Strong Wind — Northern Monterey Bay, California

2022-12-31 · Northern Monterey Bay, California

Event narrative

A 120-foot tall cypress tree fell on a 72-year old resident of Santa Cruz within Lighthouse Field State Beach around 1:30 PM during a major rain event. Victim was pronounced dead at the scene despite attempts at medical care. At time of event, multiple reports of flooding, mudslides, and fallen trees were reported across the CWA, especially in low-lying and hilly areas.

Wider weather episode

An atmospheric river impacted the Bay Area on December 31st, resulting in significant rainfall across the San Francisco Bay Area. Initial forecasts called for the most intense rainband to progressively move south towards the Central Coast as the day went on. However, the morning of the 31st, a surface low developed west of San Francisco, and the river stalled over the Bay Area. This resulted in significant rainfall totals for many Bay Area sites. Most notably, downtown San Francisco received 5.46 inches of rain on the 31st, the second wettest day on record. The Oakland Museum received its wettest day since records began in 1970, with 4.75 inches of rain.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1079964. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.