California, 2022Wildfire in California, March 2 to 27, 2022
March 2 to 27, 2022 · NWS SGX · 1 event in 1 county or zone
The Jim Wildfire was ignited on March 2, 2022 and was declared out on March 27. This wildfire consumed 500 acres of vegetation.
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.
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- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 3
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- $100,000
- Events
- 1
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 Jim Wildfire was ignited on March 2, 2022 and was declared out on March 27. This wildfire consumed 500 acres of vegetation. The US Forest Service investigators determined the cause was unintentional, and was ignited during a Forest Service-sponsored wildlife and habit restoration maintenance project during barrier removal.
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 Mar 2, 9:30 AM PST, 1 hour 36 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Mar 2, 9:30 AM PST, 1 hour 36 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service San Diego CA
930 AM PST Wed Mar 2 2022
.SYNOPSIS...
Warm weather today will be followed by cooler weather Thursday and
then much colder weather Friday. Rain and mountain snow will move
into Southern California Thursday night and Friday along with gusty
winds and a slight chance of thunderstorms. A second trough will
bring additional showers and cold weather Saturday, followed by dry,
cool weather Sunday and Monday.
&&
.DISCUSSION...FOR EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA INCLUDING ORANGE...
SAN DIEGO...WESTERN RIVERSIDE AND SOUTHWESTERN SAN BERNARDINO
COUNTIES...
Temperatures at 9 AM were about the same as 24 hours ago, in the 60s
in the coastal, valley and lower desert zones, which is quite warm
for early March. Today will be another exceptionally warm day in all
areas with record highs with reach at Vista (83), El Cajon (86),
Ramona (83), and Idyllwild (71).
Thursday won't be quite as warm, but temperatures will still be above
average in the inland, mountain and desert zones. At the coast the
return of cool marine air will keep temps in the mid to upper 60s
which is about average. A shallow marine layer will bring low clouds
back to the coast tonight which will steadily deepen Thursday as a
coastal eddy spins up. Increasing onshore gradients ahead of a
Pacific trough will accelerate marine layer deepening so that by
Thursday evening the low clouds will have spread into the valleys.
A strong winter storm will impact the area Thursday night and
Friday. The GFS and EC operational runs are in general agreement
with the location and intensity of a 550 dm upper low west of Pt
Conception at 00Z Friday. Strong PVA and strong cold air advection
aloft (500 mb temps fall to -26C by 12Z Friday) will trigger an area
of rain with a chance for embedded thunderstorms Thursday night. The
rain will move into Orange County around midnight and spread rapidly
inland and then across the mountains through sunrise Friday.
The ECMWF Extreme Forecast Index continues to show an area of
rainfall between the 60th and 70th percentile across the San Diego
County mountains with rain totals of 1.00 to 1.75 inches. Coastal
and valley areas will see from 0.25 to 1.00 inches, greatest in the
valleys and foothills. From 0.10 to 0.25 inches is expected in the
deserts.
Snow levels around 6500 feet Thursday evening will fall to 5000 feet
late by Friday morning with 4 to 8 inches of snow above 6000 feet to
locally around 12 inches above 7,500 feet. Strong winds will also
impact the deserts.
On Saturday a second cold upper low from the northwest will bring
cold weather and scattered showers through Saturday night, most
widespread in the mountains. Rain amounts will range from 0.10 to
0.25" in the coast and valley areas. The snow level will fall to
around 3,500 to 4,000 feet where several more inches of snow will
fall. Highs Saturday will be well below average
The trough moves east Saturday night for dry but cool days and cold
nights Sunday and Monday.
&&
.AVIATION...
021600Z...VFR conditions will prevail today with some high clouds
expected. Coastal areas will see patchy fog and low cigs develop as
early as 09Z tonight, with low clouds and mist then persisting
through Thursday morning. Bases would be initially around 500-800
feet MSL with vis 3-5SM.
&&
.MARINE...
No hazardous marine weather is expected through Thursday afternoon.
Northwest winds will increase Thursday night and continue at times
through Saturday night, with gusts 25-30 kts. These winds would also
produce choppy seas hazardous for small craft, with seas of 8-12 ft
at times. There is also a slight chance of thunderstorms Thursday
night and Friday, which could produce gusty erratic winds, lightning
and waterspouts.
&&
.BEACHES...
There is a slight chance of thunderstorms and associated lightning
strikes Thursday night through Friday. Increasing west winds and WNW
swell will also lead to some higher breaking waves late Friday
morning through Saturday afternoon, with surf heights potentially
exceeding 6 ft at times on the San Diego County beaches.
&&
.SKYWARN...
Skywarn activation may be requested Friday.
&&
.SGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CA...NONE.
PZ...NONE.
&&
PUBLIC...Moede
AVIATION/MARINE/BEACHES...Adams
Wildfire, Santa Ana Mountains and Foothills
- When
- March 2, 11:06 AM PST to March 27, 12:00 AM PST
- Where
- Santa Ana Mountains and Foothills forecast zone
- Injuries
- 3 direct, 0 indirect
- Crop damage
- $100,000
- Reported by
- Fire Department/Rescue
- Coordinates
- 33.483, -116.847 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
The Jim Wildfire occurred on the Trabuco Ranger District in the Holy Jim Canyon area. This fire was unintentionally ignited during a wildlife and habitat restoration maintenance project. No structures were destroyed, but three minor injuries to firefighters were reported. The fire started in a drainage bottom and spread uphill and burned 553 acres of vegetation (chaparral and brush).
- Wildfire
- A fire burning in wildland vegetation, with its acreage and damage where known.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
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: 1012484.