The first significant Santa Ana wind event occurred November 4 to 7, 2024. The Santa Ana northeast winds started during the morning of November 4th, following light precipitation.
Every event with a place to put it; 17 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.
The first significant Santa Ana wind event occurred November 4 to 7, 2024. The Santa Ana northeast winds started during the morning of November 4th, following light precipitation. The winds were strongest on November 6th and relative humidity was a low as 8 to 12 percent for the inland valleys on November 7 and 8, 2024. Red Flag warnings and High Wind Warnings were issued. There were several wildfires.
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 Nov 3, 9:30 PM PST, 6 hours 30 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service San Diego CA
930 PM PST Sun Nov 3 2024
.SYNOPSIS...
Dry conditions will prevail this week with periods of Santa Ana
winds this evening through Monday and again Wednesday and Thursday.
Gusty north to northeast winds will occur in portions of the San
Bernardino county mountains and the Inland Empire below the Cajon
Pass and in the Santa Ana mountains and parts of inland Orange
County, with periods of critical fire weather conditions. Another
round of northeasterly Santa Ana winds and dry conditions are
expected Wednesday through Thursday.
&&
.DISCUSSION...FOR EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA INCLUDING ORANGE...
SAN DIEGO...WESTERN RIVERSIDE AND SOUTHWESTERN SAN BERNARDINO
COUNTIES...
Update...
Skies had cleared entirely over the region with locally gusty north
winds at mid-evening, with some stations in the mountains, having
gusts of 30-40 MPH. The winds will mostly be in the mountains
overnight with some local winds making it into the valleys, but
winds should pick up a little after sunrise Monday in Inland Empire
locations. Current projections are for highest local wind gusts a
little over 50 MPH, especially from the San Bernardino County
Mountains south and southwest to the Santa Ana Mountains and
foothills. Humidity will be 10-20 percent for minimums away from the
coast to result in areas of critical fire danger where the winds are
strong. Otherwise, high temperatures will be a little above average
west of the mountains but a bit below average in the mountains and
deserts the next few days with chilly nights away from the windy
areas. Winds should weaken Monday afternoon/evening. Models are
still a bit divergent on the Santa Ana wind event Wednesday and
Thursday, but generally the ensemble members of ECMWF are going
stronger than those of the GEFS. Winds will likely be stronger with
the Wed/Thu event, but where confidence is highest is for more
widespread winds due to stronger cold air advection and MSLP
gradients, as well as a general northeasterly direction which would
favor the areas from the San Bernardino County Mountains southwest
to inland Orange County.
From previous discussion...
At 1:30 PM winds had shifted northerly for the coastal slopes of
the San Bernardino mountains and below the Cajon Pass into the
Inland Empire. Winds are expected to strengthen and become more
widespread overnight into Monday. The strongest north to northeast
winds are expected for the coastal slopes of the San Bernardino
mountains, below the Cajon Pass into the Inland Empire, the Santa
Ana mountains, and portions of inland Orange County Monday
morning. Peak gusts 35 to 45 mph are expected, with local gusts up
55 to 60 mph through wind prone passes and canyons. Dry
conditions are expected to settle over the area by Monday morning
bringing elevated fire weather conditions to the foothills of the
Santa Ana mountains and portions of inland Orange County. Periods
of critical fire weather conditions are expected for western
portions of the San Bernardino County mountains and the Inland
Empire mainly below the Cajon Pass. Winds are expected to weaken
into Monday evening, but weak north to northeast winds may linger
into Tuesday morning.
Temperatures at 1:30 PM today were running 3 to 7 degrees warmer
than yesterday for Orange County, the Inland Empire, and Riverside
mountains. The San Bernardino mountains and through the Cajon
Pass are observing temperatures 10 to 15 degrees warmer than this
time yesterday due to the uptick in northerly winds. San Diego
county is a few degrees warmer than yesterday afternoon in some
places with no change or even a degree or two of cooling in
others. An additional few degrees of warming is expected for areas
west of the mountains Monday. A low pressure system is expected
to dig into the Great Basin/desert southwest, bringing cooler
temperatures to the area for the middle of the week, most
noticeable in the deserts and mountains. Temperatures on Wednesday
for the High Desert and mountains will be 12 to 15, locally 20
degrees below average with the low desert 10 to 15 degrees below
average. Overnight low temperatures are expected to remain below
average for the deserts, mountains, and wind sheltered valley
locations for most of this week. Wind sheltered locations in the
valleys and High Desert may get cold enough for frost to develop
particularly Monday, Thursday, and Friday mornings. Overall below
average temperatures are expected for most places through Friday,
with a gradual warming to near normal for the weekend.
For the middle of next week the latest guidance continues to show
an area of low pressure digging into the Great Basin. Ensemble
solutions with more influence from the ECMWF have the low stronger
and a little further west compared to solutions from the GFS.
While there is still spread in solutions of the individual
ensemble members for both the GFS and ECMWF, both models are
showing members trending stronger for wind gust speeds. Current
thinking is gusty northeast winds will develop on Wednesday with
more impact for the coastal slopes and foothills of the San
Bernardino mountains into the Inland Empire and for the Santa Ana
mountains into inland Orange County. Winds look may turn more
easterly for late Wednesday into Thursday which would be more of
an impact to the Riverside and San Diego County mountains,
potentially into the San Diego county valleys. A dry airmass
aloft combined with gusty northeasterly winds will bring periods
of critical fire weather conditions to the coastal slopes and
foothills of the San Bernardino mountains into the Inland Empire
and for the Santa Ana mountains into inland Orange County.
Elevated to near-critical fire weather conditions are expected
for the Riverside and San Diego County mountains and San Diego
valleys. More information about wind speeds and relative humidity
values can be found in the Fire Weather discussion below.
&&
.AVIATION...
040445Z...Coasts/Valleys...Clear skies with unrestricted VIS through
Monday.
Gusty north to northeast winds gusting 20-25 kts at times through
00Z Tuesday, with mdt-strong up/downdrafts and LLWS VCNTY KSNA, KONT
and KSBD. Winds weaken after 02Z Tuesday.
Mountains/Deserts...Clear skies with unrestricted VIS through Monday.
Strong northerly winds gusting 25-30kts through Monday afternoon
with mdt-strong up/downdrafts and LLWS VCNTY KPSP and KTRM. Winds
weaken after 06Z Tuesday.
&&
.MARINE...
Northwest winds gusting 20-25kts with combined seas of 6 to 7 feet
will persist in the outer waters this evening. Lighter winds and
calmer seas expected for the nearshore waters. A Small Craft
Advisory for the outer waters will continue until 10 PM tonight.
Conditions improve for Monday with no hazardous marine conditions
expected through Thursday.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...
Areas of gusty north to northeast winds are expected to continue
into Monday afternoon. Strongest winds are expected n the coastal
slopes of the western San Bernardino County Mountains, below the
Cajon Pass into the Inland Empire, the Santa Ana mountains, and
portions of inland Orange County. Periods of critical fire weather
conditions are expected for portions of the San Bernardino county
mountains and below the Cajon Pass into the Inland Empire. Peak
wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph expected, with local gusts to 60 mph
possible in wind prone locations of the Santa Ana and San
Bernardino mountains. Gusts 50 to 55 mph are expected below the
Cajon Pass. Daytime relative humidity values are expected to fall
to 12 to 15 percent for the Inland Empire and foothills of the San
Bernardino mountains. Relative humidity for the Santa Ana
mountains and inland Orange County will be 15 to 20 percent.
Another Santa Ana wind event is expected for the middle of the
week. Latest guidance is showing winds starting to increase by
early Wednesday morning, with gusty northeast winds expected to
continue into Thursday afternoon. Periods of critical fire weather
conditions are expected for the Santa Ana mountains, portions of
inland Orange County, the Inland Empire, and coastal slopes of the
San Bernardino County mountains. Preliminary forecast shows the
potential for wind gusts 35 to 45 mph, with more frequent gusts of
55 to 65 mph in wind prone locations. Relative humidity values
are expected to fall to 10 to 15 percent in windy areas, with the
potential to see areas with relative humidity values as low as 8
percent. For San Diego county mountains and valleys, winds look to
increase later in the day Wednesday into Thursday. Dry conditions
are also expected in San Diego County with falling relative
humidity. Elevated to near critical fire weather conditions are
expected for San Diego county mountains and portions of the
valleys.
Winds are expected to decrease Thursday evening into Friday
leading to dry and less windy weather by later next week.
&&
.SKYWARN...
Skywarn activation is not requested. However weather spotters are
encouraged to report significant weather conditions.
&&
.SGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CA...Red Flag Warning from 7 PM this evening to 6 PM PST Monday for
San Bernardino County Mountains-Including The Mountain Top
And Front Country Ranger Districts Of The San Bernardino
National Forest-San Bernardino and Riverside County Valleys
-The Inland Empire.
Fire Weather Watch from late Tuesday night through Thursday
afternoon for Orange County Inland Areas-San Bernardino
County Mountains-Including The Mountain Top And Front
Country Ranger Districts Of The San Bernardino National
Forest-San Bernardino and Riverside County Valleys -The
Inland Empire-Santa Ana Mountains-Including The Trabuco
Ranger District of the Cleveland National Forest.
Wind Advisory from 7 PM this evening to 4 PM PST Monday for
Orange County Inland Areas-Santa Ana Mountains and
Foothills.
PZ...Small Craft Advisory until 10 PM PST this evening for Waters
from San Mateo Point to the Mexican Border Extending 30 to
60 nm out including San Clemente Island.
&&
PUBLIC/FIRE WEATHER...Maxwell (Update)/CO (Previous Discussion)
AVIATION/MARINE...PGThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
10 high wind, 7 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Pleasants Peak in Santa Ana mountains had gust 61 mph at start of Santa Ana winds.
Heaps Peak RAWS has a 62 mph gust of Santa Ana winds at 5 am November 4.
Fremont Canyon RAWS gust to 79 mph in strong Santa Ana wind.
Rialto had wind gusts to 40 mph. Wire was reported down on roadways and vehicles driving across it at Slover and Larch ave.
Tree down on I-10 at Millikin ave, KONT airport gusted to 44 mph.
Socal Edison site 1643 in Rancho Cucamonga near I-15 strong Santa Ana wind gusts.
Big rig on its side at I-15 and Summit Ave. Socal Edison Summit Ave with gusts to 60 mph in afternoon.
Wind gust at Socal Edison site 195 in Orange.
Big rig on its side on I-15 at I-210. Highway patrol issued SIG ALERT at 730 am. Strong Santa Ana winds.
Large trap was blown onto I-405 north. John Wayne airport KSNA gusted to 40 mph.
Tree down on powerline at Cajon blvd and Kendall drive. Santa Ana wind gusts to 48 mph at Socal Edison Meyers Canyon in Cajon Pass at I-15 and 215.
Hell Hole canyon RAWS Santa Ana wind gust.
Sill Hill wind gusts to 66 mph SDGE (this is the windiest location in San Diego County during Santa Ana winds).
KRAL Riverside airport reported Santa Ana wind gust 43 mph.
KONT airport strong Santa Ana wind gusts from mountain wave off San Gabriel mountains.
Chino airport KCNO had Santa Ana wind gust 47 mph from mountain wave.
KSNA had wind gust 37 mph from mountain wave at end of Santa Ana wind event.
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, November 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: 1224989, 1224987, 1224992, 1224993, 1224998, 1225004, 1225006, 1224991, 1225005, 1224990, 1225007, 1225400, 1225401, 1224996, 1225000, 1225002, 1225003.