California, 2024High Wind in California, April 24 to 26, 2024
April 24 to 26, 2024 · NWS SGX · 3 events in 3 counties and zones
A strong upper-level wave caused westerly/onshore winds to increase, becoming strong and gusty over the mountains and deserts of Southern California. Many of the typical wind-prone canyons and passes saw very high wind gusts occur.
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.
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- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 3
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.
A strong upper-level wave caused westerly/onshore winds to increase, becoming strong and gusty over the mountains and deserts of Southern California. Many of the typical wind-prone canyons and passes saw very high wind gusts occur.
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 Apr 24, 7:34 AM PST, 4 hours 26 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Apr 24, 7:34 AM PST, 4 hours 26 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service San Diego CA
834 AM PDT Wed Apr 24 2024
.SYNOPSIS...
A deep marine layer; gusty winds in the mountains and deserts; and
cooler conditions will prevail through Friday. Patchy drizzle or
light rain is expected each night and morning west of the
mountains through Friday. Gusty southwest to west winds will peak
each afternoon and evening in the mountains and deserts through
Friday. Peak wind gusts of 55 to 65 mph expected. Winds will
weaken through the weekend. Drier and warmer with a shallower
marine layer expected early next week.
&&
.DISCUSSION...FOR EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA INCLUDING ORANGE...
SAN DIEGO...WESTERN RIVERSIDE AND SOUTHWESTERN SAN BERNARDINO
COUNTIES...
Visible satellite at 830 AM was showing widespread low clouds in
the coastal basin, with clouds extending into the mountain passes.
Areas of drizzle or light rain occurred overnight, although
coverage was patchy and mostly confined to northern San Diego
County. Accumulations over the past 12 hours have mostly been
around 0.1 inches, but a few spots locally accumulated 0.03-0.05
inches. The clearing pattern for low clouds today is expected to
be random and intermittent. Low clouds are expected to fill in the
coastal basin again tonight into Thursday morning with drizzle
and light rain again possible overnight. The greatest coverage is
expected to be in the coast and valleys in San Diego County. Any
accumulations will be light, with 0.10 inches or less expected.
Marine layer low clouds may become patchier Thursday night into
Friday morning, but areas of drizzle or light rain are still
possible.
Gusty southwest to west winds are expected in the mountains and
deserts each afternoon and evening into Friday. ECMWF ensemble
output and calibrated NBM wind guidance continues to show the
strongest gusts on Friday afternoon. Peak winds gusts will be 55 to
65 mph. Gusts could locally reach up to 70 or 75 mph through the San
Gorgonio Pass. Winds will gradually decrease in the the weekend,
with weaker winds expected for early next week.
High temperatures will continue to cool for inland areas for today
and Thursday with Friday a few degrees warmer for the coast and
valleys. With the cooling, high temperatures will be as much as 10
to 15 degrees below average on Thursday for the mountains. A warming
trend for Saturday through Monday with not much change on Tuesday
with weak high pressure aloft. There are some model differences for
Monday and Tuesday which would impact the strength of the onshore
flow and the depth of the marine layer. This uncertainty creates
greater spread of the high temperature forecasts for locations in
the coast and valleys. With the warming, high temperatures would be
a few degrees above or below average for most locations on Sunday
with high temperatures on Monday a few to around 5 degrees above
average.
&&
.AVIATION...
241530Z...Coast/Valleys/Foothills...Low clouds with bases 2000-2500
feet MSL and tops to 4000 feet will continue this morning. VIS 0-5SM
where clouds and terrain intersect, obscuring foothills. Expect
random and intermittent clearing 17-03Z, most likely 20-00Z.
Low clouds to fill the coastal basin again after 00Z with similar
bases, but tops rising to 6000 feet MSL early Thursday. -SHRA or -DZ
also possible after 06Z, lowering cigs and vis.
Mountains/Deserts...Mostly clear skies above 4000 feet MSL on
coastal slopes, with unrestricted VIS today and tonight.
&&
.MARINE...
No hazardous marine conditions are expected through Thursday night.
Stronger winds and choppy seas arrive Friday morning and continue
into Saturday morning, likely generating hazardous conditions,
especially in the outer waters.
&&
.SKYWARN...
Skywarn activation is not requested. However weather spotters are
encouraged to report significant weather conditions.
&&
.SGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CA...Wind Advisory from 5 PM this afternoon to 11 PM PDT Friday for
Apple and Lucerne Valleys-Coachella Valley-Riverside County
Mountains-San Bernardino County Mountains-San Diego County
Deserts-San Diego County Mountains-San Gorgonio Pass Near
Banning.
PZ...None.
&&
PUBLIC...CO
AVIATION/MARINE...AdamsHigh Wind, San Gorgonio Pass Near Banning
- When
- April 24, 12:00 PM PST to April 26, 6:00 PM PST
- Where
- San Gorgonio Pass Near Banning forecast zone
- Measured
- 65 kt (75 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- RAWS
- Coordinates
- 33.744, -115.994 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong westerly winds impacted the San Gorgonio Pass starting early in the afternoon on April 24th and lasted through the afternoon on April 26th. Notable peak wind gusts include: 75 mph at the Whitewater RAWS site, 60-65 mph at other sites near Whitewater, and 58 mph at Desert Hot Springs (SCE566).
High Wind, Apple and Lucerne Valleys
- When
- April 24, 12:00 PM PST to April 26, 6:00 PM PST
- Where
- Apple and Lucerne Valleys forecast zone
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- RAWS
- Coordinates
- 34.841, -116.178 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong westerly winds impacted the Apple and Lucerne Valleys starting early in the afternoon on April 24th and lasted through the afternoon on April 26th. Notable peak wind gusts include 58 mph at Lucerne Valley (SCE262) and 56 mph at the Victorville Airport (KVCV).
High Wind, Coachella Valley
- When
- April 24, 12:00 PM PST to April 26, 6:00 PM PST
- Where
- Coachella Valley forecast zone
- Measured
- 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- RAWS
- Coordinates
- 33.744, -115.994 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong westerly winds impacted the Coachella Valley starting early in the afternoon on April 24th and lasted through the afternoon on April 26th. A peak wind gust of 59 mph occurred at Palm Springs International Airport (KPSP) on April 26th.
- 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.
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: 1178219, 1178220, 1178221.