California, 2020Heavy Snow and High Wind in California, March 1 to 3, 2020
March 1 to 3, 2020 · NWS SGX · 7 events in 3 counties and zones
A closed low pressure system tracked over northern Baja California on March 1st and 2nd, bringing rain, heavy mountain snow and high winds to Southern California. Most mountain snow fell in the San Bernardino Mountains, with up to 12-18 inches falling in the highest elevations.
Every event with a place to put it; 7 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
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 7
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.
A closed low pressure system tracked over northern Baja California on March 1st and 2nd, bringing rain, heavy mountain snow and high winds to Southern California. Most mountain snow fell in the San Bernardino Mountains, with up to 12-18 inches falling in the highest elevations. The Riverside and San Diego mountains also picked up a few inches of snow during this event. The highest rainfall totals were observed in the mountains, with up to 1 inch of rain. The coast and valley areas picked up around 0.10 to 0.35 inch of rain. Chain control was in effect for the San Bernardino Mountains on March 1st and 2nd. Strong winds followed behind the upper low, with wind gusts up to 65 mph observed in the mountains and passes.
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 San Diego, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 1, 9:00 AM PST, 1 hour earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Mar 1, 9:00 AM PST, 1 hour before
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</html>Heavy Snow, San Bernardino County Mountains
- When
- March 1, 10:00 AM PST to March 2, 11:00 PM PST
- Where
- San Bernardino County Mountains forecast zone
- Reported by
- County Official
- Coordinates
- 34.841, -116.178 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy snow fell in the San Bernardino Mountains on March 1st and 2nd. Snow Valley Ski Resort reported 14-18 inches of snow. Green Valley Lake reported 10 inches. Fawnskin, Arrowbear, and Running Springs reported 9 inches of snow. Big Bear and Mountain High reported 6-8 inches. Angelus Oaks and Crestline reported 3 inches. Chain controls were in place on March 1st and 2nd.
High Wind, San Bernardino County Mountains
- When
- March 2, 4:00 AM PST to 5:00 AM PST
- Where
- San Bernardino County Mountains forecast zone
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 34.841, -116.178 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Lytle Creek mesonet reported a peak wind gust of 50 knots between 0400 and 0500 PST on March 2nd.
High Wind, San Bernardino County Mountains
- When
- March 2, 4:00 AM PST to 5:00 AM PST
- Where
- San Bernardino County Mountains forecast zone
- Measured
- 55 kt (63 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 34.841, -116.178 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Devil Canyon mesonet reported a peak wind gust of 55 knots between 0400 and 0500 PST on March 2nd.
High Wind, Santa Ana Mountains and Foothills
- When
- March 2, 6:00 AM PST to 7:00 AM PST
- Where
- Santa Ana Mountains and Foothills forecast zone
- Measured
- 57 kt (66 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 33.483, -116.847 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Fremont Canyon mesonet reported a peak wind gust of 57 knots between 0600 and 0700 PST on March 2nd.
High Wind, Santa Ana Mountains and Foothills
- When
- March 2, 7:00 AM PST to 8:00 AM PST
- Where
- Santa Ana Mountains and Foothills forecast zone
- Measured
- 53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 33.483, -116.847 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Upper Bell Canyon mesonet reported a peak wind gust of 53 knots between 0700 and 0800 PST on March 2nd.
High Wind, San Bernardino and Riverside County Valleys - the Inland Empire
- When
- March 2, 9:00 AM PST to 10:00 AM PST
- Where
- San Bernardino and Riverside County Valleys - the Inland Empire forecast zone
- Measured
- 55 kt (63 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 34.293, -116.086 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Box Springs Mountain mesonet reported a peak wind gust of 55 knots between 0900 and 1000 PST on March 2nd.
High Wind, Santa Ana Mountains and Foothills
- When
- March 2, 11:00 PM PST to March 3, 12:00 AM PST
- Where
- Santa Ana Mountains and Foothills forecast zone
- Measured
- 57 kt (66 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 33.483, -116.847 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Pleasant's Peak mesonet reported a peak wind gust of 57 knots between 2300 on March 2nd and 0000 on March 3rd.
- Heavy Snow
- Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
- High Wind
- Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Flood in Pennsylvania, March 1 to 31, 2020$5.0 million · 1 event
- Flood in Ohio, March 1 to 31, 2020$5.0 million · 1 event
- Drought in Texas, March 1 to 31, 202024 events
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Missouri, March 1 to 2, 2020$2,000 · 2.25 in hail · 24 events
- High Wind in North Dakota, March 1, 202058 kt wind · 21 events
- Flood in Illinois, March 1 to 31, 2020$20,000 · 1 event
- Flooding in South Dakota, March 1 to 31, 202010 events
- Drought in Texas, March 1 to 31, 20208 events
- High Surf in Hawaii, March 1 to 4, 20208 events
- Drought in Texas, March 1 to 31, 20207 events
- Flooding in Arkansas, March 1 to 31, 20206 events
- Drought in Texas, March 1 to 16, 20206 events
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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 881826, 881820, 881821, 881822, 881823, 881824, 881825.