Strong Wind — San Francisco Bay Shoreline, California

2019-01-06 · San Francisco Bay Shoreline, California

Event narrative

A 250 foot eucalyptus tree toppled onto a car on Gaylet Road at UC Berkeley killing one man. Nearby CWOP station measured wind gust of 35 mph around that time https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2019/01/07/deadly-weekend-storms-batter-northern-california-more-rain-on-the-way/.

Wider weather episode

A vigorous cold front swept through California on January 5th bringing widespread rainfall and gusty winds. Unstable air behind the frontal passage and sufficient low level shear allowed shallow thunderstorms to develop over the coastal waters, some of which contained rotating cells. Two waterspouts developed and made landfall as tornadoes on the 6th. Additionally, heavy rainfall and strong winds caused roadway flooding, minor debris flows, and numerous downed trees across the region. This storm system caused two fatalities; one caused by a downed tree in Berkeley and another man died in Santa Rosa Creek due to rising waters.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 796277. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.