A strong surface high over the Great Basin generated strong Santa Ana winds across the area.
Every event with a place to put it; 5 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 strong surface high over the Great Basin generated strong Santa Ana winds across the area.
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 Jan 14, 1:34 PM PST, 3 hours 26 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service San Diego CA
134 PM PST Thu Jan 14 2021
.SYNOPSIS...
Dry conditions with above average temperatures will prevail through
Saturday. Periods of gusty Santa Ana winds are expected into early
next week. A period of potentially strong Santa Ana winds is
expected late Monday through Wednesday. Cooling is expected for
Sunday through Wednesday, temperatures are expected to return to
seasonal averages by the middle of the week.
&&
.DISCUSSION...FOR EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA INCLUDING ORANGE...
SAN DIEGO...WESTERN RIVERSIDE AND SOUTHWESTERN SAN BERNARDINO
COUNTIES...
High pressure will continue to build over Southern California today
resulting in a warm end of the week. At 1 PM, there are widespread
temperatures in the 80s in the inland valleys and lower deserts,
with temperatures mostly in the 70s along the coast and in the High
Desert. Friday will be the warmest day of the week, with more
widespread temperatures closer to 20 degrees above average,
especially in the Inland Empire. Saturday's temperatures will be
similar to today's, with cooling expected Sunday into early next
week. Temperatures should be near to slightly below average by
Tuesday or Wednesday.
Winds will continue to increase today, becoming more widespread and
peaking Friday morning. The strongest winds are expected along the
coastal slopes of the mountains of Riverside and San Bernardino
Counties, in portions of the Inland Empire below the Cajon and San
Gorgonio Passes, and along and near the coastal slopes of the Santa
Ana Mountains. Gusty northeast winds of 45-50 mph, with isolated
gusts of 55 to 60 mph are expected in typical wind prone locations.
Winds will weaken and become more isolated into Friday afternoon.
More gusty north to northeast winds will develop Saturday into
Sunday. Those winds are expected to be less widespread and weaker,
with peak gusts mostly 40 mph or less.
Monday through Wednesday, it looks like there will be another round
of Santa Ana winds. There is still uncertainty surrounding the
strength of the winds, but they have the potential to be fairly
strong. Right now it looks like winds would peak on Tuesday. There
is still decent spread in the ensemble solutions. The ECMWF
ensemble is favoring a stronger wind event.
Cluster analysis is showing some solutions that hint at the
potential of precipitation over Southern California into eastern
Arizona for early next week. Current forecast is close to NBM with
probability of precipitation around 15%.
&&
.AVIATION...
141950Z...A few high clouds with unrestricted vis through tonight.
North to northeast surface winds 15-25 kt with gusts 35-45 kt will
continue THROUGH tonight in areas from the mountain crests southwest
through the foothills and some valleys. This will produce weak to
moderate up/downdrafts over and west of the mtns, including VCNTY
KONT, KSBD, KRAL, KRIV, KBNG and KCNO.
&&
.MARINE...
No hazardous marine conditions are expected through Tuesday.
&&
.BEACHES...
Long-period swells from the WNW will continue through next Tuesday.
High surf is probable Sunday through Tuesday, primarily at beaches
in southern San Diego County. See the Beach Hazard Statement for
details.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...
Periods of gusty Santa Ana winds and dry conditions will continue
through early next week. Gusty north to northeast winds will
continue to strengthen and become more widespread into this evening.
Winds will peak in strength Friday morning before diminishing Friday
afternoon. The stronger and more widespread winds are expected along
the coastal slopes of the mountains of Riverside and San Bernardino
Counties, in portions of the Inland Empire below the Cajon and San
Gorgonio Passes, and along and near the coastal slopes of the Santa
Ana Mountains. Winds will gust to 45-50 mph with isolated gusts of
55-60 mph in the typically windier locations. Another round of gusty
north to northeast winds is expected for Saturday into Saturday
night, but with the stronger gusts mostly 40 mph or less.
Daytime humidity will fall to 10 to 15 percent today for inland
areas and 8 to 12 percent Friday with poor overnight recovery.
Daytime humidity will be 10 to 15 percent for inland areas Saturday
through Monday.
Well above average high temperatures will continue through Saturday.
Cooling to seasonal average is expected for Sunday through the
middle of next week. There is the potential for a period of strong
northeast winds developing Monday, peaking Tuesday, and possibly
continuing into Wednesday.
&&
.SKYWARN...
Skywarn activation is not requested. However weather spotters are
encouraged to report significant weather conditions.
&&
.SGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CA...Red Flag Warning until 4 PM PST Friday for Orange County Inland
Areas-Riverside County Mountains-Including The San Jacinto
Ranger District Of The San Bernardino National Forest-San
Bernardino County Mountains-Including The Mountain Top And
Front Country Ranger Districts Of The San Bernardino
National Forest-San Bernardino and Riverside County Valleys
-The Inland Empire-Santa Ana Mountains-Including The
Trabuco Ranger District of the Cleveland National Forest.
Beach Hazards Statement through Tuesday afternoon for Orange
County Coastal Areas-San Diego County Coastal Areas.
PZ...NONE.
&&
PUBLIC/FIRE WEATHER...CO
AVIATION/MARINE...PGThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Very windy conditions occurred across the region. Sill Hill reported a peak wind gust of 82 MPH.
Very windy conditions occurred across the region. Toro Peak reported a peak wind gust of 87 MPH.
Very windy conditions occurred across the region with peak gusts near 60 MPH being reported.
Very windy conditions occurred across the region. Snow Peak reported a peak wind gust of 61 MPH.
Gusty winds occurred across the region. Fremont Canyon RAWS recorded a peak gust of 61 MPH.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in California, January 2021
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: 938454, 938455, 938456, 938457, 938458.