A trough of low pressure from the Pacific Northwest brought gusty onshore winds to Southern California on the 18th and 19th. The Coachella Fesitval campsite delayed opening from the 19th to the early morning hours on the 20th due to high winds and blowing sand.
Every event with a place to put it; 5 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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 trough of low pressure from the Pacific Northwest brought gusty onshore winds to Southern California on the 18th and 19th. The Coachella Fesitval campsite delayed opening from the 19th to the early morning hours on the 20th due to high winds and blowing sand.
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 Apr 16, 12:37 PM PST, 2 hours 23 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service San Diego CA
137 PM PDT Mon Apr 16 2018
.SYNOPSIS...
Onshore flow continues to increase through this evening. This
will bring strong, gusty west winds in the mountains and deserts
through late tonight. It will also bring lower temperatures...increasing
low clouds west of the mountains...and a slight chance of light
showers near the mountains late this afternoon into tonight. Dry
with weaker winds and a warming trend for Tuesday and Wednesday.
Another round of cooling with periods of strong and gusty west
winds for the mountains and deserts Wednesday night into Thursday
night. There is also a slight chance of light showers along and
west of the mountains Thursday. Dry with a warming trend for
Friday into next weekend with weaker winds.
&&
.DISCUSSION...FOR EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA INCLUDING ORANGE...
SAN DIEGO...WESTERN RIVERSIDE AND SOUTHWESTERN SAN BERNARDINO
COUNTIES...
This afternoon...the sfc pressure gradients remain onshore with
15.2 mb SAN-TPH and 7.7 mb SAN-TRM. As a result, strong westerly
winds continue across the region. Several mountain locations have
reported wind gusts of 50 mph or greater today and 2 locations in
the last hour. The winds will continue to strengthen, and the
strongest and most widespread winds are expected this afternoon
and evening...weakening late tonight into early Tuesday.
In addition to the strong westerly winds, the low pressure system
moving inland along the West Coast is spreading cooler air
inland. Temperatures west of the mtns are as much as 21 degrees
lower than this time yesterday. Areas of low clouds will cover
portions of the coastal areas and valleys inland to the mountain
slopes as the marine layer deepens. There is also a slight chance
of light showers...mainly near the mountains...late this afternoon
into tonight. Currently, there are weak radar echoes near the
Channel Islands which could make their way southeast.
Dry weather with weaker winds will follow for Tuesday into
Wednesday as the low pressure trough moves east and a weak ridge
of high pressure moves in from the west. Warming for coastal and
valley areas on Tuesday will expand into the mountains and deserts
on Wednesday.
Another low pressure system moving inland through California will
bring another round of strong onshore flow, with cooling and periods
of strong, gusty west winds for the mountains and deserts Wednesday
night into Thursday night. There is also a chance of light
showers along and west of the mountains Thursday.
Dry weather with a warming trend will following for Friday through next
weekend as a weak ridge of high pressure sets up over the west
coast. Periods of gusty north to northeast winds near the coastal
foothills are possible for Friday into Saturday morning as a sfc
high moves into the Great Basin, setting up weak offshore
pressure gradients.
&&
.AVIATION...
162010Z...Coast/Valleys/Coastal Slopes...SCT low clouds based around
2500-3500 feet MSL with higher terrain below 5500 ft MSL obscured at
times in clouds and isolated light showers into tonight. Risk of BKN
low clouds at KSAN overnight at times is low-moderate, so confidence
in the forecast of mainly SCT low clouds overnight is moderate to
high for KSAN.
Desert slopes/Deserts...Westerly winds over the ridges and upper
desert slopes 30-50 kt with isolated higher gusts into tonight.
Winds will create strong uddfs and wind shear above and near the
desert foothills and local vis blo 3sm in dust on the desert floor
is expected. BKN clouds aoa FL200 otherwise SCT wave clouds near
FL080-120 are possible, mainly over the deserts.
&&
.MARINE...
West-northwest winds and northwest swell will increase into tonight,
creating hazardous boating conditions. Check the small craft
advisory for details. Winds will decrease rapidly early Tuesday
while swell will more gradually subside later Tuesday. Afterward, no
forecast hazardous conditions late Tuesday into Wednesday. Strong
winds and higher seas will return late Wednesday through Thursday.
&&
.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 5 AM PDT Tuesday for Apple and Lucerne
Valleys-Coachella Valley-Riverside County Mountains-San
Bernardino County Mountains-San Diego County Deserts-San
Diego County Mountains-San Gorgonio Pass Near Banning.
PZ...Small Craft Advisory until 8 AM PDT Tuesday 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...PG
AVIATION/MARINE...SmallPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
219 PM PDT MON APR 16 2018
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0120 PM NON-TSTM WND GST VOLCAN MOUNTAIN 33.10N 116.58W
04/16/2018 M61 MPH SAN DIEGO CA MESONET
MESONET STATION VCMSD, VOLCAN MOUNTAIN.
&&
MOEDEThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 strong wind, 2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Victorville Airport reported a peak wind gust of 48 mph around 1500 PST on the 19th. No significant impacts reported.
Volcan Mountain reported a peak wind gust of 64 mph around 0600 PST. Harrison Park reported a peak wind gust of 63 mph around 0700 PST. Boulevard West Mesonet reported a peak gust of 62 mph. No significant impacts reported.
Whitewater RAWS reported a maximum sustained wind of 49 mph at 1150 PST on the 19th. The maximum gust in that time period was 63 mph. California Highway Patrol reported issues using medical aircraft to respond to an auto accident in the area.
Wind gusts at Borrego Springs were greater than 40 mph from 1100 to 1500 PST, with a peak gust of 49 mph at 1330 PST. No significant impacts reported.
Wind gusts for Palm Springs Airport were over 40 mph from 1800 to 2000 PST, with a peak gust of 56 mph and a sustained wind of 39 mph at 1815 PST. Surrounding areas reported wind gusts of around 30 mph. The campsite at the Coachella Valley Festival delayed opening until the 20th at 0200 PST due to high winds and blowing sand, leaving tourists stranded until the campsite opened.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in California, April 2018
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: 751515, 751519, 751513, 751525, 751504.