High Wind and Strong Wind in California, January 10 to 11, 2024

Name: High Wind and Strong Wind in California, January 10 to 11, 2024
Start: 2024-01-10T12:00
End: 2024-01-11T12:00
Location: California

January 10 to 11, 2024 · NWS SGX · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

A fast-moving storm system produced strong winds across much of Southern California January 10-11, with the highest winds recorded in the mountains and along the desert slopes the morning of January 11. Scattered showers occurred mainly across San Diego County, and several inches of snow were recorded in the San Bernardino and Riverside County Mountains.

Where it happened

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

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The toll

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS SGX wrote it up.

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 Jan 10, 9:03 AM PST, 2 hours 57 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 10, 9:03 AM PST, 2 hours 57 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service San Diego CA
903 AM PST Wed Jan 10 2024

.SYNOPSIS...
Strong winds will develop across the mountains, deserts and
coastal waters through this afternoon, reaching the coast and
valleys overnight. Scattered showers will occur overnight, with
most of the activity focused on San Diego County. Snow levels
start near 5000 feet this evening, lowering to 4000 to 4500 feet
Thursday morning. Slightly warmer conditions for Friday and
Saturday. Another fast-moving shortwave develops for the second
half of the weekend, bringing the next round of strong onshore
winds and slight chances of showers Saturday night into Sunday.
Dry and warmer early next week.

&&

.DISCUSSION...FOR EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA INCLUDING ORANGE...
SAN DIEGO...WESTERN RIVERSIDE AND SOUTHWESTERN SAN BERNARDINO
COUNTIES...

Update...
Low clouds are expanding across the coastal basin this morning.
Clouds helped to moderate low temperatures this morning, with most
coastal areas staying above 40 degrees and most valley locations
staying in the mid-30s to low-40s.

A strong upper low is pushing into the Pacific Northwest today,
and will traverse through California tonight through tomorrow.
Onshore winds strengthen across the mountains, deserts and coastal
waters this afternoon, reaching the coast and valleys early
tomorrow morning. Very strong winds of 55-70+ mph will be seen
across the mountains and deserts, and gusts above 40 mph across
the coast and valleys, likely peaking overnight into Thursday
morning. Light, scattered showers develop late tonight, mainly
focused on San Diego County, with very isolated activity for
points farther north. Across San Diego County, total rainfall is
expected to remain less than 0.1" at the coast, 0.10-0.25" for the
valleys, and up to 0.50" in the mountains. Minimal amounts are
expected for areas farther north, with the Riverside and San
Bernardino County Mountains only expecting around 0.10-0.25". The
snow level will fall to 4000 to 4500 feet by early Thursday with
a few inches of snowfall possible above 5000 feet.

Previous Discussion (Issued 457 AM PST Wed Jan 10 2024)...

.LONG TERM...(Saturday through Tuesday)
Continued dry and a little warmer for Saturday. Another low
pressure system from the northwest will move southeastward through
the Great Basin Saturday night on a slightly more inland track.
There remains a little more model spread with this system with
cluster analysis showing the ensemble members of the Canadian
model on a slightly more inland track which would be drier and the
ensemble members of the GFS slightly farther west and a little
more amplified with a little greater precipitation potential.

NBM chances for measurable precipitation for late Saturday night
into Sunday are about half of those for tonight and Thursday and
similarly distributed with greater chances to the south and less
to the northwest. The track of this system is more off the ocean
and not as cold with higher snow levels. Monday through Wednesday
of next week will be dry with continued slow warming as high
pressure aloft stregthens near the West Coast.

&&

.AVIATION...
101700Z...Areas of low clouds with bases 2500-4500 feet MSL and tops
to 5000 feet MSL will continue at times today from the coastal
mountain slopes west to the coast, with greatest areal coverage in
San Diego County. Higher terrain will be locally obscured, but most
VIS below the cloud base will be unrestricted. Clouds will become
more widespread this evening, with similar bases but tops increasing
to around 7000 ft MSL with greater terrain obscurations. SCT -SHRA
(-SHSN in mountains) will occur 08Z-17Z Thu. Clearing will occur in
most areas 16Z-19Z Thu.

West winds with sfc gusts 30-40 kt across the mountain ridges,
desert slopes, and below passes will occur today, strengthening to
35-55 kt 00Z-16Z Thu. Areas of MOD-STG up/downdrafts and LLWS
will occur over and east of the mountains.

&&

.MARINE...
Winds will strengthen today, and seas will build, which will result
in gale force winds and hazardous seas through Thursday. Peak wind
gusts of 30-40 knots are expected, with combined seas 10-14 feet.
The seas will be quite steep as most of the periods will be less
than 10 feet. Winds and seas will rapidly diminish late Thursday
through Friday. Gale Warning is in effect 10 AM today through 4 PM
Thursday.

&&

.BEACHES...
A fresh NW swell of 9-11 ft/8-9 sec from 310 degrees will generate
elevated to high surf of 5 to 7 feet with sets as high as 11 feet
and a high risk of rip currents tonight and Thursday. Highest surf
will be on exposed west-northwest facing beaches of San Diego
County. Additionally, an astronomical tide of 6.7 ft is predicted
for Thursday morning. The combination of high surf and high tide may
produce localized flooding of low-lying beach areas and beach
erosion. The Coastal Hazard Message contains the High Surf Advisory,
in effect from 8 PM today until 6 PM Thursday, and the Coastal Flood
Advisory, in effect from 4 AM to noon Thursday.

&&

.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 8 PM this evening to 6 PM PST Thursday
     for Orange County Coastal Areas-San Diego County Coastal
     Areas.

     Wind Advisory from midnight tonight to 10 AM PST Thursday for
     Orange County Coastal Areas-Orange County Inland Areas-San
     Diego County Coastal Areas-San Diego County Valleys-Santa
     Ana Mountains and Foothills.

     Coastal Flood Advisory from 4 AM to noon PST Thursday for Orange
     County Coastal Areas-San Diego County Coastal Areas.

     Wind Advisory from 8 AM to 2 PM PST Thursday for San Bernardino
     and Riverside County Valleys-The Inland Empire.

     High Wind Warning from noon today to 10 AM PST Thursday for San
     Bernardino County Mountains.

     High Wind Warning from 6 PM this evening to 10 AM PST Thursday
     for Riverside County Mountains-San Diego County Mountains-
     San Gorgonio Pass Near Banning.

     Wind Advisory from noon today to 10 AM PST Thursday for Apple
     and Lucerne Valleys.

     Wind Advisory from 6 PM this evening to 10 AM PST Thursday for
     Coachella Valley-San Diego County Deserts.

PZ...Gale Warning until 4 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.

&&

PUBLIC...EA/17
AVIATION/MARINE...Maxwell

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 high wind, 1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, San Bernardino County Mountains

When: January 10, 12:00 PM PST to January 11, 10:00 AM PST
Where: San Bernardino County Mountains forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph) measured gust
Reported by: RAWS
Coordinates: 34.841, -116.178 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong winds impacted the San Bernardino County Mountains from the afternoon of January 10 through the late morning hours on January 11. The strongest winds occurred from early to mid-morning on January 11. The following are the strongest winds recorded across the zone:

Burns Canyon: 70 MPH (6284')|Marshall Peak (SDHGPA): 68 MPH (3973')|Big Bear Airport: 62 MPH (6760')|Running Springs: 59 MPH (5445').

A downed tree blocked a lane at Pleasant Drive and Rim of the World SR-18.

High Wind, Apple and Lucerne Valleys

When: January 10, 12:00 PM PST to January 11, 10:00 AM PST
Where: Apple and Lucerne Valleys forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 34.841, -116.178 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong winds impacted the High Desert from the afternoon of January 10 through the late morning hours on January 11. The strongest winds occurred from early to mid-morning on January 11. The following are the strongest winds recorded across the zone:

Lucerne Valley (SCE266): 65 MPH (3938')|Cushenbury Springs (SCE269): 65 MPH (4099')|Lucerne Valley (SCE262): 61 MPH (3946')|Lucerne Valley (SCE484): 61 MPH (4490')|Johnson Valley (SCE400): 60 MPH (3107').

High Wind, San Gorgonio Pass Near Banning

When: January 10, 7:00 PM PST to January 11, 10:00 AM PST
Where: San Gorgonio Pass Near Banning forecast zone
Measured: 70 kt (81 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 33.744, -115.994 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong winds impacted the San Gorgonio Pass near Banning from the evening of January 10 through the late morning hours on January 11. The strongest winds occurred from early to mid-morning on January 11. The following are the strongest winds recorded across the zone:

High Wind, San Diego County Mountains

When: January 10, 7:00 PM PST to January 11, 10:00 AM PST
Where: San Diego County Mountains forecast zone
Measured: 62 kt (71 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 33.028, -116.770 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong winds impacted the San Diego County Mountains from the evening of January 10 through the late morning hours on January 11. The strongest winds occurred from early to mid-morning on January 11. The following are the strongest winds recorded across the zone:

High Wind, San Diego County Deserts

When: January 10, 7:00 PM PST to January 11, 10:00 AM PST
Where: San Diego County Deserts forecast zone
Measured: 59 kt (68 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 33.028, -116.770 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong winds impacted the San Diego County Desert from the evening of January 10 through the late morning hours on January 11. The strongest winds occurred from early to mid-morning on January 11. The following are the strongest winds recorded across the zone:

Borrego Springs: 68 MPH (2490')|Anza Borrego Desert Park: 67 MPH (820')|Borrego Springs: 62 MPH (660').

Borrego Valley Road was closed from Palm Canyon Drive to Tilting T Drive due to downed power lines in the roadway.

High Wind, San Bernardino and Riverside County Valleys - the Inland Empire

When: January 10, 7:00 PM PST to January 11, 12:00 PM PST
Where: San Bernardino and Riverside County Valleys - the Inland Empire forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 34.293, -116.086 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong winds impacted the Inland Empire from the evening of January 10 through the late morning hours on January 11. The strongest winds occurred from early to mid-morning on January 11. The following are the strongest winds recorded across the zone:

Rialto (SCE701): 60 MPH|Highland (383SCE): 57 MPH|North Wildwood Park (SCE768): 57 MPH|CSU San Bernardino (SCE809): 57 MPH|Rialto (SCE846): 57 MPH.

Highway 74 was closed in both directions between Theda Street and Spring Street due to a overturned big rig during the mid-morning hours on January 11.

Strong Wind, Coachella Valley

When: January 10, 10:00 PM PST to January 11, 10:00 AM PST
Where: Coachella Valley forecast zone
Measured: 46 kt (53 mph) measured gust
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 33.744, -115.994 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong winds impacted the Coachella Valley from the late evening of January 10 through the late morning hours on January 11. The strongest winds occurred from early to mid-morning on January 11. The following are the strongest winds recorded across the zone:

Palm Springs Airport: 53 MPH (392')|Boyd Deep Cyn Reserve: 52 MPH (979')|Palm Springs Tram (SCE361): 49 MPH (2200')|Palm Canyon (49 MPH).

Gene Autry and Vista Chino at the wash were closed due to blowing sand and reduced visibility early in the morning on January 11. A big rig was overturned at the I-10 W/Dillon Road onramp, resulting in a closure of the onramp.

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
Strong Wind: Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in California in 2024 Every state in 2024 This day in weather history Warnings in California, January 2024

Sources

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: 1159267, 1159272, 1159238, 1159240, 1159261, 1159263, 1159292.