High Wind — Orange County Coastal Areas, California

2014-12-30 to 2014-12-31 · Orange County Coastal Areas, California

Event narrative

A spotter in the city of Orange recorded a wind gust of 58 mph. Another spotter in that area reported a wind gust of 46 mph with shingles blown off the neighbors roof.

Wider weather episode

A very cold and potent low pressure system approached southern California on the 30th with showers increasing through the day and night with a shot of very low-elevation snow. The brunt of the storm occurred during the night of the 30th and morning of the 31st. Snow levels dropped rapidly overnight down to 1500-2000 feet, with some light accumulations even down to 1000 feet. The southern Inland Empire was hardest hit with the unusually low snow, covering areas like Temecula, Lake Elsinore, and Wildomar, which caused issues all along Interstate 15 down through Valley Center. Several inches were also reported in Ranchita and Julian in San Diego County. Overall, the snow totals went as follows: 10 to 18 inches across Palomar Mountain to Julian, 6 to 9 inches from Warner Springs to Julian in San Diego County, 2 to 4 inches from Temecula to Wildomar and Lake Elsinore in the southern Inland Empire, and 4 to 8 inches across Highway 74 and Horsethief canyon in the Santa Ana Mountains. The snow resulted in several road closures, including Highway 74 and Highway 18, stranded vehicles and chain controls on the roads that remained open. Rainfall totals below the snow level generally ranged from .25-1.25 inches, with no significant flooding reported. Thunderstorms also occurred with the leading edge of the cold front from Oceanside and Carlsbad to La Mesa with hail up to one-half inch diameter. Strong winds also accompanied this system with several reports of damage. Most gusts were sub-warning criteria, though a few stations recorded gusts over 60 mph.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 553552. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.