Strong and gusty north to northeast winds affected the mountains of Ventura and Los Angeles counties. Wind gusts up to 70 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 and gusty north to northeast winds affected the mountains of Ventura and Los Angeles counties. Wind gusts up to 70 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 Dec 17, 2:20 PM PST, 4 hours 33 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
220 PM PST Tue Dec 17 2019
.SYNOPSIS...17/1224 PM.
Strong, gusty northeast winds will affect much of Los Angeles and
Ventura Counties through this evening. There is a chance of light
rain across Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties late
tonight and Wednesday. Otherwise, the region will be dry through
Saturday. There is a chance of rain in most areas Sunday and
Monday.
&&
.SHORT TERM (TDY-FRI)...17/154 PM.
Strong offshore flow continues this afternoon but is weakening as
surface pressures fall across the interior ahead of the next storm
system. Still quite a few weather sensors reporting winds gusting
over 40 mph across LA/Ventura Counties this afternoon, mainly in
the foothills and mountains. Wind speeds will continue to subside
through the day and evening but some locally gusty winds will
continue into Wednesday morning, again strongest in the foothills
and mtns.
The next storm system is quickly approaching from the west. Models
are in good agreement showing rain developing across western SLO
County just after midnight, then spreading into nrn SB County just
before dawn. Virtually all the models and ensembles generate at
least a tenth or so across western SLO and likely upwards of a
half inch in the coastal hills. Farther south into nrn SB County
probably under a tenth and farther still into srn SB County little
if any measurable rain expected as the system runs out of steam
riding into and over the top of the ridge. Lightning detection
networks picking up on some electrical activity near the low
center and can't rule out an isolated strike or two over our nrn
coastal waters and adjacent coast north of about Morro Bay. From
SB south just some clouds but no precip expected with this one.
An upper ridge will build behind this system to give us dry
weather the rest of the week. We'll get another little puff of
north to northeast winds Wednesday night into Thu and again Thu
night into Friday morning, mainly for LA/Ventura Counties but
probably below advisory levels. Daytime temps will rebound back to
normal by Thursday and even slightly above normal Fri. Still
chilly during the early morning hours, especially in wind
protected locations.
.LONG TERM (SAT-TUE)...17/214 PM.
The ridge shifts east Sunday as the next trough hits the west
coast. Looks like a very high probability for rain in all areas by
Sunday night but uncertain on precise timing. Could be as early
as Saturday night per the GFS deterministic run or as late as
Sunday afternoon per some of the ensembles. The pre-existing upper
ridge will have a lot to say on the timing so will have to monitor
future model runs to refine the arrival times. This one should be
a little stronger than the previous system with amounts around a
half inch to an inch. Snow levels expected to be around 6000' so
no snow on the Grapevine but likely at least a few inches of
accumulation at higher elevations.
Sort of low confidence in the details after Sunday but the pattern
looks showery. Models maintain a trough across the west coast
through at least Thursday but not really seeing anything organized
coming through until late Wed or Thu. Ensembles indicate similar
uncertainty with timing but maintaining at least a chance of
precip each day through Christmas at least. But there could also
be fairly long stretches without precip in any one area so it's
too soon to be very precise with timing or amounts. Snow levels
around 5000' but possibly lowering to 3500-4000 on Christmas.
&&
.AVIATION...17/1936Z.
At 18Z, there was no marine inversion at KLAX.
High confidence in CAVU conds at all sites thru the TAF period.
Moderate to high confidence with strong NE to E winds, especially
across KOXR,KCMA through at least 03z this eve.
LLWS and TURBC over and around hier trrn is expected.
KLAX...High confidence for 18z TAF with CAVU conds thru the TAF
period. There is a 40% chc of an easterly wind component
exceeding 10 kt through 21Z Tue.
KBUR...High confidence in 18z TAF with CAVU conds thru the TAF
period. There is also a 20% chance of LLWS conditions at times
through this eve.
&&
.MARINE...17/948 AM.
Outer Waters...Small Craft Advisory level southerly winds are
expected through this evening for the the entire outer waters. For
tonight and Wed, there is a 50% chance of SCA level winds for
PZZ670. Winds will remain largely below SCA levels late Wed thru
Sat. However, SCA conditions due to high seas can be expected from
about Wed afternoon through Thu night.
Inner Waters North of Pt Sal...Winds will likely remain below SCA
levels through Sat. However, SCA conditions due to high seas can
be expected from about Wed afternoon through Thu night.
Inner Waters south of Point Conception...Generally moderate
confidence in the current forecast. A SCA for gusty NE to E winds
is in effect through this afternoon across the Santa Barbara
Channel, as well as the inner waters from Ventura to Malibu to
the Channel Islands and the San Pedro Channel to near Avalon
Harbor. Strongest winds are expected this morning. Winds across
the southern inner waters zone PZZ655 should lower to below SCA
thresholds by early this evening, but continue across the Santa
Barbara Channel through this evening, before diminishing some.
Winds and seas should then remain below SCA levels Wed thru Sat.
&&
.LOX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CA...High Surf Advisory in effect from 4 PM Wednesday to 4 PM PST
Thursday for zones 34-35. (See LAXCFWLOX).
Wind Advisory in effect until 10 PM PST this evening for
zones 40-44-45-88-547. (See LAXNPWLOX).
Wind Advisory in effect until 3 PM PST this afternoon for
zone 41. (See LAXNPWLOX).
High Wind Warning in effect until 10 PM PST this evening for
zones 46-53-54. (See LAXNPWLOX).
PZ...Small Craft Advisory in effect until 9 PM PST this evening
for zones 650-670-673-676. (See LAXMWWLOX).
Small Craft Advisory in effect until 3 PM PST this afternoon
for zone 655. (See LAXMWWLOX).
&&
.HAZARD POTENTIAL OUTLOOK (FRI-TUE).
High surf is possible at areas beaches Friday through Saturday.
Periods of rain and mountain snow Sunday through Christmas
may create travel hazards at times.
&&
PUBLIC...MW
AVIATION...Sweet/Kaplan
MARINE...Sweet/Kaplan
SYNOPSIS...Phillips/DB
weather.gov/losangeles2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong and gusty north to northeast winds developed across the mountains of Los Angeles county. Some wind reports from local RAWS stations include: Warm Springs (gusts 60-70 MPH) and Chilao (gusts 60-63 MPH).
Strong and gusty north to northeast winds developed across the mountains of Ventura county. Winds gusting around 60 MPH were reported.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in California, December 2019
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: 863971, 863972.