IN
MOD-STG UP/DOWNDRAFTS AND POSSIBLE ROTORS OVER AND E OF THE MTNS.
EXPECT MTN OBSCURATION ALONG THE COASTAL SLOPES ABOVE 2000 FT MSL.
&&
.MARINE...
800 AM...NORTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE OVER THE SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA BIGHT THIS EVENING INTO EARLY SATURDAY AS A COLD FRONT
MOVES THROUGH THE REGION. DURING THIS PERIOD...SUSTAINED WINDS 10-20
KTS AND GUSTS TO 25 KTS ARE POSSIBLE...AND A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY
GOES INTO EFFECT AT 4 PM. RAIN SHOWERS ARE LIKELY WITH JUST A SLIGHT
CHANCE OF A THUNDERSTORM. ALSO...A WEST-NORTHWEST SWELL WILL BUILD
INTO THE COASTAL WATERS...PEAKING EARLY SATURDAY AT 8-11 FT WITH A
PERIOD OF 11-13 SEC. CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO IMPROVE SUNDAY.
&&
.BEACHES...
800 AM...A WEST-NORTHWEST SWELL FROM 280-285 DEGREES WILL MOVE INTO
THE CALIFORNIA BIGHT TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY...PRODUCING ELEVATED
SURF OF 4-6 FEET...LOCALLY HIGHER IN NORTHERN ORANGE AND SOUTHERN
SAN DIEGO COUNTIES. ANOTHER LONG-PERIOD NORTHWEST SWELL LOOKS TO
ARRIVE NEXT MONDAY...BUT THE STEEPER DIRECTION OF 290 DEGREES WILL
RESULT IN FEWER BEACHES IMPACTED WITH HIGH SURF.
&&
.SGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CA...WIND ADVISORY FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 6 AM PST SATURDAY FOR
APPLE AND LUCERNE VALLEYS-COACHELLA VALLEY-SAN DIEGO COUNTY
DESERTS-SAN DIEGO COUNTY MOUNTAINS-SAN GORGONIO PASS NEAR
BANNING.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 4 AM PST
SATURDAY FOR RIVERSIDE COUNTY MOUNTAINS-SAN BERNARDINO
COUNTY MOUNTAINS.
WIND ADVISORY FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 4 AM PST SATURDAY FOR
ORANGE COUNTY COASTAL AREAS-ORANGE COUNTY INLAND AREAS-SAN
BERNARDINO AND RIVERSIDE COUNTY VALLEYS-THE INLAND EMPIRE-
SAN DIEGO COUNTY COASTAL AREAS-SAN DIEGO COUNTY VALLEYS-
SANTA ANA MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS.
PZ...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 10 AM PST
SATURDAY FOR COASTAL WATERS FROM SAN MATEO POINT TO THE
MEXICAN BORDER AND OUT TO 30 NM-WATERS FROM SAN MATEO POINT
TO THE MEXICAN BORDER EXTENDING 30 TO 60 NM OUT INCLUDING
SAN CLEMENTE ISLAND.
&&
PUBLIC...JT
AVIATION/MARINE/BEACHES...HARRISON/GREGORIAThe Santa Ana Mts radar (KSOX), 13 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:58 UTC.
4 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Seven power poles were snapped due to strong thunderstorm wind gusts at an intersection in Home Gardens near Corona according to police dept. Wind gusts of 51 mph were recorded at nearby Riverside Airport.
The mesonet station on the Oceanside Pier registered a gust of 41 mph twice between 1400-1600 PST on the 11th.
Thunderstorm wind gusts knocked down a 100ft. chain link fence and uprooted a tree about 3 in circumference. A broken tree branch shattered the back window of an SUV.
Five power poles were downed by wind and up to 7 were damaged and reported to Riverside County EOC just before 1800 PST. The Edom Hill mesonet upstream had a gust of 79 mph between 1700-1800 PST on the 11th. Estimated number of customers without power was 10,000. This damage appeared related to the same storm that damaged poles upstream in Riverside at around 1530 PST.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in California, March 2016
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: 627013, 627020, 627021, 627022.