An atmospheric river impacted Southern California on February 1st. Impacts were felt across much of the region, but the most notable impacts were near the Seal Beach area.
Every event with a place to put it. 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.
An atmospheric river impacted Southern California on February 1st. Impacts were felt across much of the region, but the most notable impacts were near the Seal Beach area. Several reports of flooding leading to road closures were received from this area.
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 31, 8:57 PM PST, 3 hours 3 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service San Diego CA
857 PM PST Wed Jan 31 2024
.SYNOPSIS...
More widespread marine layer low clouds tonight. A fast- moving
Pacific storm will bring strong gusty winds and locally heavy
precipitation on Thursday with showers lingering through Friday
night. Mostly dry on Saturday, then increasing chances for
precipitation for the early and middle part of next week.
Precipitation could be heavy at times with a flood threat for at
least a portion of southern California.
&&
.DISCUSSION...FOR EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA INCLUDING ORANGE...
SAN DIEGO...WESTERN RIVERSIDE AND SOUTHWESTERN SAN BERNARDINO
COUNTIES...
Evening update...
Marine layer low clouds are redeveloping over the coastal areas
this evening and will spread into the valleys overnight as the
marine layer deepens ahead of the incoming storm. Water vapor
imagery shows the center of the upper low around 550 miles off the
coast of southern Washington with a high amplitude trough
extending south off the entire West Coast. Rain has begun to
spread into Central and Southern California, reaching as far east
as Ventura County. Some light precipitation is possible for
extreme SW California tonight, but the brunt of the storm is still
expected to arrive Thursday morning. No significant changes with
the latest forecast guidance in terms of timing and amounts.
Previous discussion...
A fast-moving Pacific storm will move inland through SoCal on
Thursday bringing widespread moderate to locally heavy rainfall
from the coast to the mountains. There will be strong south winds
ahead of the cold front with south winds gusting to around 45 mph
for the coast and valleys Thursday morning into the early
afternoon. As the front passes, winds will turn westerly and will
be stronger for the mountains and deserts.
Most of the precipitation will fall between early Thursday morning
and late Thursday afternoon in the organized frontal band,
followed by widespread showers and a slight chance of
thunderstorms behind the front Thursday afternoon and evening.
Showers will become isolated to scattered Thursday night,
decreasing in coverage and intensity on Friday. Two day totals
from Thursday morning through Friday night are expected to range
from 1.5 to 2 inches in the coastal areas and San Diego County
Valleys, 1 to 1.5 inches in the Inland Empire, 2 to 3 inches in
the mountains, with one-third to one-half inch in the deserts.
Rainfall rates of one-half to eight-tenths of an inch per hour are
probable, locally to 1 to 1.5 inch per hour with any
thunderstorms that may develop. There has been little change to
the forecast for the San Diego River at Fashion Valley with the
river rising high enough to flood the low-water crossings
beginning on early Thursday afternoon with the river cresting
at minor flood stage on Thursday evening, then falling below the
low-water crossings Friday afternoon.
The snow level will rise to 7000 to 7500 feet Thursday morning,
falling during the afternoon to around 5000 for Thursday night.
Snowfall of 1 to 2 inches is possible down to around 5000 feet
with 2 to 6 inches from 6000 to 7000 feet, 6 to 12 inches from
7000 to 8000 feet, and 12 to 24 inches above 8000 feet.
Saturday will be mostly dry under weak high pressure. Some lighter
precipitation may return to portions of southwestern California
for Sunday and Sunday night, but confidence is only moderate.
For the early and middle part of next week, low pressure off the
West Coast will funnel subtropical and tropical moisture northward
into portions of central and southern California. This will have
the potential for periods of moderate to locally heavy precipitation
lasting for several days, for at least a portion of the region.
How much and when any heavy rain reaches our forecast area is
uncertain as there is still considerable spread in the ensembles.
Ensemble guidance shows snow levels rising back to around 7000
feet on Monday, then falling to around 5500 feet for the middle of
next week. Guidance remains wet but has adjusted the timing and
totals through the end of next week. Current precipitation
estimates for Sunday through Wednesday are for 1.5 to 3.5 inches
in the coastal areas of San Diego and Orange Counties, 1.5 to 2.5
inches in the San Diego valleys and the Inland Empire, 2.5 to 4
inches in the Riverside and San Bernardino mountains with local
amounts of 5 inches or more on the south facing coastal slopes of
the San Bernardino Mountains, 2.5 to 3.5 inches in the San Diego
County mountains, 0.5 to 1.7 inches in the high desert, and 0.45
to 1.15 in the lower deserts.At this time, there is moderate
confidence in a significant precipitation event for Sunday through
Monday.
&&
.AVIATION...
010420Z...Coast/Valleys...SCT-BKN with bases 1000-1500 FT MSL
becoming more widespread after 06z Thu. -SHRA developing around 12z
Thu across Orange County, spreading to the S-E through 14z Thu. RA
developing after 16z Thu, with reduced vis of 2-4 SM, locally below
1 SM in +RA and cigs 700-900 FT MSL. Iso +TSRA possible after 18z
Thu. Gusty and erratic winds possible vcty TSRA.
Gusty S-SE winds developing after 15z Thu with gusts of 25-35 kt,
local gusts to 40 kt. Winds turn to the W-NW after a FROPA 20z Thu.
Mountains/Deserts...SCT-BKN AOA 20,000 FT MSL tonight, lowering
below 10,000 FT MSL overnight. -SHRA developing after 14z Thu, with
RA/SN after 18z Thu. Mtns obscured in FG/RA/SN. -SHRA reaching the
deserts after 16z Thu. Iso +TSRA possible after 18z Thu. Gusty and
erratic winds possible vcty TSRA.
&&
.MARINE...
Increasing southerly winds overnight, with peak gusts of 30 to 35 kt
occurring from early Thursday morning through the early afternoon
hours. Winds will turn westerly and weaken slightly Thursday
afternoon, but gusty west winds and hazardous seas will continue to
lead to hazardous conditions for small craft through Saturday
morning. There is also a slight chance of thunderstorms Thursday
afternoon and night. Westerly winds will decrease Saturday, but
southerly winds will increase Sunday.
&&
.BEACHES...
A large west swell with a period of 13-15 seconds will bring high
surf Thursday into Saturday, with surf reaching 6-10 feet. There is
also a slight chance for lightning Thursday afternoon and night.
High surf is possible again on Monday.
&&
.SKYWARN...
Skywarn activation is not requested. However weather spotters are
encouraged to report significant weather conditions.
&&
.SGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CA...High Surf Advisory from 2 AM Thursday to 6 AM PST Saturday for
Orange County Coastal Areas-San Diego County Coastal Areas.
Wind Advisory from 4 AM to 2 PM PST Thursday for San Diego
County Coastal Areas.
Flood Watch from 6 AM PST Thursday through Friday morning for
Apple and Lucerne Valleys-Coachella Valley-Orange County
Coastal Areas-Orange County Inland Areas-Riverside County
Mountains-San Bernardino County Mountains-San Bernardino
and Riverside County Valleys-The Inland Empire-San Diego
County Coastal Areas-San Diego County Deserts-San Diego
County Mountains-San Diego County Valleys-San Gorgonio Pass
Near Banning-Santa Ana Mountains and Foothills.
Wind Advisory from 6 AM to 2 PM PST Thursday for San Bernardino
and Riverside County Valleys-The Inland Empire-San Diego
County Valleys.
Winter Storm Warning from 4 AM Thursday to 6 AM PST Friday for
Riverside County Mountains-San Bernardino County Mountains.
Wind Advisory from 4 AM to noon PST Thursday for Orange County
Coastal Areas-Orange County Inland Areas.
PZ...Gale Warning from 1 AM to 1 PM PST Thursday 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.
Small Craft Advisory from 1 PM Thursday to 8 AM PST Saturday 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...SS/PG
AVIATION/MARINE/BEACHES...EAThe Santa Ana Mts radar (KSOX), 12 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 08:01 UTC.
4 heavy rain, 2 flash flood, 2 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy rain fell across much of Orange County on February 1st and 2nd. Rainfall totals generally ranged from 1-2 inches, with totals between 2.00-2.50 inches occurring in portions of the Santa Ana Mountains in Orange County.
Heavy rain fell across much of Riverside County on February 1st and 2nd. Rainfall totals generally ranged from 0.50-1.50 inches, with totals between 1.50-2.25 inches occurring in portions of the Riverside County Mountains.
Heavy rain fell across much of San Bernardino County on February 1st and 2nd. Rainfall totals generally ranged from 0.75-2.00 inches, with totals between 2.00-3.00 inches occurring in portions of the San Bernardino County Mountains.
Heavy rain fell across much of San Diego County on February 1st and 2nd. Rainfall totals generally ranged from 1.00-3.00 inches, with totals between 3.50-4.25 inches occurring in portions of the San Diego County Mountains near Palomar Mountain.
Orange County Fire rescued a person from floodwaters at Sunflower Ave and Fairview Road.
Pacific Coast Highway had both lanes flooded out. Some impact to businesses with significant flooding reported. 1.80 to 2.65 inches in Seal Beach with much of this 1.65 to 1.95 inches in 2 hours from 9 am to 11 am. Flooding into residents property and garages on 7th and 8th south of Marina Drive with streets full of water 12 inches at least.
Flooding reported at Vulcan Ave and Hygeia Ave. 1 to 1.35 inches of rain in past 6 hours and up to 0.50 in 1 hour.
City of San Diego reports several areas with minor flooding along Imperial Ave. Rainfall 0.80 to 1.15 inches past 6 hours.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in California, February 2024
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: 1164347, 1164348, 1164349, 1164355, 1162562, 1162563, 1162565, 1162566.