Year in Review

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PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
130 AM PST TUE DEC 27 2005

...2005 YEAR IN REVIEW...

JANUARY: THE YEAR 2005 STARTED OUT ON A VERY SOGGY NOTE. BACK TO
BACK STORMS POUNDED THE REGION WITH TORRENTIAL RAIN, HEAVY SNOW,
STRONG WINDS, AND EVEN A TORNADO. FLASH FLOODS AND MUDSLIDES
RESULTED IN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF DAMAGE TO HOMES AND BUSINESSES.
ROADS, BRIDGES, AND RAILROAD TRACKS WERE WASHED OUT. HUNDREDS OF
TREES WERE BLOWN OVER ALL ACROSS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ON THE 7TH, AND
A WIND GUST OF 72 MPH WAS REPORTED AT HUNTINGTON BEACH. ON THE 8TH,
NEARLY 200 MOTORISTS HAD TO BE RESCUED FROM HIGHWAY 18 NEAR BIG BEAR
LAKE AFTER HEAVY SNOW MADE TRAVEL IMPOSSIBLE. AT LEAST SEVEN FUNNEL
CLOUDS WERE SPOTTED OVER THE COURSE OF THE MONTH, AND A SMALL
TORNADO CAUSED MINOR DAMAGE IN HEMET ON THE 9TH. SOME IMPRESSIVE
FIVE DAY RAINFALL TOTALS (JAN 7-11) WERE 31.75 INCHES AT LAKE
ARROWHEAD, 29.70 INCHES AT LYTLE CREEK, AND 15.09 INCHES AT PALOMAR
MOUNTAIN. IT WASN'T ALL RAIN AND STORMS HOWEVER, AS SAN DIEGO'S
LINDBERGH FIELD SET A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 87 ON THE 19TH.

FEBRUARY: THIS MONTH HAD SOUTHERN CALIFORNIANS SEEING DEJA VU. IN A
REPEAT PERFORMANCE BY MOTHER NATURE, POWERFUL PACIFIC STORMS FUELED
BY SUBTROPICAL MOISTURE PRODUCED MORE TORRENTIAL RAIN, FLOODING,
SIGNIFICANT MOUNTAIN SNOW, AND TORNADOES. FLASH FLOODS AND MUDSLIDES
RESULTED IN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF DAMAGE YET AGAIN. BETWEEN 70% AND
90% OF THE 1300 MILES OF BACKROADS IN THE SAN BERNARDINO NATIONAL
FOREST WERE DAMAGED BEYOND USE. LAKE HODGES IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY,
WHICH WAS AT 17% OF CAPACITY ONLY 4 MONTHS EARLIER IN OCTOBER 2004,
BEGAN TO SPILL ON THE 21ST. SIX DAY SNOWFALL TOTALS (FEB 18-23)
RANGED FROM 4 TO 8 FEET ON THE HIGHER PEAKS NEAR MOUNT BALDY AND
WRIGHTWOOD. SUPERCELL STORMS ON THE 19TH SPAWNED TORNADOES IN
HUNTINGTON BEACH, FALLBROOK, RAINBOW, AND TEMECULA. TORNADOES WERE
ALSO SPOTTED IN CHULA VISTA ON THE 23RD AND LAKE ELSINORE ON THE
26TH.

MARCH: AFTER WEEKS OF RELENTLESS STORMY WEATHER, SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIANS WERE FINALLY ABLE TO BREATHE A MUCH NEEDED SIGH OF
RELIEF. STORMS THAT DID HIT THE AREA IN MARCH TENDED TO BE MUCH
KINDER TO THE REGION, BUT WERE STILL NOT WITHOUT THEIR PROBLEMS. ON
THE 4TH, A TORNADO IN FONTANA DAMAGED THREE HOMES, TORE THE ROOF OFF
A WATER WELL BUILDING, AND BLEW DOWN TREES. A FUNNEL CLOUD WAS ALSO
SPOTTED IN DEL MAR. FLASH FLOODING WAS REPORTED ON THE 5TH IN LA
JOLLA AND IN DEVORE ON THE 22ND. DESPITE THE LACK OF WIDESPREAD
FLOODING PROBLEMS AND SEVERE WEATHER, MEASUREABLE RAIN DID FALL ON
10 DAYS AT LINDBERGH FIELD AND MEASURED 2.12 INCHES.

APRIL: ONLY ONE STORM OF SIGNIFICANCE AFFECTED THE AREA DURING THE
MONTH OF APRIL, AND NOT MUCH CAME FROM IT WITH ONLY ONE NOTABLE
EXCEPTION. A SQUALL LINE WITH STRONG WINDS CAME ASHORE IN ORANGE
COUNTY AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO HOMES IN DANA POINT AND SAN CLEMENTE.
THE STRONG WINDS ALSO SNAPPED THE TOPS OF TREES OFF, KNOCKED OVER A
CHIMNEY, AND BLEW DOWN A MOTEL SIGN. THE SAME STORM SYSTEM PRODUCED
FUNNEL CLOUDS IN HEMET AND CARLSBAD.

MAY: A SMALL STORM SYSTEM DROPPED MAINLY LIGHT RAIN ACROSS THE AREA.
ON THE 6TH, A FUNNEL CLOUD WAS SEEN NEAR TUSTIN RANCH AND A
WATERSPOUT WAS OBSERVED SOUTH OF NORTH ISLAND.

JUNE: EVEN AFTER WEEKS OF MUCH DRIER WEATHER, A HILLSIDE STILL
SATURATED FROM HEAVY WINTER RAIN GAVE WAY ON THE 1ST IN LAGUNA BEACH
AND CAUSED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF DAMAGE. THE SLIDE SEVERELY DAMAGED
OR DESTROYED 15 HOMES. WILDFIRES IN LATE JUNE BURNED 2080 ACRES ON
SAN JACINTO MOUNTAIN AND 3033 ACRES IN THE MORONGO VALLEY.

JULY: SOUTHERN CALIFORNIANS BAKED UNDER THE HOT JULY SUN BEFORE
GETTING DRENCHED BY THE MONSTROUS MONSOON SEASON OF 2005! THE
FIRST TWO WEEKS SAW TEMPERATURES SOARING INTO THE TRIPLE DIGITS IN
MANY AREAS. THE COACHELLA VALLEY SAW HIGH TEMPERATURES ABOVE 110 FOR
9 CONSECUTIVE DAYS, TOPPING OUT AT 121 IN THERMAL. BIG BEAR LAKE
NEAR 7,000 FT ELEVATION TIED THEIR ALL TIME RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE
OF 94 ON THE 18TH. LITTLE RELIEF WAS FELT DURING THE OVERNIGHT
HOURS, AND RESIDENTS OF INDIO WOKE UP ON THE MORNING OF THE 13TH TO
A SWELTERING LOW TEMPERATURE OF 90 DEGREES. THE SKIES THEN OPENED UP
DURING THE LATTER HALF OF JULY AS THE SUMMER MONSOON SET IN.
THUNDERSTORMS SPAWNED BY THE REMNANTS OF FORMER HURRICANE EMILY LIT
UP THE SKIES WITH LIGHTNING FROM THE DESERTS TO THE BEACHES ON THE
23RD. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM THAT AFTERNOON SPAWNED A TORNADO IN
HEMET AND ALSO PRODUCED NICKEL SIZE HAIL AND FLASH FLOODING. HEAVY
RAIN, HAILSTORMS, AND FLASH FLOODING WERE COMMONPLACE IN THE
MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS NEARLY EVERY AFTERNOON THROUGH THE REST OF
JULY AND INTO AUGUST. THUNDERSTORMS OVER VICTORVILLE DROPPED 5.58
INCHES OF RAIN DURING A 12 HOUR PERIOD ON THE 24TH. ANOTHER ROUND OF
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ON THE 30TH PELTED THE TINY TOWN OF FOREST
FALLS WITH HAIL AS BIG AS PING PONG BALLS.

AUGUST: THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO STAKE THEIR CLAIM OVER THE SKIES
OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WELL INTO AUGUST. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ON THE
1ST DROPPED HAIL, BROUGHT DOWN TREE LIMBS, AND CAUSED FLASH FLOODING
IN THE CAMPO AREA. ANOTHER SEVERE THUNDERSTORM ON THE 6TH PRODUCED A
MICROBURST NEAR PERRIS THAT KNOCKED DOWN MORE THAN 50 POWER POLES
AND FORCED A TEMPORARY CLOSURE OF THE 215 FREEWAY. THUNDERSTORMS
WEST OF RANCHITA ON THE 8TH TRIGGERED LARGE MUDFLOWS THAT BURIED A
4 MILE STRETCH OF S2 WITH AN ESTIMATED 20,000 CUBIC YARDS OF MUD.
AUGUST 9TH MARKED THE 21ST CONSECUTIVE DAY WITH THUNDERSTORMS IN THE
SAN DIEGO FORECAST AREA. ON THIS DAY, A LARGE THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX
RACED SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE AREA AND PRODUCED WIDESPREAD FLASH
FLOODING FROM YUCCA VALLEY TO THE COACHELLA VALLEY. AFTER A BRIEF
BREAK IN THE ACTION, THE HIGH DESERT ENDURED YET ANOTHER ROUND OF
THUNDERSTORMS ON THE 14TH. THIS TIME HOWEVER THE STORY WAS MORE
ABOUT THE LIGHTNING THAN IT WAS THE FLOODING. NUMEROUS LONG TIME
RESIDENTS CLAIMED THAT THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE THE MOST PROLIFIC
LIGHTNING PRODUCERS IN MANY YEARS. NEAR THE END OF AUGUST, A
WILDFIRE BURNED 5493 ACRES ON THE NORTH FACE OF SAN JACINTO MOUNTAIN.

SEPTEMBER: WILDFIRES GAVE HOMEOWNERS A SCARE IN RANCHO PENASQUITOS
AND JULIAN ON THE 6TH. ANOTHER WILDFIRE BURNED 198 ACRES NEAR LAKE
SKINNER. LATER, WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORMS GAVE RESIDENTS FROM SAN
DIEGO TO SAN BERNARDINO A SPECTACULAR LIGHT SHOW ON THE 19TH AND
20TH. THE LIGHTNING SPARKED NUMEROUS SMALL FIRES AND LEFT THOUSANDS
OF PEOPLE WITHOUT POWER, WHILE FUNNEL CLOUDS WERE ALSO SEEN OVER
OCEANSIDE AND RAMONA. DRY SANTA ANA WINDS FUELED A WILDFIRE EAST OF
MORENO VALLEY ON THE 28TH AND 29TH. THE FIRE BURNED 1160 ACRES AND
DESTROYED THREE COMMERCIAL CHICKEN HOUSES.

OCTOBER: SANTA ANA WINDS AND WARM WEATHER SIGNALED THE ARRIVAL OF
OCTOBER IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. ON THE 6TH, THE HIGH TEMPERATURE
REACHED 99 AT ANAHEIM, 97 AT FULLERTON AND RIVERSIDE, 94 AT VISTA
AND RAMONA, AND 89 AT LINDBERGH FIELD AND OCEANSIDE. AN EARLY SEASON
STORM LEFT ITS MARK ON THE 16TH, 17TH, AND 18TH AS LOCAL RESIDENTS
GOT THEIR FEET WET ONCE AGAIN. THE COACHELLA VALLEY WAS PARTICULARLY
HARD HIT WHEN MORE THAN TWO INCHES OF RAIN CAUSED LOTS OF FLOODING
PROBLEMS. RESIDENTS WERE URGED TO BOIL THEIR WATER AFTER THE STORM
DAMAGED THE COACHELLA VALLEY WATER DISTRICT'S WATER SYSTEM. WEST OF
THE MOUNTAINS, SEVERE WEATHER WAS THE NAME OF THE GAME. A SUPERCELL
THUNDERSTORM RESULTED IN A WIND DRIVEN HAILSTORM THAT TRAVELED FROM
YORBA LINDA TO PASADENA. OTHER THUNDERSTORMS DROPPED QUARTER SIZE
HAIL IN RANCHITA AND CAUSED ROOF DAMAGE TO HOUSES IN RANCHO
CUCAMONGA. A FUNNEL CLOUD WAS REPORTED AT LINDBERGH FIELD AND A
WATERSPOUT WAS SEEN WEST OF CORONADO KAYS.

NOVEMBER: NOT MUCH WORTH MENTIONING HAPPENED IN NOVEMBER. HIGH
PRESSURE AND OFFSHORE FLOW BROUGHT GUSTY WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY,
FOR A WEEK OF RED FLAG CONDITIONS DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE MONTH.
DESPITE THE HIGH FIRE DANGER, THERE WERE RELATIVELY FEW FIRES.

DECEMBER: SURF'S UP! A POWERFUL STORM IN THE CENTRAL PACIFIC
GENERATED VERY LARGE SWELL LATE IN THE MONTH. THE SURF ROARED TO
LIFE ON THE MORNING OF THE 21ST UP AND DOWN THE WEST COAST. WAVES
BETWEEN 10 AND 15 FT HIGH WITH SETS TO NEAR 20 FT HIGH PUMMELED THE
BEACHES FROM SAN DIEGO TO SEAL BEACH. COINCIDENTLY, THE HIGH SURF
ARRIVED ON THE HOTTEST DAY OF THE MONTH. RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES
WERE SET AT 16 LOCATIONS ON THE 21ST. DAYTIME TEMPERATURES HIT 90 AT
RIVERSIDE, 84 AT ESCONDIDO AND CHULA VISTA, 80 AT LINDBERGH FIELD,
OCEANSIDE, AND YORBA LINDA, AND 74 AT IDYLLWILD.

...WEATHER EXTREMES AT LINDBERGH FIELD IN 2005...

HIGHEST MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE...89 DEGREES ON OCTOBER 6TH.
LOWEST MINIMUM TEMPERATURE....44 DEGREES ON DECEMBER 5TH AND 6TH.
GREATEST 24 HOUR RAINFALL.....2.28 INCHES ON FEBRUARY 21ST-22ND.
DAYS WITH MEASURABLE RAIN....49 DAYS.
HIGHEST PEAK GUST.............33 MPH FROM THE SOUTH ON JANUARY 8TH.
HIGHEST SEA-LEVEL PRESSURE....30.34 INCHES ON DECEMBER 18TH.
LOWEST SEA-LEVEL PRESSURE.....29.69 INCHES ON FEBRUARY 11TH.

...WEATHER EXTREMES IN THE SAN DIEGO FORECAST AREA IN 2005...

HIGHEST MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE...121 DEGREES AT THERMAL ON JULY 17TH.
HIGHEST MINIMUM TEMPERATURE...90 DEGREES AT INDIO ON JULY 13TH.
LOWEST MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE....30 DEGREES AT BIG BEAR ON JANUARY 4TH.
LOWEST MINIMUM TEMPERATURE....4 DEGREES AT BIG BEAR ON JANUARY 6TH.
GREATEST DAILY RAINFALL.......9.95 INCHES AT LYTLE CREEK ON JANUARY 8TH.
DAYS WITH MEASURABLE RAIN....110 DAYS(ESTIMATED).
HIGHEST MEASURED WIND GUST....72 MPH AT HUNTINGTON BEACH ON JANUARY 7TH.
HAIL (LARGEST IN DIAMETER)....1.50 INCH AT FOREST FALLS ON JULY 30TH.
LIGHTNING (CLOUD TO GROUND)...20,241 STRIKES (JULY-SEPTEMBER ONLY).
MOST LIGHTNING STRIKES (1HR)..395 COACHELLA VALLEY (AUG 9 FROM 4-5PM).
NUMBER OF FUNNEL CLOUDS.......24 FUNNEL CLOUDS.
NUMBER OF TORNADOES...........9 TORNADOES.

$$

SCV



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