A cold upper low brought widespread precipitation, mountain snow and thunderstorms to Southern California on March 25th through 27th. Heavy rain occurred at times along the coast and in the valleys and heavy mountain snow occurred in the mountains.
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 cold upper low brought widespread precipitation, mountain snow and thunderstorms to Southern California on March 25th through 27th. Heavy rain occurred at times along the coast and in the valleys and heavy mountain snow occurred in the mountains. Thunderstorms were observed in the coast and valleys, where small hail and lightning was produced. There were numerous reports of small hail in San Diego, and a house caught on fire, due to a lightning strike, in Spring Valley. Two people were injured due to the lightning strike. Rainfall totals ranged from a few hundredths of an inch along the coast to up to 0.75 in the mountains.
The Edwards AFB radar (KEYX), 129 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:03 UTC.
2 heavy snow, 1 funnel cloud, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Snow totals in the San Bernardino Mountains ranged from 2 inches to 5 inches, with the highest totals near Big Bear at Bear Mountain Ski Resort.
Spotters reported 4 inches of snow at Mount Laguna and Palomar Mountain. Even Campo received a dusting of snow.
Multiple funnel clouds/waterspouts reported off the coast of San Clemente.
Broadcast media reported lightning struck a palm tree and burned a nearby house in Spring Valley between 0000 and 0200 PST on March 27th. Two injuries 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, 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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 882405, 882406, 882415, 882407.