Locally gusty Santa Ana winds impacted Southern California from late on January 22 through January 23. The strongest winds occurred across the San Bernardino County Mountains through the Santa Ana Mountains and foothills, where several reports of downed trees and powerlines were received.
Every event with a place to put it; 13 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.
Locally gusty Santa Ana winds impacted Southern California from late on January 22 through January 23. The strongest winds occurred across the San Bernardino County Mountains through the Santa Ana Mountains and foothills, where several reports of downed trees and powerlines were received.
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 Jan 22, 9:08 PM PST, 1 hour 43 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service San Diego CA
908 PM PST Sun Jan 22 2023
.SYNOPSIS...
A Santa Ana pattern will bring periods of gusty winds this week.
Winds will peak after midnight tonight into Monday with another
peak in winds forecast for Thursday. Areas of frost expected in
wind- sheltered valley locations each night through the middle of
the week. There are indications of a pattern shift that could
bring more precipitation for the end of the month.
&&
.DISCUSSION...FOR EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA INCLUDING ORANGE...
SAN DIEGO...WESTERN RIVERSIDE AND SOUTHWESTERN SAN BERNARDINO
COUNTIES...
Update:
Santa Ana winds have begun across Southern California. Peak wind
gusts so far are mostly in the 40-50 mph range. See latest wind
gust report summary just issued. The max gust so far has been 53
mph at Arrowhead Springs. However, strengthening winds will occur
overnight and peak around and just after daybreak on Monday, well
handled in the forecast. See previous discussion for more details.
Previous Discussion:
Forecast Highlights:
*Strong north to northeast Santa Ana winds tonight into Monday,
again on Thursday.
*Areas of frost in wind sheltered locations the valleys each morning
through mid-week. Widespread frost possible Monday night into
Tuesday morning.
*Potential pattern change for the end of January
Santa Ana winds from the north to northeast are expected to increase
in strength tonight into Monday before weakening into early Monday
evening. Widespread gusty winds are expected to impact the northern
parts of our forecast area, with only portions of northern San Diego
county experiencing strong, gusty winds. Peak wind gusts on the
coastal mountain slopes of the San Bernardino and Santa Ana
mountains into inland Orange County and the Inland Empire will be 60
to 70 mph. Wind gusts in the Riverside mountains and Coachella
Valley will peak at 50 mph. Even coastal Orange County will
experience strong gusty winds 45 mph, locally up to 50 mph. Winds
will weaken Monday evening into Tuesday. Even with weakening winds,
locally gusty north winds are still possible, especially below
passes into Tuesday morning.
Another round of Santa Ana winds expected on Thursday. This round of
winds has more surface gradient support (vs more upper level wind
support for winds tonight into Monday). San Diego county is expected
to be more impacted by these winds as well, given the surface high
that is forecast to develop over the Great Basin.
The dry airmass and clear skies will prime conditions for frost,
particularly in the wind-sheltered valleys through the middle of the
week. Lows will fall to the 30s and low 40s for many locations west
of the mountains and in the low desert Tuesday morning. Lows in the
mountains and High Desert will fall to the 20s, locally the upper
teens in the mountains. Best chances of more widespread frost will
be Monday night into Tuesday morning. Daytime high temperatures are
expected to be mild for much of the week. Highs at the coast,
valleys, and low deserts will be in the upper 60s, locally into the
70s Wednesday-Friday. In the mountains and High Desert highs will be
in the 40s and 50s. The only exception will be Monday when highs in
the mountains are expected to be in the 30s.
For next weekend, global model guidance is showing the weakening of
the West Coast ridge. If this materializes, it would allow colder
systems to dig westward and draw in Pacific moisture, before
swinging inland over us. Due to the expected colder airmasses
associated with these storms, they aren't expected to produce as
much precipitation as the storms earlier in the month. Regardless,
ensemble members of all the global models are hinting at a wetter
pattern returning early next week.
&&
.AVIATION...
230420Z...N-NE winds will continue to strengthen overnight, peaking
early Mon morning. The strongest winds will occur across the San
Bernardino/Riverside County Mtns and Santa Ana Mtns, through the
coastal foothills of northern I.E./Orange County. Expect winds of 25-
35 kt, with gusts 50-60 kt and locally higher gusts, especially
where mtn waves sfc in the I.E. Terminals impacted with peak gusts
at or more than 30 kts for this event include KONT, KSNA, KOKB, and
KPSP. STG-SVR up/downdrafts and LLWS likely over and S/SW of the
mtns. Winds becoming more localized to foothill regions Mon night.
&&
.MARINE...
Breezy northwest winds will turn to the northeast tonight as
offshore winds develop. Expect northeast winds of 20-25 kt with
gusts of 30-35 kt, especially along the northern portions of the
coastal waters and northern SD County coast. Strong winds may affect
navigation in and out of Newport, Dana Point, and Oceanside harbors.
Winds diminish through Monday afternoon. A Small Craft Advisory is
in effect for the coastal waters through noon Monday. No hazardous
marine weather conditions are expected Tuesday and Wednesday.
Another weaker Santa Ana develops on Thursday.
&&
.SGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CA...Beach Hazards Statement through Monday morning for Orange County
Coastal Areas-San Diego County Coastal Areas.
High Wind Warning until 4 PM PST Monday for Orange County Inland
Areas-San Bernardino County Mountains-San Bernardino and
Riverside County Valleys-The Inland Empire-San Gorgonio
Pass Near Banning-Santa Ana Mountains and Foothills.
Wind Advisory until 4 PM PST Monday for Coachella Valley-
Riverside County Mountains.
Wind Advisory until 4 PM PST Monday for Orange County Coastal
Areas.
PZ...Small Craft Advisory until noon PST Monday for Coastal Waters
from San Mateo Point to the Mexican Border and out to 30 nm-
Waters from San Mateo Point to the Mexican Border Extending
30 to 60 nm out including San Clemente Island.
&&
PUBLIC...Gregoria(Update)/CO (Previous Discussion)
AVIATION/MARINE...EAThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
7 high wind, 6 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Mesonet station FRCC1 Fremont Canyon reported a wind gust of 72 mph.
Department of Highways reported a downed tree into lanes on Simpson Road at Rice Road in Winchester. Nearby site Domenigoni Pkwy reported north winds gusting to 41 mph.
Mesonet station FBZC1 Fallbrook RAWS reported a peak wind gust of 65 mph.
Public report of a 30-foot tall, 3-foot diameter tree downed, blocking a lane of Antonio Parkway at Oso Pkwy. Nearby mesonet station reported northeast wind gusts of 25-30 mph at the time.
Department of Highways reported a downed tree and powerline onto Valley of the Falls Drive near Redwood Drive in Forest Falls. Nearby mesonet site Mill Creek reported south-southeast winds gusting to 44 mph.
Department of Highways reported a downed tree blocking all lanes of Ortega Highway at South Main Divide Road. Nearby El Cariso RAWS reported northwest wind gusts to 63 mph.
Department of Highways reports a downed tree blocking the northbound lanes of the Pacific Coast Highway at Doheny Park Blvd. Nearby Capistrano mesonet station reported winds gusting to 37 mph.
Mesonet station SE268 Box Springs Mountain reported a peak wind gust of 69 mph.
Mesonet station E3131 Pleasants Peak reported a peak wind gust of 71 mph.
Social media post of three large, uprooted trees near Whiterood Road and Avenida Acacias in Murrieta. Estimated wind gusts of 45 to 55 mph.
Trained spotter reported downed trees and branches and blowing dust, with wind gusts to 50 mph.
Mesonet station 039SE Shandin Hills reported a peak wind gust of 71 mph.
Mesonet station 189SE Arrowhead Springs reported a peak wind gust of 75 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in California, January 2023
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: 1069487, 1069488, 1069489, 1069490, 1069491, 1069492, 1069493, 1069494, 1069495, 1069496, 1069497, 1069498, 1069499.