High pressure over the Eastern Pacific combined with low pressure over the southwestern United States to produce Santa Ana winds over the mountains of Southern California, with several gusts of 50 to 70 mph. This also allowed temperatures across areas east of the mountains to climb well above seasonal averages, reaching the upper 80s to middle 90s across many coastal areas.
Every event with a place to put it; 9 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.
High pressure over the Eastern Pacific combined with low pressure over the southwestern United States to produce Santa Ana winds over the mountains of Southern California, with several gusts of 50 to 70 mph. This also allowed temperatures across areas east of the mountains to climb well above seasonal averages, reaching the upper 80s to middle 90s across many coastal areas.
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 21, 7:34 PM PST, 4 hours 26 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service San Diego CA
834 PM PDT Mon Mar 21 2022
.SYNOPSIS...
High pressure aloft and offshore flow will bring much warmer weather
through the middle of the week, with areas of gusty Santa Ana winds
from the mountains, into some of the valleys. Cooling will develop
along the coast late in the week and spread inland next weekend,
with the next chance of precipitation early next week.
&&
.DISCUSSION...FOR EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA INCLUDING ORANGE...
SAN DIEGO...WESTERN RIVERSIDE AND SOUTHWESTERN SAN BERNARDINO
COUNTIES...
The forecast was updated early this evening to remove the Wind
Advisory for today. No other forecast updates planned.
Skies were mostly clear over SoCal this evening, with patchy, thin
high clouds still streaming south. Our 00Z Miramar sounding
indicated these were around 30K FT. Some marine air was still
present as well, with a weak inversion based near 1500 FT MSL. In
addition, the entire column has warmed over 24 hrs some 3-7C. This is
only being felt at the sfc in areas with gusty winds. Surface
pressure gradients are all trending offshore now, although winds
have weakened for the time being most areas. A Wind Advisory goes
into effect late tonight and continues through midday Tuesday for
Santa Ana winds in offshore, wind-prone areas of our mountains and
coastal foothills. Another Advisory will likely be needed for
Wednesday. Cool weather now takes a back seat for the remainder of
the week.
A strong ridge along 130W this evening will pivot SE across the
western U.S. this week. Warm air associated with the ridge will
spread over SoCal beginning tomorrow, and continue through Friday.
The air will be further heated by Santa Ana winds at times west of
the mountains. The biggest bump in temperatures comes tomorrow west
of the mountains, with the warmest day expected on Wednesday, before
slow cooling begins along the coast Thu/Fri. Even as the coast
cools, interior valleys and deserts will continue to warm. Expect
some record highs each day where highs are forecast to climb to 15-
20F above average. The ridge axis peaks over the deserts on Friday,
then finally subsides. This will spread substantial cooling inland
next weekend as a shallow marine layer returns.
As the ridge retreats, low pressure over the Pacific will track east
and across California early next week. Timing is still in question,
but the majority of 12Z ensemble solutions are wet over SoCal by
sometime Monday or Tuesday. IVT projections show that this system
will have a good tap on moisture too, so if it does materialize, it
could be one of the wetter storms of our waning wet season.
&&
.AVIATION...
220315Z...North-northeast winds 20-30kt gusting 50kt tonight and
Tuesday in the mountains and passes affecting Inland Empire, the
Santa Ana Mountains and the Coachella Valley with up/downdrafts and
LLWS. Gusty winds surfacing near ONT/CNO/AJO/RAL between 09-12z Tue.
LLWS at SNA late tonight.
SCT-BKN250 tonight. Mostly clear Tuesday.
&&
.MARINE...
No hazardous marine conditions through Friday.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...
Much warmer and drier weather in the coming days will once again
increase fire weather conditions. Expect several hours of near
critical fire weather conditions in the wind-prone areas of the
coastal slopes and foothills at times of strongest winds. Wednesday
will be the day with the biggest threat due to well above average
temperatures, minimum RH values of 10-15%, and more widespread gusty
easterly winds.
&&
.SKYWARN...
Skywarn activation is not requested. However weather spotters are
encouraged to report significant weather conditions.
&&
.SGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CA...Wind Advisory from 2 AM to 2 PM PDT Tuesday for Riverside County
Mountains-San Bernardino County Mountains-San Bernardino
and Riverside County Valleys-The Inland Empire-San Diego
County Mountains-San Diego County Valleys-Santa Ana
Mountains and Foothills.
PZ...NONE.
&&
PUBLIC...10/Maxwell
AVIATION/MARINE...MoedeThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 heat, 4 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
High temperatures topped out in the upper 80s to lower 90s across much of the San Diego County Valleys.
High temperatures topped out in the upper 80s and lower 90s across much of Inland Orange County. The Fullerton ASOS recorded a high of 88 degrees, and an observation near Yorba Linda recorded a high of 90 degrees both on March 23rd.
High temperatures topped out in the middle to upper 80s across much of the San Diego County Coast.
High temperatures topped out in the upper 80s to lower 90s across much of the Orange County Coast. John Wayne International recorded a high of 85 degrees on March 23rd.
High temperatures ranged from the middle 80s to the middle 90s across much of the Inland Empire on March 23rd. The Chino ASOS recorded a high of 91 degrees.
Santa Ana winds impacted much of the San Diego County Mountains with several gusts between 50 and 70 mph, with a few locally higher gusts as well. The Sill Hill observation site recorded a peak wind gust of 76 mph at 6:50 AM on the 23rd.
Santa Ana winds impacted the Riverside County Mountains on March 22nd and 23rd with several gust of 50 to 70 mph, and some locally higher gusts. Toro Peak recorded a peak wind gust of 72 mph at 5:23 AM on the 22nd.
Santa Ana Winds impacted the San Diego County Valleys March 22nd and 23rd with several gusts of 50 to 70 mph. An observation site on Hauser Mountain recorded a peak wind gust of 68 mph at 7:30 AM on the 23rd.
Santa Ana Winds impacted the Santa Ana Mountains and foothills on March 22nd and 23rd with several gusts of 50 to 70 mph. An observation site at Santiago Peak |recorded a peak wind gust of 66 mph at 6:05 AM on the 22nd.
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, March 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: 1014495, 1014497, 1014498, 1014499, 1014500, 1014501, 1014502, 1015410, 1015411.