A low pressure system transitioning through early April over southern California brought substantial amounts of rainfall, especially to portions of the Inland Empire (no April fools). There were also strong and gusty winds, mainly across the higher terrain, through the gaps, and along the desert slopes.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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.
A low pressure system transitioning through early April over southern California brought substantial amounts of rainfall, especially to portions of the Inland Empire (no April fools). There were also strong and gusty winds, mainly across the higher terrain, through the gaps, and along the desert slopes.
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 31, 8:46 PM PST, 3 hours 14 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service San Diego CA
946 PM PDT Tue Mar 31 2026
.SYNOPSIS...
Light showers will continue to move through the area tonight. Cooler
with gusty onshore winds in the mountains and deserts through
Thursday, with the strongest winds Wednesday afternoon into
Wednesday night. Weak offshore develops for Friday and Saturday
for drier weather and locally gusty northeast to east winds below
the passes and canyons. This will be followed by warming through
next weekend with high temperatures warming to 10 to 15 degrees
above average for next Sunday. Brief cooling Monday followed by
minor warming again on Tuesday.
&&
.DISCUSSION...FOR EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA INCLUDING ORANGE...
SAN DIEGO...WESTERN RIVERSIDE AND SOUTHWESTERN SAN BERNARDINO
COUNTIES...
Evening update...
Light showers are moving into So Cal this evening, mainly north
of San Diego County. So far most of the measurable precipitation
has been in the mountains and high desert, and accumulations have
been less than 0.10 inch. Additional accumulation tonight will
generally be less than 0.10 inch for the coasts and valleys, with
the potential for some locations to not measure at all, another
few hundredths to around 0.25 inch in the mountains, and 0.05 inch
or less in the deserts. The upper level trough currently moving
through Central CA will quickly move out by Wednesday morning,
ending our precipitation chances. Snow levels will fall to around
7000-7500 ft by Wednesday morning though any accumulations will be
less than one inch. Otherwise west winds gusting to around 35-50
mph will continue across the mountains and deserts into Thursday.
High temperatures will be around 3-5 degrees below normal
Wednesday and Thursday.
Previous discussion...
A stronger low pressure system currently in the Gulf of Alaska
will move inland over WA/OR Wed-Thu, reaching the northern Rockies
by Friday. A sfc high will follow the low into the Great Basin
producing offshore flow for Fri and Sat. Northeast to east winds
begin to develop Friday morning and weaken on Saturday. The
strength of the Santa Ana winds is still uncertain but with no
upper level support, it will likely be relatively weak. North to
northeast winds gusting to 25 to 35 mph along and below the
coastal slopes of the mountains are expected on Friday. Conditions
will trend warmer for Friday through Sunday. High temperatures on
Sunday will be around 10 to 15 degrees above average ranging from
the 70s near the coast to mid 80s to lower 90s for the Inland
Empire with the lower deserts in the 90s.
Weak onshore flow will return for Monday and Tuesday, bringing
cooler conditions to the coast and valleys. Elsewhere,
temperatures will remain relatively unchanged.
&&
.AVIATION...
010500Z...Coast/Valleys...This evening there are layers of cloud
bases: prevailing cigs are 3-9 kft MSL with patchy MVFR bases. SCT
-RA/SHRA continue to develop across the basin from northwest to
southeast, bringing brief periods of MVFR cigs/vis and even an
occasional IFR cig/vis. Rain activity to taper off around 12z early
Wed, though ISO -SHRA to linger in the foothills through 16z.
Clouds scatter out 16-18z, mostly in the lowlands and partially in
the foothills (bases 3-5kft MSL). Low clouds fill in once again
gradually after 00z throughout the coastal basin with bases 2500-
3500 ft MSL.
Mountains/deserts...Clouds intersecting terrain to lower vis 0-5SM
through 16-18z Wed. Layered bases up to 12 kft MSL. SHRA/+SHRA in
the mountains through 14z, especially in the San Bernardino County
mountains. Strong westerly winds 35-45 mph gusts 55 mph over
mountain ridges, desert slopes and locally into deserts this evening
into Wednesday; gusts near 30 kts possible VCTY KPSP/KTRM. MOD
up/downdrafts in lee of mountains, and areas of vis reduced to 2-5SM
in BLDU in deserts.
&&
.MARINE...No hazardous marine conditions expected through Wednesday.
Northwest winds 20 to 25 knots late Thursday 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 until 11 PM PDT Thursday 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...SS/PG
AVIATION/MARINE...WesterinkThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Whitewater RAWS reported 63 mph gusts both at 10 PM on April 1st and again at 1 AM on April 2nd.
The Mountain Springs Grade RAWS recorded a 57 mph wind gust just before midnight on April 1st, and a 55 mph wind gusts at 1 AM on April 2nd.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in California, April 2026
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: 1336409, 1336410.