Wildfire and High Wind in California, November 24 to 25, 2021

Name: Wildfire and High Wind in California, November 24 to 25, 2021
Start: 2021-11-24T22:50
End: 2021-11-25T13:30
Location: California

November 24 to 25, 2021 · NWS SGX · 19 events in 8 counties and zones

Widespread Santa Ana winds occurred over the Thanksgiving Holiday. A wildfire was also reported near Santee.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 19 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

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $13,000
Crop damage: $32,000
Events: 19

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS SGX wrote it up.

Widespread Santa Ana winds occurred over the Thanksgiving Holiday. A wildfire was also reported near Santee.

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 Nov 24, 9:10 PM PST, 1 hour 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 24, 9:10 PM PST, 1 hour 40 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service San Diego CA
910 PM PST Wed Nov 24 2021

.SYNOPSIS...
Strong and potentially damaging Santa Ana winds tonight and Thursday
will impact the mountains and foothills, the Inland Empire and
inland Orange County. Warm, dry weather with lighter offshore winds
are forecast Friday through early next week. Marine layer clouds
will be absent from the coast through at least the middle of next
week.

&&

.DISCUSSION...FOR EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA INCLUDING ORANGE...
SAN DIEGO...WESTERN RIVERSIDE AND SOUTHWESTERN SAN BERNARDINO
COUNTIES...

EVENING UPDATE:

* Strong, potentially damaging wind gusts tonight into Thursday
  morning.
* Critical fire weather conditions through Friday.
* Warm and dry weather through next week.

Santa Ana winds blasted the Inland Empire below the Cajon Pass this
evening where a gust to 52 mph was reported at the Ontario Airport,
CSU San Bernardino had a gust to 47 mph, and the Riverside Airport
had a gust to 46 mph. Elsewhere, Pleasants Peak in the Santa Ana
Mountains had a gust to 65 mph and Fremont Canyon had a gust to 55
mph.

The Santa Ana winds reached all the way to coastal areas of Orange
County this evening where the Huntington Beach Pier had a gust to 31
mph, and the Santa Ana Airport had a gust to 33 mph. Elsewhere, Anza
had a gust to 40 mph, and gusts to 40 mph were reported in Morongo
Valleys impacting motorists along Highway 62. Winds were starting to
ramp up in the San Diego County mountains where Big Black Mountain
had a gust to 47 mph.

Pressure gradients from SAN-TPH were -13.2 mb at 8 PM and will
increase to -16.0 mb through 12Z Thursday, so even stronger, more
widespread winds are forthcoming tonight and tomorrow morning. Peak
gusts of 65 to 75 mph are likely in the windiest spots.

*From Previous Discussion*

HiRes models show mountain waves surfacing tonight into Thursday,
especially for Orange and southwestern San Bernardino Counties. It
would not be surprising if there were some occasional very strong
gusts downstream for the locations with the most consistently
stronger winds, especially in portions of the Inland Empire. The
greatest potential for damaging winds for those areas appears to be
tonight into Thursday morning. Winds will weaken by Thursday evening
with weaker and more localized winds continuing into Friday.

Above average high temperatures are expected tomorrow along the
coast, spreading inland Friday through the weekend. High
temperatures will warm into the mid 80s in some of the warmer
western valley and inland valley locations on Friday. Temperatures
through next week are expected to be 5 to 10 degrees above average,
with the warmer conditions towards the coast for Thanksgiving and
Friday and more inland for late in the weekend and early next week.

Through at least the middle of next week, the pressure gradient is
forecast to remain weakly offshore. Locally, very weak onshore flow
could influence coastal areas starting early next week. Global
ensembles keep a ridge of high pressure firmly over the US West
Coast. High temperatures on the deterministic NBM are not expected
to change much from day to day for most locations, but there is
gradually increasing spread in the guidance from the weekend into
early next week.

&&

.AVIATION...
250500Z...Mostly clear skies with unrestricted vis will prevail
through Thu evening, except for local vis below 3 miles in blowing
dust. NE winds will continue through early afternoon Thu in the
coastal foothills and in the corridor from Cajon Summit to northern
Orange County as well as parts of the foothills and west mountain
slopes of San Diego County, including VCNTY KONT, KCNO, KRAL, KAJO,
KSNA, KRNM. Areas of winds will be 25-35 knots with gusts of 45-65
knots, highest below Cajon Pass and coastal foothills of the Santa
Ana Mountains. Moderate to strong up/downdrafts and areas of LLWS
will also occur through Thu. Winds will gradually weaken Thu mid-
afternoon through evening, but local gusts over 40 knots could still
occur then in the above mentioned areas.

&&

.MARINE...
Erratic and intermittent gusts will reach as high as 25 knots for
several hours tonight between Camp Pendleton and San Clemente
Island. Otherwise, no hazardous marine conditions are expected
through Monday.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
RED FLAG WARNING in effect through Friday afternoon for exceptional
strong Santa Ana winds and very low humidity in the mountains and
valleys. Wind gusts in San Bernardino, Riverside, and inland Orange
counties will be 55 to 65 mph, locally up to 75 mph. Coastal Orange
County will also see critical fire weather conditions through
Thursday afternoon with gusts from 35 to 40 mph. Winds in the San
Diego mountains and portions of the valleys will gust from 55-65
mph. The winds will be strongest tonight through midday Thursday,
then become weaker Thursday night into Friday.

Humidity will fall to 5 to 10 percent Thursday with poor recovery at
night. The pressure gradient will remain weakly offshore through the
weekend, resulting in weaker winds but maintaining dry conditions.
There could be a slight recovery in humidity for inland areas early
next week.

&&

.SKYWARN...
Skywarn activation is not requested. However weather spotters are
encouraged to report significant weather conditions.

&&

.SGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CA...Red Flag Warning through 6 PM Friday for
     San Diego County Inland Valleys-San Diego County Mountains-
     Including The Palomar And Descanso Ranger Districts of the
     Cleveland National Forest.

     High Wind Warning through 3 PM Thursday for
     Orange County Inland Areas-Riverside County Mountains-
     San Bernardino County Mountains-San Bernardino and
     Riverside County Valleys-The Inland Empire-San Gorgonio
     Pass Near Banning-Santa Ana Mountains and Foothills.

     Red Flag Warning until 6 PM 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-San Gorgonio Pass Near Banning-Santa
     Ana Mountains-Including The Trabuco Ranger District of the
     Cleveland National Forest.

     Red Flag Warning through 3 PM Thursday for Orange County
     Coastal Areas.

PZ...NONE.

&&

EVENING UPDATE...MOEDE
PUBLIC/FIRE WEATHER...CO
AVIATION/MARINE...Maxwell

In the hours before

Local storm report, Nov 24, 7:28 PM PST, 3 hours 22 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
728 PM PST WED NOV 24 2021

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0653 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST ONTARIO                 34.05N 117.58W
11/24/2021  M51 MPH          SAN BERNARDINO     CA   ASOS

            KONT ONTARIO AIRPORT.

&&

MOEDE

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

15 high wind, 3 strong wind, 1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.

Strong Wind, Orange County Inland

When: November 24, 10:50 PM PST
Where: Orange County Inland forecast zone
Measured: 26 kt (30 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $10,000
Crop damage: $5,000
Reported by: Fire Department/Rescue
Coordinates: 33.677, -117.776 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Orange County Fire Authority reported power lines down in Westminster. Trees and sheds caught fire and fire spread to homes. Nearby mesonet stations and Los Alamitos ASOS reported wind gusts were between 25 and 30 mph at the time.

Strong Wind, Orange County Coastal

When: November 25, 12:00 AM PST
Where: Orange County Coastal forecast zone
Measured: 43 kt (49 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $3,000
Crop damage: $3,000
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 33.677, -117.776 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Social media report of a tree down on a car in Huntington Beach. Time of damage unknown. Wind gusts at Huntington Beach Pier were between 35-50 mph overnight.

Strong Wind, Orange County Inland

When: November 25, 12:46 AM PST
Where: Orange County Inland forecast zone
Measured: 35 kt (40 mph) estimated gust
Crop damage: $5,000
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 33.677, -117.776 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Multiple trees down in Santa Ana overnight along South Pacific Ave, South Magnolia Ave and West Chestnut Ave. Nearby mesonets in Santa Ana reported wind gusts of 25-40 mph.

High Wind, San Diego County Mountains

When: November 25, 1:20 AM PST
Where: San Diego County Mountains forecast zone
Measured: 59 kt (68 mph) measured gust
Crop damage: $500
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 33.028, -116.770 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Mesonet station SilSD Sill Hill (SDGE) reported a peak wind gust of 68 mph.

High Wind, Santa Ana Mountains and Foothills

When: November 25, 1:30 AM PST
Where: Santa Ana Mountains and Foothills forecast zone
Measured: 57 kt (66 mph) measured gust
Crop damage: $500
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 33.483, -116.847 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

MEsonet station 164SE Modjeska Canyon reported a peak wind gust of 66 mph.

High Wind, Orange County Inland

When: November 25, 2:08 AM PST
Where: Orange County Inland forecast zone
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph) measured gust
Crop damage: $500
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 33.677, -117.776 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Mesonet station CQHC1 Chino Hills State Park reports wind gust of 69 mph.

High Wind, San Bernardino County Mountains

When: November 25, 2:30 AM PST
Where: San Bernardino County Mountains forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
Crop damage: $500
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 34.841, -116.178 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Mesonet station 039SE Shandin Hills reported a peak wind gust of 64 mph.

High Wind, Santa Ana Mountains and Foothills

When: November 25, 2:51 AM PST
Where: Santa Ana Mountains and Foothills forecast zone
Measured: 64 kt (74 mph) estimated gust
Crop damage: $500
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 33.483, -116.847 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Mesonet station FRCC1 Fremont Canyon reported a peak wind gust of 74 mph.

High Wind, San Diego County Mountains

When: November 25, 3:10 AM PST
Where: San Diego County Mountains forecast zone
Measured: 63 kt (72 mph) measured gust
Crop damage: $500
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 33.028, -116.770 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Mesonet station HAUSD Hauser Mountain reported a peak wind gust of 73 mph.

High Wind, San Bernardino and Riverside County Valleys - the Inland Empire

When: November 25, 3:23 AM PST
Where: San Bernardino and Riverside County Valleys - the Inland Empire forecast zone
Measured: 54 kt (62 mph) measured gust
Crop damage: $500
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 34.293, -116.086 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

ASOS station KONT Ontario International Airport reported a peak wind gust of 62 mph.

High Wind, San Bernardino and Riverside County Valleys - the Inland Empire

When: November 25, 3:40 AM PST
Where: San Bernardino and Riverside County Valleys - the Inland Empire forecast zone
Measured: 65 kt (75 mph) measured gust
Crop damage: $500
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 34.293, -116.086 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Mesonet station SE685 Fontana reported a peak wind gust to 75 mph.

High Wind, San Bernardino County Mountains

When: November 25, 3:40 AM PST
Where: San Bernardino County Mountains forecast zone
Measured: 66 kt (76 mph) measured gust
Crop damage: $500
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 34.841, -116.178 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Mesonet station 189SE Arrowhead Springs reported a peak wind gust of 76 mph.

High Wind, San Diego County Valleys

When: November 25, 4:40 AM PST
Where: San Diego County Valleys forecast zone
Measured: 53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
Crop damage: $500
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 33.028, -116.770 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Mesonet station HHCSD Hellhole Canyon (SDGE) reported a peak wind gust of 61 mph.

High Wind, Santa Ana Mountains and Foothills

When: November 25, 5:18 AM PST
Where: Santa Ana Mountains and Foothills forecast zone
Measured: 53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
Crop damage: $500
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 33.483, -116.847 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Mesonet station FW0063 Fullerton CSU reported a peak wind gust of 61 mph.

High Wind, San Bernardino and Riverside County Valleys - the Inland Empire

When: November 25, 6:00 AM PST
Where: San Bernardino and Riverside County Valleys - the Inland Empire forecast zone
Measured: 54 kt (62 mph) measured gust
Crop damage: $3,000
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 34.293, -116.086 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Social media report of a large tree down at Ontario Airport control tower airport parking lot. Wind gust of 62 mph was reported at the Ontario ASOS at the time.

High Wind, San Bernardino and Riverside County Valleys - the Inland Empire

When: November 25, 8:50 AM PST
Where: San Bernardino and Riverside County Valleys - the Inland Empire forecast zone
Measured: 66 kt (76 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 34.293, -116.086 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Duncan Canyon (SCE533) reported a peak wind gust of 76 mph.

Wildfire, San Diego County Valleys

When: November 25, 10:45 AM PST to 1:00 PM PST
Where: San Diego County Valleys forecast zone
Crop damage: $10,000
Reported by: Fire Department/Rescue
Coordinates: 33.028, -116.770 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Vegetation fire in Walker Reserve called Magnolia began at 10:45 AM. It burned 18 acres and prompted evacuation warnings. The forward progress was stopped by 1 pm.

High Wind, Riverside County Mountains

When: November 25, 12:13 PM PST
Where: Riverside County Mountains forecast zone
Measured: 54 kt (62 mph) measured gust
Crop damage: $500
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 33.744, -115.994 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Mesonet Station HP003 Toro Peak (HPWREN) reports a peak wind gust of 62 mph.

High Wind, San Bernardino County Mountains

When: November 25, 1:30 PM PST
Where: San Bernardino County Mountains forecast zone
Measured: 72 kt (83 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 34.841, -116.178 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Arrowhead Springs (189SE) reported a peak wind gust to 83 mph.

What these are

Strong Wind: Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.
High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
Wildfire: A fire burning in wildland vegetation, with its acreage and damage where known.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in California in 2021 Every state in 2021 This day in weather history Warnings in California, November 2021

Sources

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: 990123, 990127, 990131, 990125, 990129, 990124, 990135, 990132, 990120, 990121, 990118, 990128, 990119, 990130, 990133, 993039, 990134, 990126, 993038.