Another storm system impacted Southern California on March 6th and 7th. Widespread rainfall and scattered thunderstorms were the main weather impacts, leading to some areas of flooding.
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.
Another storm system impacted Southern California on March 6th and 7th. Widespread rainfall and scattered thunderstorms were the main weather impacts, leading to some areas of flooding.
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 Mar 6, 1:25 PM PST, 5 hours 50 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service San Diego CA
125 PM PST Wed Mar 6 2024
.SYNOPSIS...
A trough centered near Point Conception will bring rain and high
elevation mountain snow tonight as it moves southeast across the
area. Thunderstorms are also possible this evening. Thursday will be
a cool day with scattered showers mostly over the mountains and over
San Diego County. Building high pressure will bring dry, warmer
weather Friday through Sunday.
&&
.DISCUSSION...FOR EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA INCLUDING ORANGE...
SAN DIEGO...WESTERN RIVERSIDE AND SOUTHWESTERN SAN BERNARDINO
COUNTIES...
At 1 PM, Doppler radar showed light rain moving into Orange County,
the northwest sections of the Inland Empire, the San Gabriel
Mountains and the western sections of the San Bernardino Mountains.
Farther south, rain over San Clemente Island was moving east toward
San Diego County. Rain totals through 1 PM included 0.13" at San
Clemente Island, 0.05" near Avalon on Catalina Island, 0.08" at
Palos Verdes in southern Los Angeles County, and 0.01" at Seal Beach
in Orange County.
Rain will increase in coverage and intensity through this evening as
the trough off the coast moves southeast. A brief period of moderate
to heavy rain is most likely between 5 and 11 PM when CAPE maxes out
at 400-600 J/kg and the surface cold front moves from west to east
across the area. The Storm Prediction Center has a risk of
thunderstorms over Southern California this evening.
Projected rain totals are from 0.25" to 1.00" over and west of the
mountains with the higher end of those amounts where the strongest
convective cells move over. Most of this rain will fall in a brief 1-
2 hour period when the band of convection with the cold front moves
through. In the high deserts, 0.10" to 0.25" is forecast. From 0.01"
to 0.10" is forecast over the lower deserts.
In the mountains the snow level starting out near 6500 feet will
fall to 5000-5500 ft. A period of moderate to heavy snow is likely
above 6500 feet this evening. A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect
for the San Bernardino and Riverside County Mountains from 4 PM
today through Noon Thursday for 1-3" of snow between 5500 and 6500
feet, and 3-6" above 6500 feet.
On Thursday a trailing vort max in the cold northerly flow behind
the departing trough combined with 500 mb temps of -24C will support
scattered instability showers Thursday afternoon and evening, most
widespread over the mountains and foothills.
On Thursday night the trough moves east and the winds shift
northeast on the backside of the trough. Friday will be a generally
sunny and warm day, and the downslope warming component of the
northeast winds will send highs into the low 70s in the Inland
Empire and inland Orange County Friday afternoon.
Saturday and Sunday will be dry with high temperatures mostly near
average for early March. Low pressure systems moving inland along
the West Coast coast will provide some modulation to the strength of
the onshore flow across southern California early next week with
minor day to day differences in high temperatures.
&&
.AVIATION...
062035Z...Coast/Valleys...Multiple cloud layers with SCT-BKN 3000-
5000 FT MSL, and SCT-BKN AOA 25,000 FT MSL. RA/TSRA developing after
22z Wed across Orange County/Inland Empire, reaching San Diego
County after 00z Thu. Lower cigs of 800-1200 FT MSL and reduced vis
of 1-3 SM in +RA/TSRA. RA/TSRA continuing through 12z Thu, with BKN-
OVC with bases 2500-3500 FT MSL through Thu morning.
Mountains...Areas of terrain obscurations where low clouds and
terrain intersect on coastal slopes between 3000-4000 FT MSL.
RA/SN/TSRA move in after 00z Thu dropping CIGS and obscuring terrain.
Deserts...SCT AOA 25,000 FT MSL gradually lowering to 10,000 FT MSL
this afternoon, and down to 4,000 FT MSL after 03z Thu with -SHRA
possible.
&&
.MARINE...
Thunderstorms are expected to develop along a front moving west to
east through the coastal waters this afternoon and evening, most
likely between 4 PM and 10 PM. Any thunderstorm is capable of
producing briefly hazardous weather, such as gusty, erratic winds up
to 30 knots, rough seas, lightning, heavy rainfall with reduced
visibility, and waterspouts. This threat will diminish overnight
into Thursday. Stronger northwest winds and choppier seas will
develop Thursday afternoon and evening, which could lead to
hazardous conditions, especially in the outer waters. No additional
hazardous marine conditions are expected Thursday night through
Sunday.
&&
.BEACHES...
Elevated surf with sets up to 6 feet, along with an associated high
risk of rip currents, are expected late Thursday into early Friday,
with the highest surf on west-facing beaches of San Diego County.
&&
.SGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CA...Winter Weather Advisory from 4 PM this afternoon to noon PST
Thursday for San Bernardino County Mountains.
Winter Weather Advisory from 6 PM this evening to noon PST
Thursday for Riverside County Mountains.
PZ...None.
&&
PUBLIC...Moede
AVIATION/MARINE/BEACHES...EAPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service San Diego CA
603 PM PST Wed Mar 6 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0600 PM Rain 2 WNW Garden Grove 33.79N 117.98W
03/06/2024 M0.28 inch Orange CA Mesonet
Mesonet station EW3970 Stanton - 1 hour
rainfall.
&&
AOTPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service San Diego CA
613 PM PST Wed Mar 6 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0600 PM Rain 2 WNW Garden Grove 33.79N 117.98W
03/06/2024 M0.28 inch Orange CA Mesonet
Mesonet station EW3970 Stanton past 1 hour.
&&
AOTPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service San Diego CA
657 PM PST Wed Mar 6 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0651 PM Rain 2 NW San Diego 32.73N 117.18W
03/06/2024 M0.27 inch San Diego CA ASOS
ASOS station KSAN San Diego Airport - 1 hour
rainfall.
&&
AOTPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service San Diego CA
710 PM PST Wed Mar 6 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0701 PM Rain 3 N San Diego 32.77N 117.17W
03/06/2024 M0.30 inch San Diego CA Mesonet
Mesonet station FSNC1 San Diego River - 1
hour rainfall.
&&
AOTPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service San Diego CA
711 PM PST Wed Mar 6 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0648 PM Rain 4 W Coronado 32.68N 117.24W
03/06/2024 M0.25 inch San Diego CA Mesonet
Mesonet station L13 Cabrillo Natl Mnmt - 1
hour rainfall.
&&
AOTPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service San Diego CA
713 PM PST Wed Mar 6 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0658 PM Rain 5 W La Mesa 32.78N 117.10W
03/06/2024 M0.30 inch San Diego CA Dept of Highways
CHP reporting heavy rain at I-8 and Mission
Gorge.
&&
AOTThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Some 'S' curves in the road on I-5 South and SR163 were flooded, per CalTrans.
A vehicle was stuck in mud due to flooding at San Timoteo Canyon Rd and Live Oak Canyon Road.
Two vehicles were submerged in water due to flooding at Mountain Ave and Marie Street after heavy rain and thunderstorms moved through the area.
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, March 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: 1166955, 1166956, 1166958.