A 1038 millibar high pressure system over Utah prompted a Santa Ana wind event across the region. Strongest winds were confided to the mountain passes with widespread gusts 35-55 MPH.
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 1038 millibar high pressure system over Utah prompted a Santa Ana wind event across the region. Strongest winds were confided to the mountain passes with widespread gusts 35-55 MPH.
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 25, 9:07 PM PST, 2 hours 53 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service San Diego CA
907 PM PST Fri Feb 25 2022
.SYNOPSIS...
Warmer conditions and periods of Santa Ana winds will occur through
the middle of next week. Moderate Santa Ana winds are expected late
tonight into Saturday, with another period of enhanced wind Sunday
night into Monday. Longwave troughing will develop late next week,
with cooler temperatures and onshore flow returning to Southern
California.
&&
.DISCUSSION...FOR EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA INCLUDING ORANGE...
SAN DIEGO...WESTERN RIVERSIDE AND SOUTHWESTERN SAN BERNARDINO
COUNTIES...
Update...
At 9 PM, skies were clear across Southern California. An intense
shortwave is moving through the Central Rockies this evening and a
ridge of high pressure is building off the West Coast. Winds are
trending more offshore, with a surface pressure gradient of -4.2
from SAN-TPH. Winds will continue to increase tonight, peaking
after midnight through much of Saturday morning, with the
strongest winds occurring across the San Bernardino County
Mountains, the Santa Ana Mountains and the San Gorgonio Pass. Peak
winds gusts up to 50 mph will be possible across these areas.
Santa Ana winds will also help to moderate overnight low
temperatures; most areas are 3 to 10 degrees warmer than at this
time yesterday. Cold conditions are still expected in areas
sheltered from the wind, however. On Saturday, high temperatures
will warm by 5 to 10 degrees across most areas, with highs 3 to 6
degrees above normal west of the mountains, but highs will still
be slightly below average for the mountains and deserts.
Previous Discussion (Issued 1239 PM PST Fri Feb 25 2022)...
At 1 PM, other than some high clouds drifting over San Diego
County, skies were clear. Surface pressure gradients continue to
trend weakly offshore, with a -2.5mb gradient from San Diego to SW
Nevada. Current temperatures are trending 2 to 7 degrees warmer
than this time yesterday. Low temperatures should be a little
warmer tonight, especially in the higher terrain, as Santa Ana
winds kick up late tonight. Wind-sheltered locations will likely
remain quite cold again tonight.
An upper level low continues to move through the Intermountain
West, with the axis extending into the southwest. This trough
will progress southeast tonight into Saturday, with a surface high
building in behind it over the Great Basin. This will result in a
shot of Santa Ana winds tonight through Saturday through and
below the Cajon and San Gorgonio passes, as well as over the
coastal slopes of the San Bernardino and Santa Ana mountains. Peak
gusts will generally be 30-40 mph, with gusts to 50 mph possible
on the coastal slopes of the San Bernardino mountains. A Wind
Advisory will be in effect tonight through Saturday afternoon.
The Santa Ana winds will diminish late Saturday afternoon, though
periods of breezy northeast winds will continue each night and
early morning through Tuesday. Another round of similarly strong
Santa Ana winds are expected Sunday night into Monday.
A ridge of high pressure will begin to build in from the southwest
on Saturday, and combined with the offshore winds at times, will
result in temperatures 10 to 15 degrees above average early to mid
next week. The inland valleys and lower deserts will see the
warmest temperatures, with widespread 80s expected Tuesday and
Wednesday. The ECMWF is on the hotter side of the guidance, and it
is showing some low 90s possible in the inland valleys and lower
deserts. Meanwhile, the GEFS is showing weaker high pressure and
less warm conditions. Given the uncertainties, the current
temperature forecast reflects the NBM, which is generally near the
middle of the temperature guidance for next week. We will
continue to assess the pattern in the coming days and adjust the
temperatures accordingly.
Beyond Wednesday, the general trend in the models and ensembles
is an upper level trough moving in sometime late next week, which
will bring cooler conditions and increased onshore flow. There
remains some differences on the timing and strength of this
trough. Ensembles are showing some precipitation towards the end
of next week, but amounts appear to be light at this time. The
forecast will remain dry for now, given the large uncertainties.
&&
.AVIATION...
260450Z...Mostly clear with unrestricted vis through Saturday
evening.
NE/E winds 25-35 kt developing below the passes/canyons and along
the coastal mountain slopes/foothills after 08Z. MOD up/downdrafts
and pockets of LLWS possible over and southwest of the mountains
Saturday, including near KONT and KSBD. Winds gradually weakening
Saturday afternoon and evening.
&&
.MARINE...
No hazardous marine weather through Wednesday.
&&
.Beaches...
A WNW swell of 3-4 ft at 16-18 sec will begin to build on Sunday,
peaking Monday and Tuesday. This will generate elevated surf of 3 to
6 feet. Isolated sets to 8 feet are possible Monday and Tuesday
mainly from Ocean Beach southward. Swell and surf will lower
Wednesday. Strong rip currents and elevated surf will create
dangerous swimming conditions.
&&
.SKYWARN...
Skywarn activation is not requested. However weather spotters are
encouraged to report significant weather conditions.
&&
.SGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CA...Wind Advisory from midnight tonight to 4 PM PST Saturday for
Orange County Inland Areas-San Bernardino County Mountains-
San Bernardino and Riverside County Valleys-The Inland
Empire-San Gorgonio Pass Near Banning-Santa Ana Mountains
and Foothills.
PZ...NONE.
&&
PUBLIC...Schenk/Connolly
AVIATION/MARINE/BEACHES...SSThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Gusty winds occurred across the region with Fremont Canyon peaking at 59 MPH on the 28th.
Gusty winds occurred across the area with widespread wind gusts 45 to 55 MPH below the Cajon Pass. Marshall Peak reported a peak wind gust of 73 MPH.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in California, February 2022
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: 1009703, 1009704.