Strong and gusty northerly winds developed across the mountains of Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties as well as the South Coast of Santa Barbara county. Additionally, gusty westerly winds developed across the Antelope Valley.
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 northerly winds developed across the mountains of Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties as well as the South Coast of Santa Barbara county. Additionally, gusty westerly winds developed across the Antelope Valley. Wind gusts between 60 and 70 MPH were reported in these areas.
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 Mar 12, 7:05 PM PST, 4 hours 11 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
805 PM PDT Tue Mar 12 2019
.SYNOPSIS...12/743 PM.
An inside slider storm system will bring snow to mountain pass
level on the northern slopes tonight. Otherwise, mostly clear and
breezy conditions will persist through Thursday. A weak
disturbance will bring some cloudiness to the area Thursday night
into Friday. High pressure will build on Saturday, bringing sunny
skies and above normal temperatures through Monday.
&&
.SHORT TERM (TUE-FRI)...12/803 PM.
***UPDATE***
In the immediate short term, focus continues to be on the passage
of a cold front tonight and Wednesday morning. As this front rolls
through, it will bring some gusty winds and mountain showers to
the area.
With respect to precipitation, the cold front will be rather
moisture-starved. So, most areas will only see some partly cloudy
skies at worst tonight and Wednesday morning. The only exception
will be interior valleys of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara
counties as well as northern mountain slopes. As northerly flow
develops tonight, moisture will be banked up across these areas,
generating clouds and showers. At this time, the highest chances
for shower activity will be the northern mountains slopes
(including the Grapevine) where showers will be likely. With snow
levels dropping to around 4000 to 4500 feet overnight, some snow
accumulation (2 to 4 inches) will be likely around the Kern
County line and Grapevine area. So, will continue with the WINTER
WEATHER ADVISORY for these areas from 11 PM this evening until 8
AM Wednesday morning as hazardous winter weather conditions are
likely. For the interior valleys of San Luis Obispo and Santa
Barbara counties, there will be a slight chance of showers
overnight.
The other concern overnight will continue to be winds. Currently,
gusty west to northwest winds continue across the area. Overnight,
the winds will shift to a more northerly direction. At this time,
warning level northerly wind gusts are likely for the Santa
Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles county mountains as well as below
the passes and canyons of southern Santa Barbara county and the
Antelope Valley tonight and early Wednesday morning. So, HIGH WIND
WARNINGS will remain in effect for these areas. Otherwise, expect
some of the northerly winds to filter down to lower elevations
overnight. So, have issued WIND ADVISORIES for the Santa Clarita
and San Fernando Valleys as well as the Santa Monica mountains
tonight through early Wednesday morning. For coastal areas, gusty
winds will subside by late this evening.
***From Previous Discussion***
The upper low that dropped a ton of snow over the eastern San
Gabriels and some light showers elsewhere has moved into AZ
leaving behind a warmer/drier air mass with temps climbing to 70
in some areas for the first time in over a month, including
Downtown Los Angeles. Our "heat wave" will be short lived though
as another trough will swing through the area tonight and early
Wednesday and usher in cooler air and gusty north to northwest
winds. We're already seeing some of that wind but expect those to
increase even further tonight following the passage of this next
cold front. Wind advisories and warnings have already been issued
and it's possible we could see some low end advisory level winds
in other areas too. Temps won't be quite as cool as they have been
but a few degrees of cooling expected for most areas Wednesday.
The main thing for tonight is the good chance for some snow over
the Grapevine on Interstate 5, especially after midnight as snow
levels decrease to to 4000' or lower. Probably just an inch or two
at most at pass level but locally higher on some of the
surrounding peaks. A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued for
this event through Wednesday morning.
Then we turn drier and warmer Thu/Fri with highs getting back to
70 and likely mid 70s some areas Friday afternoon. Thursday
gradients shift to offshore and we get a little Santa Ana wind
event with possibly some advisory level gusts in some of the
valleys and mountains. We'll also see some high clouds coming
through. Gradients and winds decrease Friday but the warming will
continue with more sunshine.
.LONG TERM (SAT-TUE)...12/154 PM.
Warm and dry through the period as a ridge of high pressure
develops over the west coast. Temps may even get close to 80 in a
few areas in LA/Ventura Counties by Sunday and Monday with the
help of light offshore flow. Some cooling expected Tuesday as a
trough tries to undercut the ridge and bring some moisture and
cooler air into the area along with a return to onshore flow.
Some light precip is possible late Tuesday into Wednesday but
there's a lot of uncertainty with how the pattern will set up.
&&
.AVIATION...12/2322Z.
At 2315Z, there was no marine inversion at KLAX.
Overall, high confidence in 00Z TAF package. VFR conditions will
prevail for all sites through the TAF period although brief
IFR/MVFR VSBYs are possible across the deserts through 04Z due to
strong winds. There will be some gusty northwest to north winds
through Wednesday morning which could generate some
turbulence/LLWS through the local mountain passes.
KLAX...high confidence in 00Z TAF. Northerly cross winds around
10 knots expected 08Z-14Z. Moderate confidence in northeasterly
winds near 6 knots 14Z-20Z.
KBUR...high confidence in 00Z TAF. Northerly winds around 12 knots
likely 05Z-20Z.
&&
.MARINE...12/802 PM.
For the Outer Waters, generally high confidence in current
forecast. High confidence in Gale Warnings through Wednesday
morning, and Small Craft Advisory (SCA ) levels Wednesday
afternoon and evening. Otherwise winds are expected to remain
below SCA thresholds later Wednesday night through Sunday.
For the Inner Waters north of Point Sal, generally high confidence
in current forecast. Gale Warning will remain in effect through
late tonight. After a slight lull tonight and Wednesday morning,
moderate confidence in SCA level winds Wednesday afternoon and
evening. For Thursday through Sunday, high confidence in winds
and seas remaining below SCA levels.
For the Inner Waters south of Point Conception, generally high
confidence in current forecast. Gale Warning level wind gusts
will prevail through late tonight. Winds will diminish to SCA
levels Wednesday morning. There will also be a 50%-60% chance of
SCA level wind NE gusts late Wednesday night and Thursday
morning. Otherwise, generally high confidence in winds and seas
remaining below SCA levels Thursday afternoon through Sunday.
&&
.BEACHES...12/1052 AM.
A moderately large WNW swell will bring high surf between 9 and 13
feet across west to northwest facing beaches for the Central
Coast by this morning and persist through Thursday morning. There
will be some local sets to 15 feet between Tuesday and Wednesday.
Elevated surf between 4-6 feet with local sets to 7 feet across
exposed west facing beaches today through Wednesday.
Along with the high surf will be an increased danger of high rip
currents from San Luis Obispo to Los Angeles Counties, which can
pull swimmers and surfers out to sea and cause ocean drowning.
Large breaking waves can cause injury... wash people off beaches
and rocks... and capsize small boats near shore.
&&
.LOX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CA...High Surf Advisory in effect until noon PDT Thursday for
zones 34-35. (See LAXCFWLOX).
Wind Advisory in effect until 10 PM PDT this evening for
zones 34-35. (See LAXNPWLOX).
Wind Advisory in effect until 9 PM PDT this evening for zones
39-52>54. (See LAXNPWLOX).
High Wind Warning in effect until 8 AM PDT Wednesday for
zones 39-52>54-59. (See LAXNPWLOX).
Wind Advisory in effect until 9 AM PDT Wednesday for zones
46-88-547. (See LAXNPWLOX).
Winter Weather Advisory in effect until 8 AM PDT Wednesday
for zones 53-54. (See LAXWSWLOX).
PZ...Gale Warning in effect until 3 AM PDT Wednesday for zones
645-650-655. (See LAXMWWLOX).
Gale Warning in effect until 9 AM PDT Wednesday for zones
670-673-676. (See LAXMWWLOX).
&&
.HAZARD POTENTIAL OUTLOOK (FRI-TUE).
No significant hazards expected.
&&
PUBLIC...MW
AVIATION...RAT
MARINE...Sirard
BEACHES...Kaplan/Sweet
SYNOPSIS...Smith
weather.gov/losangeles5 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Gusty west winds developed across the Antelope Valley. Some peak wind reports include: Lancaster (gust 68 MPH), Palmdale (gust 58 MPH) and Lake Palmdale (gust 58 MPH).
Gusty north winds developed across the mountains of Los Angeles county. Some peak wind gusts include: Camp Nine (gusts 60 to 70 MPH) and Warm Springs (gust 60 MPH).
Gusty north winds developed across the mountains of Ventura county. Wind gusts around 60 MPH were reported.
The RAWS sensor at Refugio reported northerly winds gusting to 58 MPH.
The RAWS sensor at Montecito reported northerly winds gusting to 60 MPH.
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, March 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: 815101, 815102, 815103, 815100, 815099.