A weak atmospheric river brought precipitation to Southern California. There was a strong orographic signature with this system, with mountain areas receiving 2-3 inches of precipitation and locally higher amounts of 4 inches on the coastal slopes.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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 SGX wrote it up.
A weak atmospheric river brought precipitation to Southern California. There was a strong orographic signature with this system, with mountain areas receiving 2-3 inches of precipitation and locally higher amounts of 4 inches on the coastal slopes. Coastal areas received 0.25-0.50 and valley areas received up to an inch of rain. Snow levels were high with this system, so many mountain areas received a rain-snow mix. This system also brought gusty winds to the mountain areas, with wind gusts up to 67 mph observed. A funnel cloud was reported by the public on March 3rd.
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 San Diego, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 1, 7:50 PM PST, 6 hours 10 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service San Diego CA
750 PM PST Fri Mar 1 2019
.SYNOPSIS...
A Pacific storm system will move rapidly across California on
Saturday, bringing more widespread rainfall and high snow levels
Saturday through Sunday morning. Strong and gusty westerly winds
will accompany the system over the mountains and deserts on
Saturday and Saturday night. Clouds will slowly break on Monday
with warmer days on tap for both Monday and Tuesday. Another
storm system will take aim at central California by Tuesday.
Scattered, light showers could break out this far south, but rain
looks more likely for Wednesday or Thursday. Cool and showery
weather may persist into next weekend.
&&
.DISCUSSION...FOR EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA INCLUDING ORANGE...
SAN DIEGO...WESTERN RIVERSIDE AND SOUTHWESTERN SAN BERNARDINO
COUNTIES...
High clouds were streaming east over SoCal this evening. The 00Z
Miramar sounding showed a gradual increase in westerly winds and
moisture below 25K FT, but little in the way of instability. There
still was little in the way of sfc pressure gradient trends, but
they remained weak to moderate onshore. Peak westerly wind gusts
were still in that 30-40 MPH range at 7 PM PST.
The latest Water Vapor imagery over the EastPac shows the upper
low tracking rapidly east toward the Central Coast this evening.
Lightning was still a prominent feature with this system north of
32N latitude. Indications are that this activity will remain to the
north of the forecast area.
The latest NAM12 and HRRR operational runs are on track, bringing
precip across SW CA area early Sat morning. Given the high PW values
forecast, at least moderate precip rates can be expected for a time
Sat morning. Southwest to west winds should become quite gusty as
well on Saturday, prompting a Wind Advisory for the mts/deserts.
Please see LAXNPWSGX or our web page for details. No forecast
changes this evening.
From previous discussion...
Although good moisture is advecting into the system over the
Eastern Pacific (Sat estimate PWATs are near 1.5" in advance of
the trough and nearly 200% of normal), the trough is on the
decaying side and will not be able to quite tap into all that
subtropical moisture available. Storm total rainfall through
Sunday is expected to be 0.25-1.00" for the coast and valleys, and
1-2" over the mountains, with isolated amounts in the favored
upslope sections of the San Bernardino Mountains up to 2.50"
through Sunday.
Cold air with the Pacific storm is also decreasing and the
potential for thunderstorms has gone down over the last couple of
model runs. As a result, @SPC has pushed the mention of general
thunderstorms to the north of our region, and therefore we have
removed mention of thunderstorms for Saturday, which previously
was over the Inland Empire and OC for Saturday. With the best
colder temperatures to the north, snow levels will generally be
very high with the Pacific storm Saturday through Saturday night,
initially above 8000 feet, then lowering to around 7000 feet by
late Saturday afternoon.
On Sunday, occasional mainly light showers will be pesky given
the remnant moisture profile and we continue to mention at least a
chance of showers in the forecast, especially for the mountains,
through Sunday afternoon.
Looking ahead to next week...
Another Pacific storm system will take aim at Central CA on Tuesday.
There is still considerable spread in the operational model runs
with regard to the onset and amount of any precip that may fall.
Similar to the storm system this weekend, it will have a good tap
on Pacific moisture, but the forcing and trajectory favor areas from
LA County northward to get the brunt of the precip. At least modest
rainfall amounts with high snow levels are possible here, either
Wednesday or Thursday, with the greatest amounts north of San
Diego County. Moist conditions and possible showers could linger
into next weekend.
&&
.AVIATION...
020400Z...Coast/Valleys...Patchy stratus with bases 1000-1500 ft MSL
will occur tonight near the coast with local vis 3-5 miles in
fog. Widespread higher clouds will gradually lower to 3000-5000 ft
MSL by 11Z Sat with rain developing 11Z-14Z Sat and continuing most
of the day. BKN-OVC cloud bases will be 800-2500 ft MSL with areas
of vis 3-5 miles in rain, locally lower, with areas of terrain
obscurations.
Mtns/Deserts...Widespread clouds above 15000 ft MSL will gradually
lower to 3000-5000 ft MSL by 12Z Sat with mountain obscurations
developing. Rain will spread over the mountains and into parts of
the deserts after 12Z Sat with widespread mountain obscurations.
Areas of west/southwest winds 20-30 knots with gusts 40-50 knots
will occur in the mountains starting 09Z Saturday.
&&
.MARINE...
Despite the storm system moving through this weekend, winds will
mostly remain 20 knots or less, with strongest winds from the
south Saturday. Similar winds are expected with the following storm
system around next Wednesday. Otherwise, no hazardous marine weather
is expected through Wednesday.
&&
.SKYWARN...
Skywarn activation is not requested. However weather spotters are
encouraged to report significant weather conditions.
&&
.SGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CA...Wind Advisory from 10 AM Saturday to midnight PST Saturday night
for Apple and Lucerne Valleys-Coachella Valley-Riverside
County Mountains-San Bernardino County Mountains-San Diego
County Deserts-San Diego County Mountains-San Gorgonio Pass
Near Banning.
PZ...NONE.
&&
PUBLIC...10/Brotherton
OUTLOOK...10
AVIATION/MARINE...MaxwellThe San Diego radar (KNKX), 134 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:29 UTC.
2 high wind, 1 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.
Toro Peak mesonet recorded a peak wind gust of 59 mph between 0200 and 0300 PST on March 2nd.
Mt. Woodson mesonet recorded a peak wind gust of 67 mph between 0800 and 0900 PST on March 2nd.
Public reported a funnel cloud in Perris on March 3rd around 1245 PST.
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: 814742, 814744, 814746.