Hot conditions across the inland valleys and the deserts impacted Southern California during the middle of July. A wildfire southeast of Otay Lake in San Diego County burned around 100 acres.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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.
Hot conditions across the inland valleys and the deserts impacted Southern California during the middle of July. A wildfire southeast of Otay Lake in San Diego County burned around 100 acres.
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 Jul 14, 7:55 PM PST, 4 hours 5 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service San Diego CA
855 PM PDT Thu Jul 14 2022
.SYNOPSIS...
Strong high pressure over the Southwest will bring very hot inland
weather to the region through the weekend. Monsoonal moisture
will bring a slight chance of afternoon and early evening
thunderstorms to the mountains and deserts through Tuesday. Night
and morning low clouds and fog will be more restricted to coastal
areas, but expanding a little next week. Not quite as hot and a
little drier for the middle of next week.
&&
.DISCUSSION...FOR EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA INCLUDING ORANGE...
SAN DIEGO...WESTERN RIVERSIDE AND SOUTHWESTERN SAN BERNARDINO
COUNTIES...
Update:
Isolated showers and thunderstorms developed over the desert
slopes of the San Bernardino County mountains and over parts of
the Mojave desert this afternoon. Mid to high level cloudiness
spread over the mountains and deserts today and this likely acted
to inhibit additional convective development.
Low clouds will continue to lie along the coast tonight with some
mid- high level cloudiness inland. No changes were made to the
forecast this evening.
Previous Discussion:
Skies are a little more interesting today than they have been
lately. Sticky low clouds persist at some beaches while a couple
thunderstorms formed on the LA County line in the high desert. The
high cloud shield over the deserts has effectively dampened the
temperature rise; they're running several degrees lower than at
this time yesterday. Even with added clouds Friday through Sunday,
strong high pressure aloft will make it very hot in the low
deserts, roughly 110-115 degrees over the length of the heat
warning those days. The toasty nights around 90 degrees play a big
role in this warning. With the four corners high established,
monsoon flow from the southeast will continue to flow into SoCal,
producing small chances of thunderstorms in the mountains and
deserts for the next several days. Low clouds should have similar
coverage tonight into Friday, but then diminish in uniform
coverage and inland extent this weekend. That's in response to our
monsoon flow and decreased onshore flow pattern. Monsoon moisture
doesn't impress, still somewhat dry at low levels and not
terribly unstable, but we should get a few thunderstorms during
afternoons and early evenings most likely in the mountains and
high desert, and less likely but still possible in the lower
desert. There are still some differences in guidance for this
weekend, not as much discrepancy as this morning. Latest high-
resolution deterministic models suggest a small chance of only
isolated thunderstorms Friday and Saturday. Ensembles and the
national blend continue favoring Sunday and Monday with the best
chances, although not hinting as much at nocturnal precip or
precip west of the mountains. So the range of possibilities is
narrowing for this weekend. The likelihood of hazardous weather is
very isolated, even in the mountains and deserts. The biggest
hazard will be the heat in the desert. The upper high over the
southwest isn't going anywhere, just weakening slightly. Shortwave
troughs in the Northwest keep developing and trying to weaken the
four corners high, but they are sticks and stones against the
high's fortress. Some guidance keeps the monsoon flowing as a
result and we have added a small chance of isolated thunderstorms
Tuesday. The marine layer should rebound for greater nocturnal
cloud coverage. Some weakening in the high is noted eventually
with decreasing moisture, so for now we have slightly cooler
weather next week and no thunderstorms in the forecast Wednesday
and beyond.
&&
.AVIATION...
150400Z...Coast/Valleys...Low clouds with bases 1000-1500 feet MSL
will return after 05Z this evening. The low stratus is not expected
to spread as far inland overnight and Friday morning, and bases
could lower to as low as 500 feet MSL by daybreak Fri, along with
patchy fog along the mesas. Confidence in the lower CIGS
materializing is only low to moderate. VIS restrictions likely on
elevated coastal terrain 06Z-16Z Fri. Scatter out is expected 16-18Z
Fri for most areas, except for the immediate coast where clouds may
persist into the midday hours.
Mountains/Deserts...There is a slight chance of TSRA from the
mountain crests east into the deserts Friday afternoon and early
evening, with tops to 35,000 feet. Strong up/downdrafts and local
gusty surface winds over 30 knots possible near any storm that
develops.
&&
.MARINE...
No hazardous marine weather is expected through Tuesday.
&&
.BEACHES...
This evening will be the last of 3 consecutive evenings of high
astronomical tides. High tide this evening will peak at 7 feet. This
could lead to minor coastal flooding, though surf of mostly 2 to 3
feet will moderate the coastal flood risk.
&&
.BEACHES...
This evening will be the last of 3 consecutive evenings of high
astronomical tides. High tide this evening will peak at 7 feet. This
could lead to minor coastal flooding, though surf of mostly 2 to 3
feet will moderate the coastal flood risk.
&&
.BEACHES...
This evening will be the last of 3 consecutive evenings of high
astronomical tides. High tide this evening will peak at 7 feet. This
could lead to minor coastal flooding, though surf of mostly 2 to 3
feet will moderate the coastal flood risk.
&&
.SKYWARN...
Skywarn activation is not requested. However weather spotters are
encouraged to report significant weather conditions.
&&
.SGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CA...Excessive Heat Warning from 10 AM Friday to 8 PM PDT Sunday for
Coachella Valley-San Diego County Deserts-San Gorgonio Pass
Near Banning.
PZ...NONE.
&&
PUBLIC...Gregoria (Update)/MM (Previous Discussion)
AVIATION/MARINE...BrothertonThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 heat, 1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
Excessive heat impacted the lower deserts July 15-17. High temperatures ranged from 112-116 in the Coachella Valley including 116 at Ocotillo Wells on July 15; temperatures of 115 to 118 on July 16, which was also the hottest day of the event; temperatures of 111 to 117 on July 17.
Hot conditions impacted the Inland Empire July 15-17. High temperatures ranged from the lower-90s to mid-100s on July 15; temperatures in the mid-90s to mid-100s on July 16, including 105 recorded at San Jacinto; temperatures in the mid- to upper-90s to mid-100s on July 17.
Border 27 wildfire east of Otay Lake/Chula Vista (about 1.5 miles south of Otay Lake Road) burned 100 acres. Nearly 200 firefighters were involved in the firefighting effort. Contained by 5 pm on July 19.
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, July 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: 1039311, 1039312, 1039287.