Strong and gusty northerly winds developed in the mountains of Ventura and Los Angeles counties. Wind gusts up to 66 MPH were reported with the strongest winds occurring through the Interstate 5 Corridor.
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 in the mountains of Ventura and Los Angeles counties. Wind gusts up to 66 MPH were reported with the strongest winds occurring through the Interstate 5 Corridor.
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 Jan 1, 10:16 PM PST, 3 hours 41 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED
National Weather Service Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
1016 PM PST Wed Jan 1 2020
...updated aviation discussion...
.SYNOPSIS...01/705 PM.
Clear to partly cloudy skies will prevail across Southwest
California through next Tuesday. Moderate to strong north to
northeast winds are expected tonight through early Friday.
Another round of gusty north to northeast winds will be possible
Sunday night through Monday. Temperatures will be slightly cooler
on Thursday, then near or slightly above normal Friday through
Tuesday.
&&
.SHORT TERM (WED-SAT)...01/829 PM.
***UPDATE***
Winds are gradually ramping up this evening, and as of 8 PM the
peak winds are 40 mph in the Santa Clarita Valley and the western
SBA South Coast. L.A. mountains, and 45 to 50 mph in the L.A.
Mountains near Sandberg and Whitaker Peak. Per the WRF model, some
of the strongest winds at this hour are in the SBA mountains near
Big Pine Mountain, but unfortunately there are no observations in
that area. The WRF shows winds increasing some overnight in the
mountains, extending down through Del Valle to Chatsworth where
isolated gusts to 50 mph will be possible after midnight. Finally,
as the winds take a more NE direction early Thursday morning, the
WRF spreads strong gusts across Simi Valley toward Wiley Peak.
The Central Coast will also see some fairly widespread sub-
advisory northeast winds.
Otherwise, a mostly clear night expected for most areas, except
for possible low clouds in eastern SLO County and the L.A. Basin.
In addition, the northerly flow could bring some light rain and
snow showers to the northern mountain slopes of L.A. and Ventura
Counties. Snow levels will be above 5500 feet so issues with
snowfall over the Grapevine are not expected.
***From Previous Discussion***
Synoptically, a 560DM upper-level low is nearing the tip of the
Baja peninsula about 350 miles to our SSE. As this feature moves
eastward our pattern will be sandwiched between higher pressure
pushing in from the west and a deepening trough through the Great
Basin and as the pressure gradient tightens, with support from a
jet above, we will get yet another period of higher winds. Once
that event ends, the 590 DM high ridge builds into the area
through the weekend producing mostly fair skies and seasonal
temperatures. Its next Wednesday before another trough dips down
our way with a potential for light rain showing up in the
extended ensembles.
The winds will turn to northeasterly and gradually weaken
Thursday afternoon. Temperatures will lower over the interior on
Thursday with the offshore flow, but coastal areas should see a
few degrees of warming. The northeast winds will continue Thursday
night into Friday, but the advisory-strength gusts should end by
Thursday afternoon. With the persistent but weaker offshore
flow, and a 590 DM upper level high nudging in from the southwest,
all areas should warm to slightly above normal on Friday.
The ridge will remain in place on Saturday, but more clouds are
expected to make it through, so probably a degree or so of
cooling.
.LONG TERM (SUN-WED)...01/159 PM.
As another trough pushes southward through the Great Basin
beginning on Sunday, the negatively-tilted gradient between that
and the higher pressure to our southwest tightens and ensembles are
suggesting multiple days of moderate to strong north to northeast
winds. The latest operational GFS gradients continue to show the
potential with a -7.4 LAX-DAG gradient on Monday morning which
would exceed the 97th percentile for early January according to
our local study. This is still pretty far in the future, so not
especially confident in the strength, but models have been
showing something on Monday for several days now. The northerly
winds should bring much cooler conditions to interior sections
and milder conditions to coastal areas. Long range ensembles
hinting at light precip around the 10th.
&&
.AVIATION...02/0614Z.
At 0530Z at KLAX, there was no marine layer.
Good confidence in VFR conditions for most sites through the TAF
period, except for the Central Coast and LA coastal sites. For
KSBP and KSMX, there is a 40% chance conditions remain VFR. For
KLAX and KLGB, there is a 20-30% chance of IFR/LIFR conditions
10Z-16Z. Gusty northerly winds will continue through the night
with the potential for turbulence and LLWS across many areas
including KSBA, KVNY, KBUR, and the desert sites.
KLAX...Moderate confidence in the 06Z TAF. There is a 20% chance
of IFR/LIFR conditions 10Z-16Z. High confidence in an east wind
component remaining 6 kt or less through 18Z.
KBUR...High confidence in the 06Z TAF. There will be the potential
for turbulence and LLWS in the area overnight.
&&
.MARINE...01/753 PM.
For the coastal waters along the Central Coast towards San
Nicolas Island, high confidence that Small Craft Advisory (SCA)
level hazardous seas will continue through Friday as a large and
very long period W-NW swell moves through the waters. NW Gales are
expected to continue through late Thursday morning, then
decreasing to SCA levels through Thursday night. Moderate to high
confidence that NW to N winds will return to SCA levels Saturday
night through Monday, with Gales possible on Sunday.
For the coastal waters inside the southern California bight, there
is a 60 percent chance of SCA level winds for the W SBA Channel
Thursday morning, with hazardous seas to 10 feet across the far
western portions of Channel. There is a 40 percent chance of SCA
winds over the nearshore waters west of L.A. County Sunday
morning from another push of northeast winds.
&&
.BEACHES...01/832 PM.
An extended period of high surf will affect the SW California
coast through late this week as a very long period W-NW swell
moves into the waters. This swell will peak Thursday, then subside
through Friday. High surf will affect many beach areas through
Friday evening, with Warning-level surf to 20 feet expected along
the Central Coast through Thursday afternoon. Strong rip currents
are certain in most areas through at least Friday. Due to the
long periods associated with the westerly swell, sneaker waves are
likely. Powerful surf is expected, especially north of Point
Conception, where beach erosion is also likely to occur.
People visiting the area beaches should use extreme caution during
this event.
&&
.LOX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CA...High Surf Warning in effect until 6 PM PST Thursday for zones
34-35. (See LAXCFWLOX).
High Surf Advisory in effect until 8 PM PST Friday for zones
39>41-87. (See LAXCFWLOX).
Wind Advisory in effect until noon PST Thursday for zone 39. (See LAXNPWLOX).
Wind Advisory in effect until 3 PM PST Thursday for zones
44>46-88-547. (See LAXNPWLOX).
High Wind Warning in effect until noon PST Thursday for zones
52>54. (See LAXNPWLOX).
PZ...Small Craft Advisory in effect until 10 AM PST Friday for
zone 645. (See LAXMWWLOX).
Small Craft Advisory in effect until 9 AM PST Thursday for
zone 650. (See LAXMWWLOX).
Gale Warning in effect until noon PST Thursday for zones
670-673-676. (See LAXMWWLOX).
&&
.HAZARD POTENTIAL OUTLOOK (SAT-WED).
High surf and dangerous rip currents affect area beaches through
Saturday. Strong and damaging north to northeast winds are
possible Saturday into next week.
&&
PUBLIC...jld/Smith
AVIATION...Stewart
MARINE...Smith
BEACHES...Smith
SYNOPSIS...Sirard/Smith
weather.gov/losangeles2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong and gusty northerly winds developed in the mountains of Los Angeles county. Some peak wind gusts recorded included Whitaker Peak (gusts to 66 MPH) and Sandberg (gusts to 62 MPH).
Strong and gusty northerly winds developed in the mountains of Ventura county. Peak winds gusts around 60 MPH were reported.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in California, January 2020
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: 879257, 879258.