High Wind — Orange County Coastal Areas, California

2011-02-18 · Orange County Coastal Areas, California

Event narrative

High winds began in Fremont Canyon between 1830 and 1930 PST, during which time a peak gust of 61 MPH was measured by the Fremont Canyon RAWS. High winds ended between 2030 and 2130 PST.

Wider weather episode

A cold storm system dropped south from the Gulf of Alaska, bringing waves of precipitation and a few thunderstorms with pea-sized hail to the area. Upslope flow helped to increase precipitation totals in the mountains in general, but the upper-level dynamics caused the highest totals in the San Diego County mountains and surrounding areas. Large flows occurred in the Tijuana River and its tributaries. The snow level dropped to 3500 feet toward the end of the event, resulting in well over a foot of snow at many of the mountain ski resorts.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 284785. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.