High Wind — Eastern Santa Clara Hills, California

2025-12-25 · Eastern Santa Clara Hills, California

Event narrative

A 114 mph wind gust was reported on Copernicus Peak on Mount Hamilton, damaging the Lick Observatory on the mountain. Time approximate based on intense radar returns in the vicinity.

Wider weather episode

A series of storm systems impacted the Bay Area and Central Coast from December 19 to 25th, impacting Christmas holiday travel across the region. The most impactful systems arrived on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Two tornado warnings were issued for the coastal regions of San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties based off radar indicated rotation. San Francisco International Airport reported delays of at least 300 flights during the storms, and over 400,000 customers across the Bay Area and 30,000 in the Central Coast lost power.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1300933. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.