California, 2022High Wind and Strong Wind in California, January 21 to 22, 2022
January 21 to 22, 2022 · NWS MTR · 2 events in 2 counties and zones
An Inside Slider type low pressure system tracked through the Great Basin, leading to a steep surface pressure gradient from the Great Basin to the eastern Pacific Ocean. A High Wind Warning was issued for the North Bay Mountains and Wind Advisories were issued for much of the SF Bay Area and Santa Cruz Mountains for the period Jan 21st-22nd.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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
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- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 2
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.
An Inside Slider type low pressure system tracked through the Great Basin, leading to a steep surface pressure gradient from the Great Basin to the eastern Pacific Ocean. A High Wind Warning was issued for the North Bay Mountains and Wind Advisories were issued for much of the SF Bay Area and Santa Cruz Mountains for the period Jan 21st-22nd. Gusts over 50 mph were reported at Oakland Airport and Half Moon Bay with gusts over 60 mph in higher peaks of North Bay and East Bay. Two small wildfires were ignited in Sonoma County causing minimal damage and a much larger, more destructive wildfire ignited and spread in Big Sur on the evening of the 21st, leading to evacuations. No wind products covered the Big Sur area since offshore winds were relatively light there.
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 Francisco Bay Area, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 21, 3:58 PM PST, 1 hour 17 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jan 21, 3:58 PM PST, 1 hour 17 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service San Francisco Bay Area
358 PM PST Fri Jan 21 2022
.SYNOPSIS...High Wind Warning in effect for the North Bay
Mountains and Wind Advisories for the greater Bay Area through
Saturday morning as offshore flow continues to strengthen. Sunny
and mild weather today into the weekend. Winds ease by midday
Saturday followed by continued dry and mild weather Sunday through
most of next week. Increasing potential for NorCal to return to a
more unsettled, wet pattern by early February.
&&
.DISCUSSION...as of 01:44 PM PST Friday...Strong gusts continue to
impact higher terrain with gusts ranging 35 to 60 mph. However,
we're starting to see some of those winds mix down into the
valleys. Napa Airport has had gusts ranging 30 to 39 mph in the
past hour and Livermore Airport has had gusts up to 33 mph in the
past couple of hours. Meanwhile, other valley sites in North and
East Bay are only seeing gusts around 15 to 20 mph.
The WMC to SFO offshore gradient has been increasing today. This
morning around 7 am, it was 6 mb, but has now increased to a
little over 9 mb. NAM and GFS continue to show that pressure
gradient increasing tonight into Saturday morning ranging 12 to
15 mb. The local WRF model shows that 925 mb winds (a good
estimate for wind gusts over higher terrain) will strengthen
further after 4pm, especially across North Bay, but also impacting
the East Bay and into San Francisco/Peninsula. This is when we may
see more coverage of Bay Area valleys experience winds mixing
down to the surface. During the overnight hours, winds in the East
Bay and SF/Peninsula should gradually diminish by the early
morning hours before sunrise, but stronger winds will persist
across North Bay through the morning and diminish Saturday
afternoon. Wind Advisory and Wind Warning products continue to
look on track.
The offshore winds are keeping some areas warmer than normal.
Current temps are running about 5 to 15 degrees warmer than 24
hours ago with many thermometers reading in the mid 60s to low
70s. This puts today's forecast daytime highs about 5 to 13
degrees above normal. In addition to warmer temps, we're also
seeing some drying occur. RH values are showing a noticeable drop
of 30 to 50% in the past 24 hours. Fortunately, the fuels are
still fairly moist from rains in December so there is limited fire
concern, but folks should still be cautious of anything that could
cause a spark as the winds pick up.
Once we get past this wind event, expect sunny and mild weather
for the rest of the weekend and we should also remain dry through
the rest of the month. As has been said in prior discussions, long
range models are coming into better agreement that we should see
more troughing over NorCal starting in early February which would
put us back into a wetter pattern.
&&
.AVIATION...as of 3:58 PM PST Friday...For the 00Z TAFs. VFR with
offshore winds. Low level wind shear through much of the forecast
period, best chances at night/morning with surface winds decoupling
from winds aloft. Model guidance leaning toward patchy valley fog
redeveloping late tonight and Saturday morning, 24 hour trends show
dew point temps have tumbled by double digits, if fog forms will
be dependent on how much surface winds decouple.
Vicinity of KSFO...VFR. Mainly northeast wind through the period,
with low level wind shear tonight and Saturday morning.
KSFO Bridge Approach...Similar to KSFO.
Monterey Bay...VFR prevailing through the TAF period. Low level wind
shear this evening.
&&
.MARINE...as of 01:44 PM PST Friday...Hazardous seas continue to
develop with northerly gales over the coastal waters today
through late Friday night and possibly into Saturday morning.
Gusty winds will soon start to develop over the bays today.
Moderate period west to northwest swell continues in the near
term, with a longer period west to northwest swell arriving late
Sunday into Monday morning.
&&
.MTR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
.Tngt...Wind Advisory...CAZ006-508>512
Wind Advisory...CAZ505-506
High Wind Warning...CAZ507
GLW...SF Bay until 3 AM
GLW...Pt Arena to Pt Reyes 0-10 nm until 3 AM
GLW...Pt Reyes to Pigeon Pt 0-10 nm until 3 AM
GLW...Pigeon Pt to Pt Pinos 0-10 nm until 3 AM
SCA...Pt Pinos to Pt Piedras Blancas 0-10 nm until 3 AM
SCA...Pt Arena to Pigeon Pt 10-60 nm until 3 AM
SCA...Pigeon Pt to Pt Piedras Blancas 10-60 nm until 3 AM
SCA...Mry Bay until 9 PM
&&
PUBLIC FORECAST: Bingaman
AVIATION: Canepa
MARINE: McCorkle
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www.youtube.com/nwsbayareaStrong Wind, Southern Monterey Bay and Big Sur Coast
- When
- January 21, 5:15 PM PST to 8:00 PM PST
- Where
- Southern Monterey Bay and Big Sur Coast forecast zone
- Measured
- 45 kt (52 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- Fire Department/Rescue
- Coordinates
- 36.240, -121.309 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong offshore winds led to a 687 acre fire (Colorado Fire) in Palo Colorado Canyon, sparked by an uncontrolled pile burn. One yurt was damaged and about 500 people were evacuated from about 1100 structures. The fire spread from the canyon down to Highway 1 near the Bixby Creek Bridge, causing a 21 mile section of the highway to be shut down for over a week (between the entrance to Andrew Molera Park in Big Sur to Rio Road in Carmel). No injuries or fatalities were reported. The fire was 100 percent contained on Feb 5th.
High Wind, North Bay Mountains
- When
- January 22, 1:00 AM PST to 7:00 AM PST
- Where
- North Bay Mountains forecast zone
- Measured
- 65 kt (75 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- Broadcast Media
A fire started at Geyser Peak early Saturday morning, and grew to about 5 acres before fire crews were able to get it contained. Reports say that the fire initially started at about 1:40am pushed by strong winds, and wind gusts up to 90 miles per hour. An additional smaller fire was reported in the 15000 block of Chalk Hill Road at about 7am, but that fire has also been contained. There were no evacuations for either fire. Power outages were reported in large parts of Sonoma County, including along Chalk Hill Road, in the hills around the Geysers, and along Highway 12 from Glen Ellen to Boyes Hot Springs, as well as to the east of the Town of Sonoma. As of 7:30am, about 6,700 customers were without power.
- 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.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Dense Fog in California, January 21, 20221 death · 3 injured · 5 events
- High Wind and Strong Wind in California, January 21 to 22, 2022$49,000 · 77 kt wind · 30 events
- Flash Flood and Heavy Rain in American Samoa, January 21, 2022$140,000 · 3 events
- High Surf in Hawaii, January 21 to 24, 20223 injured · 13 events
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in North Carolina, January 21 to 22, 202233 events
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in South Carolina, January 21 to 22, 202221 events
- Ice Storm and Winter Storm in North Carolina, January 21 to 22, 202214 events
- Winter Weather in South Dakota, January 21, 202212 events
- Winter Weather in Virginia, January 21 to 22, 202212 events
- Winter Storm in Virginia, January 21 to 22, 202212 events
- Winter Storm in North Carolina, January 21 to 22, 202210 events
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in North Carolina, January 21 to 22, 20229 events
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: 995846, 996000.