A cold and unstable air mass generated heavy snow showers across the San Gabriel Mountains in Los Angeles counties. Above 6000 feet, snowfall totals between 10 and 20 inches 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.
A cold and unstable air mass generated heavy snow showers across the San Gabriel Mountains in Los Angeles counties. Above 6000 feet, snowfall totals between 10 and 20 inches 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 Mar 12, 9:58 AM PST, 1 hour 2 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
1058 AM PDT Tue Mar 12 2019
.SYNOPSIS...12/934 AM.
Clear and breezy conditions will persist tomorrow and Thursday
with seasonal temperatures. After some cloudiness on Friday with a
passing upper level trough, high pressure will ridge in this
weekend bringing sunny skies above normal temperatures through
Monday.
&&
.SHORT TERM (TDY-THU)...12/1012 AM.
Still getting some wrap around precip from the upper low near
Yuma. It has been decreasing the last couple hours and that
matches up with what the models are showing as well so the noon
expiration of the winter storm warning still looks good. Main
issue now is what to do with tonight. A fairly weak trough drops
in from the north and for 99% of the area will only bring some
gusty winds (possibly advisory/warning levels in some areas).
However, for the Grapevine area there is the potential for very
low elevation snow that could result in either delays or closures
of the roads there including Interstate 5. So will be giving some
serious consideration to a possible Winter Weather Advisory for
just that small area tonight as well as possibly expanding the
wind advisory to cover a larger portion of LA/Ventura Counties.
***From previous discussion***
Gradients tighten up and there is enough cold air advection to
drive down the strong upper level northerly flow. All of this will
combine to bring warning level 60 to 65 mph winds the SBA/VTA/LA
mtns, the Antelope Vly and the SBA south coast. The strongest
winds will be through and below passes and canyons and the I-5
corridor. These winds will develop during the evening and will
continue into the Wednesday morning. Advisory level north winds
will also likely develop across portions of the vlys and the Santa
Monica mtns and these may well be added to the headlines this
afternoon.
Dry NW flow sets up over the area on Wednesday. It will be sunny
and breezy. The cool air brought in by the trof will knock a
degree or two off max temps compared to today.
A decent east pac ridge moves into the state on Thursday and
raises hgts to about 570 DM. Decent offshore flow develops as
well and there will be a short lived burst of Santa Ana winds in
the morning. Some areas will likely see low end advisory level
gusts. Skies will be sunny and when combined with the increasing
hgts and offshore flow should result in a good bump up in temps.
Max temps will reach seasonal normals for the first time in a
while. It will almost certainly be enough to end the below-70
streak in downtown LA.
.LONG TERM (FRI-MON)...12/309 AM.
Both the GFS and the EC agree well for the long term. A weak
trof will move through on Friday, but it the ridge will then build
back into the area Saturday and continue through Monday.
It will be dry through the period and skies will be mostly clear.
Weak offshore flow will prevent the formation of any low clouds.
Max temps will rise through Sunday and then dip slightly on Monday
as the ridge weakens some. Sunday will be the warmest day of the
next 7 with max temps running 8 to 10 degrees above normal. There
will likely be a smattering of 80 and 81 degree max temp readings.
&&
.AVIATION...12/1751Z.
At 1800Z at KLAX, there was no marine inversion.
Overall, high confidence with 18z TAFs. Good confidence in strong
wind forecasts.
KLAX...Moderate confidence in TAF. There is a 30% chance of north
winds exceeding 12 knots 09Z- 15Z.
KBUR...Moderate confidence in TAF. There is a 30% chance of north
winds exceeding 12 knots 22Z- 15Z.
&&
.MARINE...12/955 AM.
For the Outer Waters, moderate confidence in current forecast.
High confidence in northwest winds remaining at Small Craft
Advisory (SCA) levels through mid morning. By late this morning
through Wednesday morning, high confidence in Gale Warnings
through Wednesday morning. Otherwise winds expected to remain
below SCA thresholds Thursday through Saturday.
For the Inner Waters north of Point Sal, moderate confidence in
current forecast. High confidence in northwest winds reaching SCA
levels this morning, then 60% confidence that the western portion
of the (PZZ645) will experience gale force winds. Therefore a Gale
Warning remains in effect from late this afternoon through this
evening. After a slight lull tonight and Wednesday morning,
moderate confidence in SCA level winds Wednesday afternoon and
evening. For Thursday through Saturday, high confidence in winds
and seas remaining below SCA levels.
For the Inner Waters south of Point Conception, moderate
confidence in current forecast. High confidence in winds
increasing to SCA levels this morning through the afternoon. Then
60% confidence that the western portion of the inner waters will
experience Gale Warning level gusts through this evening.
Therefore, a Gale Warning remains in effect for these zones from
this afternoon through this evening. High confidence in winds and
seas remaining below SCA levels Wednesday afternoon through
Saturday.
&&
.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 9 PM PDT this evening for zones
39-52>54. (See LAXNPWLOX).
High Wind Warning in effect from 9 PM this evening to 8 AM
PDT Wednesday for zones 39-52>54-59. (See LAXNPWLOX).
Winter Storm Warning in effect until noon PDT today for zone
54. (See LAXWSWLOX).
PZ...Small Craft Advisory in effect until 3 PM PDT this afternoon
for zones 645-650-655. (See LAXMWWLOX).
Gale Warning in effect from 3 PM this afternoon to 9 PM PDT
this evening 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 (THU-MON).
No significant hazards expected.
&&
PUBLIC...MW/Rorke
AVIATION...Sweet
MARINE...Kaplan/Sweet
BEACHES...Kaplan/Sweet
SYNOPSIS...TF
weather.gov/losangeles1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Winter storm conditions impacted the higher elevations of the San Gabriel Mountains. Above 6000 feet, significant snowfall was reported. Some snowfall totals include: Mountain High (18-20 inches), Wrightwood (13 inches) and Mount Baldy (8-12 inches).
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: 815098.