California, 2021

Damaging Winds in California, October 4, 2021

October 4, 2021 · NWS LOX · 5 events in 3 counties and zones

Strong thunderstorms generated strong outflow winds across sections of Southern California. Wind gusts up to 78 MPH were reported by observation sites within the local mesonet.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
5

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 LOX wrote it up.

Strong thunderstorms generated strong outflow winds across sections of Southern California. Wind gusts up to 78 MPH were reported by observation sites within the local mesonet. No significant damage was observed.

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 Los Angeles, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 4, 4:26 PM PST, 1 hour 58 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 4, 4:26 PM PST, 1 hour 58 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED
National Weather Service Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
526 PM PDT Mon Oct 4 2021

updated aviation discussion

.SYNOPSIS...04/204 PM.

An upper level low pressure system will bring a chance of showers
and a slight chance of thunderstorms, mainly to Los Angeles and
Ventura Counties through late tonight. A cooling trend is
expected today through Thursday, with an increase in night through
morning low clouds. A frontal system may bring rain to the entire
area by Thursday night and Friday, Dry weather is expected for
the weekend.

&&

.SHORT TERM (TDY-THU)...04/145 PM.

An upper low to our southwest continues to send moisture up into
southern California. So far convection has been minimal and
confined to areas near the MX border but this should change later
this afternoon and evening as the upper low moves closer and
instability increases with better diffluence aloft and higher
precipitable waters. Hi res models continue to indicate minimal
activity through around around 7pm this evening. Then showers and
thunderstorms becoming more active mid to late evening in LA
County, with the steering flow taking that activity towards the
northwest as far as extreme southern San Luis Obispo County around
midnight when LI's drop to around -2 there. Increased pops
slightly across LA County as that area has the best chance due to
it's proximity to the upper low and CAPE values from 1000-1500
j/kg. Southeast flow around the upper low will steer the showers
towards the northwest and most shouldn't linger too long over any
one area. However, in this scenario it's possible there could be
some training of storms that could allow showers to persist, so
isolated but mostly minor flooding is possible. And while the
system does have a fair amount of moisture to work with there is
always a small chance of isolated dry lightning outside of the
primary rain cores, especially early in the event.

Shower/storm chances expected to continue through the overnight
hours, especially LA County before the low moves inland Tuesday
morning and northwest flow develops and shifts the moisture and
unstable air to the east. Still a small chance of a shower in LA
County early Tuesday but otherwise it should be a dry day and
cooler with stronger onshore flow.

Quiet day overall Wednesday with cooler onshore flow and likely a
widespread return of marine layer clouds to coast and valley
areas. Not much different Thursday, though an upper level trough
will be approaching from the west with increasing mid and high
clouds through the day. Could see some morning drizzle for coast
and valleys Thursday with a deepening marine layer.

.LONG TERM (FRI-MON)...04/201 PM.

Models in decent agreement with the approach of the next trough
through Thursday evening, but then go their separate ways Friday
with the ECMWF by far the leader in terms of strength and precip
chances. A vast majority of the EC ensembles show at least some
rain late Thursday into Friday , though most of them are under a
quarter inch and many are under a tenth. Meanwhile, the GFS is
much drier but does show some decent PVA with the trough passage
Friday morning much like the EC. In any case, this is not looking
like a significant rain maker by any means but could be the first
widespread rain event in quite some time, albeit light rain.

Broad northwest flow will dominate the weekend with warmer and dry
conditions but breezy at times, especially southern Santa Barbara
County.

Another trough will move into the eastern Pacific early next week
bringing more cooling. This one appears to be taking more of an
inside track so it's mostly dry but should bring some gusty
northerly winds and cooler temperatures.

&&

.AVIATION...05/0023Z.

At 2357Z at KLAX, there was no marine layer. There was a surface-
based inversion with a top near 1100 feet at a temperature of 24
C.

Moderate confidence that there will be no marine layer low clouds
tonight with higher confidence south of Point Conception. There
is a 30% chance of IFR or lower cigs at KSMX and KSBP after 03Z.
Otherwise there will mainly be high VFR ceilings associated with
an upper-level low moving through. There is a 30% chance of
showers and thunderstorms across Los Angeles and Ventura County
coastal and valley sites. Brief IFR cigs are possible under any
shower or storm, as well as gusty erratic winds. There is a 20%
chance of showers at KSBA, then a lower chance farther north.
Fairly good confidence in a chance of showers through 12Z, then
will taper off through the morning.

KLAX...Moderate confidence in TAF. There is a 30% chance of a
shower or thunderstorm. Locally gusty winds are possible with any
isolated thunderstorm. There is a 30% chance of an east wind
component of around 5 kt.

KBUR...Moderate confidence in TAF. There is a 30% chance of a
shower or thunderstorm. Locally gusty winds are possible with any
isolated thunderstorm.

&&

.MARINE...04/100 PM.

High confidence in the current forecast. Winds and seas are
expected to remain below Small Craft Advisory (SCA) levels for all
of the coastal waters through at least Wednesday. There is a
moderate chance of SCA level winds for the outer waters Thursday
and Friday.

An upper low pressure system about 375 NM southwest of Los
Angeles will bring a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms
to the coastal waters this afternoon and tonight, mainly over the
waters south of Point Conception. Gusty and erratic winds and
cloud-to-ocean lightning are possible.

Patchy dense fog with visibility one nautical mile or less is
expected this morning across the coastal waters.

&&

.LOX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CA...NONE.
PZ...NONE.

&&

.HAZARD POTENTIAL OUTLOOK (THU-MON).

No significant hazards expected.

&&

PUBLIC...MW
AVIATION...Stewart
MARINE...Sweet
SYNOPSIS...MW/DB

weather.gov/losangeles

The radar

The Los Angeles radar (KVTX), 14 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:23 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Ventura

When
October 4, 6:24 PM PST
Where
Ventura County, 6.33 mi ENE of Wheeler Spgs
Measured
67 kt (77 mph) measured gust
Reported by
RAWS
Coordinates
34.540, -119.180

Gusty thunderstorm outflow winds impacted the mountains of Ventura county. The RAWS sensor at Rose Valley reported a gust of 77 MPH.

Thunderstorm Wind, Santa Barbara

When
October 4, 6:47 PM PST
Where
Santa Barbara County, 2.99 mi NNW of Montecito
Measured
68 kt (78 mph) measured gust
Reported by
RAWS
Coordinates
34.460, -119.650

Gusty thunderstorm outflow winds impacted the South Coast of Santa Barbara county. The RAWS sensor at Montecito reported a gust of 78 MPH.

Thunderstorm Wind, Los Angeles

When
October 4, 8:20 PM PST
Where
Los Angeles County, 0.9 mi NE of La Canada
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
34.230, -118.190

Gusty thunderstorm outflow winds impacted the mountains of Los Angeles county. An automated sensor at Mount Lukens Truck Trail reported a gust of 60 MPH.

Thunderstorm Wind, Los Angeles

When
October 4, 8:40 PM PST
Where
Los Angeles County, 0.57 mi W of El Nido
Measured
51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
34.050, -118.740

Gusty thunderstorm outflow winds impacted the Santa Monica Mountains. An automated sensor at Corral Canyon Park reported a gust of 59 MPH.

Thunderstorm Wind, Ventura

When
October 4, 9:50 PM PST
Where
Ventura County, 1.38 mi N of Ventura
Measured
55 kt (63 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
34.300, -119.270

Gusty thunderstorm outflow winds impacted the valleys of Ventura county. An automated sensor at Crimea Fire Station reported a gust of 63 MPH.

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in California in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in California, October 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: 990998, 990997, 990999, 991000, 991002.