High Wind — Mountains of San Benito County and Interior Monterey County Including Pinnacles National Park, California

2013-10-27 · Mountains of San Benito County and Interior Monterey County Including Pinnacles National Park, California

Event narrative

A wind gust of 69 MPH was measured at the Santa Rita Mesonet Site in San Benito County at an elevation of 5000 feet.

Wider weather episode

Strong and gusty west-northwest winds impacted much of the Bay Area resulting in downed trees, downed power lines, toppled scaffolding, and blown over tractor trailers. An unseasonably cold and rapidly developing low pressure system moved through the Bay Area during the afternoon hours of October 27 and the early morning hours of October 28th. As the surface low rapdily deepened a tight pressure gradient developed across the Bay Area, most notably the East Bay. The dropping surface pressures and rather strong onshore pressure gradient helped to produce widespread wind gusts in excess of 35 mph with a few locations over 60 mph. As the strong onshore winds were squeezed through the East Bay hills winds were enhanced knocking over tractor trailers on Altamont Pass.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 481648. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.