California, 2019

Strong Wind in California, January 21, 2019

January 21, 2019 · NWS PSR · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Strong gusty southwest winds developed across portions of Imperial County during the morning hours on January 21st. The winds were not severe, but they were in excess of 40 mph and sufficient to warrant the issuance of Wind Advisories for favored areas in far southeast California.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$4,000
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.

What happened

The episode as NWS PSR wrote it up.

Strong gusty southwest winds developed across portions of Imperial County during the morning hours on January 21st. The winds were not severe, but they were in excess of 40 mph and sufficient to warrant the issuance of Wind Advisories for favored areas in far southeast California. Gusty winds in excess of 40 mph managed to down a telephone pole near the town of Calexico, according to local law enforcement. No injuries were reported due to the falling telephone pole. Calexico was located well to the south of Imperial and just north of the Mexican border.

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 Jan 21, 4:35 AM PST, 2 hours 25 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 21, 4:35 AM PST, 2 hours 25 minutes before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Strong Wind, Imperial Valley

When
January 21, 7:00 AM PST
Where
Imperial Valley forecast zone
Measured
43 kt (49 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$4,000
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
33.040, -115.365 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong gusty southwest winds developed across portions of far southeast California during the morning hours on January 21, and some of the stronger gusts affected the south portions of the Imperial Valley. According to local law enforcement, at 0700PST wind gusts estimated as high as 50 mph blew down a telephone pole near the town of Calexico. No injuries were reported due to the falling pole. A Wind Advisory was in effect for portions of far southeast California at the time but the advisory did not include the Imperial Valley.

What these are

Strong Wind
Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in California in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in California, January 2019

Sources

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 799279.