California, 2023High Wind in California, January 22 to 23, 2023
January 22 to 23, 2023 · NWS HNX · 7 events in 4 counties and zones
An upper tough dropped southward into the Great Basin on January 22 and January 23. This trough interacted with high pressure centered offshore which extended into California to produce and offshore gradient which resulted in strong northeast winds over the mountains and deserts of Kern County.
Every event with a place to put it; 7 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
Open the live radar over this ground
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 7
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 upper tough dropped southward into the Great Basin on January 22 and January 23. This trough interacted with high pressure centered offshore which extended into California to produce and offshore gradient which resulted in strong northeast winds over the mountains and deserts of Kern County. Several stations measured gusts exceeding 40 mph with some low impact indicator sites reporting gusts in excess on 60 mph. The winds diminished by the afternoon of January 23 as the trough moved east and gradients relaxed.
High Wind, Tehachapi
- When
- January 22, 7:14 AM PST
- Where
- Tehachapi forecast zone
- Measured
- 57 kt (66 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- RAWS
- Coordinates
- 35.343, -118.730 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
The Jawbone Canyon RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 66 mph.
High Wind, South End of the Upper Sierra
- When
- January 22, 8:10 AM PST
- Where
- South End of the Upper Sierra forecast zone
- Measured
- 60 kt (69 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- RAWS
- Coordinates
- 35.782, -118.765 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
The Bear Peak RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 69 mph.
High Wind, Mojave Desert Slope(S)
- When
- January 22, 9:30 AM PST
- Where
- Mojave Desert Slope(S) forecast zone
- Measured
- 53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Utility Company
- Coordinates
- 35.343, -118.730 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
The Southern California Edison station at Cottonwood Creek measured a peak wind gust of 61 mph.
High Wind, Mojave Desert Slope(S)
- When
- January 22, 8:32 PM PST
- Where
- Mojave Desert Slope(S) forecast zone
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- RAWS
- Coordinates
- 35.343, -118.730 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
The Blue Max RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 60 mph.
High Wind, Mojave Desert Slope(S)
- When
- January 22, 11:26 PM PST
- Where
- Mojave Desert Slope(S) forecast zone
- Measured
- 63 kt (72 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- ASOS
- Coordinates
- 35.343, -118.730 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
The Indian Wells Canyon RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 72 mph.
High Wind, Indian Wells Valley
- When
- January 23, 5:26 AM PST
- Where
- Indian Wells Valley forecast zone
- Measured
- 56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- RAWS
- Coordinates
- 35.343, -118.730 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
The Laural Mountain RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 65 mph.
High Wind, Mojave Desert Slope(S)
- When
- January 23, 6:50 AM PST
- Where
- Mojave Desert Slope(S) forecast zone
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Utility Company
- Coordinates
- 35.343, -118.730 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
The Southern California Edison station at Grapevine Canyon Road measured a peak wind gust of 58 mph.
- 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.
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Florida, January 22 to 25, 2023$378,000 · EF2 · 17 events
- Tornado and Damaging Winds in Georgia, January 22, 2023$500,000 · EF2 · 7 events
- Winter Weather in Montana, January 22, 20231 death · 1 event
- High Surf in Hawaii, January 22 to 23, 20236 injured · 3 events
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Georgia, January 22, 2023EF1 · 8 events
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in New York, January 22 to 23, 202321 events
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Massachusetts, January 22 to 23, 20232 injured · 2 events
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Ohio, January 22, 202316 events
- Winter Storm in Maine, January 22 to 23, 202315 events
- Winter Storm in New Hampshire, January 22 to 23, 202313 events
- High Wind and Strong Wind in California, January 22 to 23, 202365 kt wind · 13 events
- Marine Thunderstorm Winds in South Atlantic Coastal Waters, January 22, 20239 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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1066740, 1066741, 1066745, 1066747, 1066744, 1066743, 1066746.