Strong Wind and Dense Fog in California, January 6 to 7, 2019

Name: Strong Wind and Dense Fog in California, January 6 to 7, 2019
Start: 2019-01-06T22:35
End: 2019-01-07T03:00
Location: California

January 6 to 7, 2019 · NWS VEF · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

A Pacific storm system produced light rain and snow, locally strong winds, and patchy dense fog.

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.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $1,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

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 VEF wrote it up.

A Pacific storm system produced light rain and snow, locally strong winds, and patchy dense fog.

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 Las Vegas, NV wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 6, 2:08 PM PST, 8 hours 27 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 6, 2:08 PM PST, 8 hours 27 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, 1 dense fog. Local standard time, as filed.

Strong Wind, Owens Valley

When: January 6, 10:35 PM PST
Where: Owens Valley forecast zone
Measured: 43 kt (49 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Strong winds blew down a tree onto Highway 395 at Olancha.

Dense Fog, Eastern Mojave Desert

When: January 7, 1:38 AM PST to 3:00 AM PST
Where: Eastern Mojave Desert forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 34.841, -116.178 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense fog reduced visibility to 40 to 50 feet between mile markers 115 and 125 on Interstate 40.

What these are

Strong Wind: Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.
Dense Fog: Fog reducing visibility to a quarter mile or less, filed where it caused accidents or disruption.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in California in 2019 Every state in 2019 This day in weather history Warnings 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 793709, 793710.