Heavy Snow and High Wind in California, February 15 to 18, 2022

Name: Heavy Snow and High Wind in California, February 15 to 18, 2022
Start: 2022-02-15T00:00
End: 2022-02-18T10:00
Location: California

February 15 to 18, 2022 · NWS SGX · 12 events in 10 counties and zones

A trough of low pressure dug into Southern California from February 15-17, bringing cold northerly flow. This brought rain and thunderstorms, snow showers, and windy conditions across the area.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 11 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: $10,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 12

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.

A trough of low pressure dug into Southern California from February 15-17, bringing cold northerly flow. This brought rain and thunderstorms, snow showers, and windy conditions across the area.

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 Feb 14, 9:40 PM PST, 2 hours 20 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 14, 9:40 PM PST, 2 hours 20 minutes before

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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

9 high wind, 1 heavy snow, 1 heavy rain, 1 frost/freeze. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, San Diego County Mountains

When: February 15, 12:00 AM PST to February 16, 12:00 AM PST
Where: San Diego County Mountains forecast zone
Measured: 54 kt (62 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 33.028, -116.770 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Gusty winds occurred across the region with widespread gusts 40-50 MPH. Volcan Mountain recorded a peak wind gust of 62 MPH.

High Wind, Apple and Lucerne Valleys

When: February 15, 12:00 AM PST to February 16, 12:00 AM PST
Where: Apple and Lucerne Valleys forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 34.841, -116.178 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Gusty winds occurred across the region with widespread gusts 40-50 MPH. Borrego Springs recorded a peak wind gust of 58 MPH.

High Wind, Riverside County Mountains

When: February 15, 12:00 AM PST to February 16, 12:00 AM PST
Where: Riverside County Mountains forecast zone
Measured: 63 kt (72 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 33.744, -115.994 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Gusty winds occurred across the region with Toro Peak recording a peak wind gust of 73 MPH.

High Wind, San Gorgonio Pass Near Banning

When: February 15, 12:00 AM PST to February 16, 12:00 AM PST
Where: San Gorgonio Pass Near Banning forecast zone
Measured: 64 kt (74 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 33.744, -115.994 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Gusty winds occurred across the region with widespread gusts 40-60 MPH. Whitewater recorded a peak wind gust of 74 MPH.

High Wind, San Bernardino County Mountains

When: February 15, 12:00 AM PST to February 16, 12:00 AM PST
Where: San Bernardino County Mountains forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 34.841, -116.178 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Gusty winds occurred across the region with widespread gusts 40-50 MPH. Some stations reported recorded a peak wind gust near 65 MPH, including Cushenbury Springs.

Heavy Snow, San Bernardino County Mountains

When: February 15, 12:00 PM PST to February 16, 12:00 PM PST
Where: San Bernardino County Mountains forecast zone
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 34.841, -116.178 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy snow fell across the region with 8 inches near Running Springs, 10 to 12 inches near Lake Arrowhead, and 2 inches of snow near the top of the Cajon Pass. The snowfall at Lake Arrowhead occurred at a peak rate of 3 inches per hour during the the evening 4-7PM. This led to dozens of spinouts and accidents, including the closure of a portion of State Route 18 near Rim Forrest and Lake Arrowhead for snow and ice. Other forms of precipitation were reported, including thundersnow, hail and graupel.

Heavy Rain, Orange

When: February 15, 6:30 PM PST to February 16, 7:30 PM PST
Where: Orange County, 2.13 mi WNW of Silverado to 1.04 mi ESE of Silverado
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 33.762, -117.664

Heavy rain occurred near the town of Silverado and the Holy Fire burn scar. Maximum rain rate of 0.57 inches in one hour.

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

When: February 17, 12:00 AM PST to February 18, 12:00 AM PST
Where: San Bernardino and Riverside County Valleys - the Inland Empire forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 34.293, -116.086 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Gusty Santa Ana winds occurred across the region with widespread gusts 30-50 MPH.

High Wind, Santa Ana Mountains and Foothills

When: February 17, 12:00 AM PST to February 18, 12:00 AM PST
Where: Santa Ana Mountains and Foothills forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 33.483, -116.847 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Gusty Santa Ana winds occurred across the region with widespread gusts 40-50 MPH. Santiago Peak recorded a peak wind gust of 65 MPH.

High Wind, Orange County Inland

When: February 17, 12:00 AM PST to February 18, 12:00 AM PST
Where: Orange County Inland forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 33.677, -117.776 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Gusty Santa Ana winds occurred across the region with widespread gusts 40-50 MPH. Chino Hills RAWS recorded a peak wind gust of 64 MPH.

High Wind, Riverside County Mountains

When: February 17, 12:00 AM PST to February 18, 12:00 AM PST
Where: Riverside County Mountains forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 33.744, -115.994 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Gusty Santa Ana winds occurred across the region with widespread gusts 40-50 MPH. Toro Peak recorded a peak wind gust of 64 MPH.

Frost/Freeze, San Diego County Valleys

When: February 18, 12:00 AM PST to 10:00 AM PST
Where: San Diego County Valleys forecast zone
Reported by: NWS Employee
Coordinates: 33.028, -116.770 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold temperatures 25-35 degrees led to some areas of frost throughout the San Diego County valleys.

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
Heavy Rain: Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.
Frost/Freeze: Frost or temperatures at or below freezing during the growing season, usually filed for crop damage.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in California in 2022 Every state in 2022 This day in weather history Warnings in California, February 2022

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1008741, 1008742, 1008743, 1008744, 1008745, 1008752, 1008760, 1008746, 1008747, 1008748, 1008749, 1008751.