A powerful late-season storm moved across Southwestern California. 00 inches 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 powerful late-season storm moved across Southwestern California. The storm brought significant rainfall to the area with totals up to 3.00 inches reported. In the mountains, snow levels dropped to around 4500 feet and significant snowfall was reported at elevations above 5000 feet. Along with the snow, gusty southerly winds impacted the area with gusts up to 50 MPH.
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 16, 7:38 PM PST, 1 hour 22 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED
National Weather Service Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
838 PM PDT Mon Mar 16 2020
updated marine discussion
.SYNOPSIS...16/813 PM.
Showers and low level mountain snow will continue into Tuesday
and possibly linger into Wednesday. After periods of clearing
Thursday through early Saturday, there is a chance of another
storm moving through the region late Saturday through early next
week.
&&
.SHORT TERM (MON-THU)...16/753 PM.
***UPDATE***
The main frontal band from today's storm system was over eastern
L.A. County early this evening and was moving fairly quickly to
the east. Moderate to locally heavy rain and mountain snow
continued to affect the San Gabriel Vly to the San Gabriel Mtns,
but most of this steady pcpn will move out of the area by 9 PM.
Behind the front there will be lingering showers overnight
especially along the Central Coast as moist onshore flow
associated with an upper level low off the coast will prevail.
Winter Storm Warnings remain in effect for the higher mtns of
SBA/VTU/L.A. Counties due to heavy snow above 5000 feet and gusty
winds. However, with the heaviest and steadiest snowfall moving
east, the warnings will likely be cancelled before 830 PM for
SBA/VTU Counties, but remain in effect until probably 10 PM for
the L.A. County mtns before being cancelled.
There was lingering gusty near Advisory level winds in the mtns
and some foothill areas of the Antelope Vly early this evening,
but these winds are expected to diminish some overnight.
***From Previous Discussion***
The low will elongate and pinch off into two low systems by late
Tuesday. One low will drop south and off of southern California on
Tuesday then push into Arizona. The other low will wobble around
Lake Tahoe through Thursday or Friday. As the first low drops
south, we should see another organized band of showers form off
the Central Coast later tonight into Tuesday, with scattered
showers elsewhere. Snow levels will fall into the 3000 to 4000
foot range tonight and stay that way on Tuesday. As a result, some
mountain passes should see a flurry or two, which could cause
some road delays especially on the I-5 Tejon Pass. With the
wobbling low to our north, scattered on and off showers will
remain possible through Thursday night. Temperatures will remain
below normal. There will be breaks in the clouds, but will cloudy
will be most prevalent.
.LONG TERM (FRI-MON)...16/258 PM.
While the pattern is pretty uncertain, Friday into Saturday looks
most like a break period from the showers with mild near normal
temperatures. The upper low will sit and spin over the area on
Thursday. The system has pretty much spun itself out and there
will only be a minimal chc of an insignificant shower. Otherwise
just partly to mostly cloudy and a continuation of the below
normal temps.
A new storm system should form off of Washington late on
Thursday. Most projections now drop it off the California coast
over the weekend, which would be a favorable position for
widespread rain sometime early next week, so it does not look
like the chances of rain will end anytime soon.
&&
.AVIATION...16/2352Z.
At 2330Z, there was no marine inversion at KLAX.
Moderate confidence overall in the 00Z TAFs. A band of rain will
move through VTU/L.A. Counties thru early this evening, with rain
and reduced cigs/vsbys with MVFR conditions for the airfields in
these counties. Otherwise, improving conditions to VFR are
expected at all the airfields, except could be MVFR at times for
tonight at KSBP. There is also a 20%-30% chance of MVFR cigs/vsbys
at times tonight into Tue morning for many other coast and vlys
airfields.
KLAX...Moderate confidence overall in the 00Z TAF. A band of rain
will move through the airfield thru early this evening, with
reduced vsbys with MVFR, and a 30% chance of MVFR cigs. Otherwise,
improving conditions to VFR are expected, except for a 20%-30%
chance of MVFR cigs/vsbys at times tonight into Tue morning.
KBUR...Moderate confidence overall in the 00Z TAF. A band of rain
will move through the airfield thru early this evening, with
reduced vsbys with MVFR, and a 30% chance of MVFR cigs. Otherwise,
improving conditions to VFR are expected, except for a 20%-30%
chance of MVFR cigs/vsbys at times tonight into Tue morning.
&&
.MARINE...16/837 PM.
There is a slight chance of thunderstorms across the northern
outer waters and the inner waters north of Point Sal this
evening into Tue.
Outer Waters...generally high confidence in the forecast. Winds
and seas are forecast to remain largely below Small Craft Advisory
(SCA) levels though Saturday, except for a 50% chance of SCA
level wind gusts at times Wed night.
For the inner waters north of Pt Sal, generally high confidence
in the forecast. Winds and seas are forecast to remain below
SCA levels though Saturday.
For the SBA Channel and southern inner waters, generally high
confidence in the forecast. Winds and seas are forecast to remain
largely below SCA levels though Saturday, except for a 50% chance
of SCA level wind gusts at times Wed night.
&&
.LOX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CA...Winter Storm Warning in effect until 9 PM PDT this evening
for zone 52. (See LAXWSWLOX).
Winter Storm Warning in effect until midnight PDT tonight for
zone 53. (See LAXWSWLOX).
Winter Storm Warning in effect until 2 AM PDT Tuesday for
zone 54. (See LAXWSWLOX).
PZ...NONE.
&&
.HAZARD POTENTIAL OUTLOOK (THU-MON).
There is the potential for low-elevation snow that would impact
the major mountain passes On Thursday, as well as slick roads.
There is a potential for another storm system early next week.
&&
PUBLIC...Kittell/Sirard
AVIATION...Sirard
MARINE...Sirard
SYNOPSIS...Kj
weather.gov/losangeles2 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy snowfall blanketed the mountains of Los Angeles county. At the resort level (around 7000 feet), snowfall totals of 8 to 16 inches were reported. Additionally, southerly winds, gusting to 50 MPH, were observed.
Heavy snowfall blanketed the mountains of Ventura county. At around 5000 feet, snowfall totals of 4 to 8 inches were reported with likely heavier amounts above 7000 feet. |Additionally, southerly winds, gusting to 50 MPH, were observed.
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, March 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: 888385, 888386.