DesertWeather.com Blog

Some preliminary information on the strong winter storm that drenched the valley today.

Rain Totals:

 CAZ061-080630-
 COACHELLA VALLEY-
 835 PM PST MON DEC 7 2009

 WHITEWATER TROUT FARM  1.77
       WIDE CANYON DAM  1.14
  PALM SPRINGS AIRPORT  1.48
       THERMAL AIRPORT  0.55
        CATHEDRAL CITY  0.94
        PALM DESERT 1S  1.49
            BEAR CREEK  0.63
        INDIO HILLS 9N  0.71
                 INDIO  0.59

Manual rain gauge readings across the valley:

Thousand Palms: 1.06 in.

Palm Desert (Cook & Fred Warning): 0.94 in.

Rancho Mirage (Bob Hope & Hwy 111): 1.01 in.

Desert Hot Springs: 1.44 in.

Rainfall records set:

 RECORD EVENT REPORT
 NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
 925 PM PST TUE DEC 8 2009

 ...RECORD RAINFALL FOR DECEMBER 7...

 LOCATION           NEW RECORD       OLD RECORD      PERIOD OF RECORD

 LINDBERGH FIELD       1.56         1.15 IN 1992        SINCE 1850
 FULLERTON AIRPORT     0.80         0.42 IN 1972        SINCE 1948
 PALM SPRINGS AIRPORT  1.12         0.90 IN 1992        SINCE 1906
 ONTARIO INTL AIRPORT  1.07         0.53 IN 1966        SINCE 1951

On this day in…
2006: Offshore winds gusted to 92 mph with seven gusts over 75 mph in northwest San Bernardino. Gusts reached 75 mph at Fremont Canyon. Downed power lines sparked a small fire in the Inland Empire. 16 power poles were downed in Valley Center.
1999: Santa Ana winds produced a gust of 90 mph at San Bernardino and 68 mph in Fontana.
1966: A great storm brought heavy precipitation to the region, especially the mountains, starting on this day and ending on 12.7. Over the five days, 27.74 inches fell at Lake Arrowhead, 23.73 inches fell at Palomar Mountain, 18.72 inches in Big Bear Lake, 17.85 inches in Idyllwild, and up to a foot of rain at lower elevations. On this day local flooding occurred at the coast and Palm Springs was flooded. Buildings and highways were flooded. Strong storm winds caused power outages.
1958: It was 95° in Santa Ana, 93° in Riverside and Palm Springs, and 80° in Palomar Mountain, each the highest temperature on record for December. It also reached 80° in Palomar Mountain the next day, 12.4.1958. It also reached 93° in Palm Springs on 12.7.1938.

On this day in…
1965: Heavy storms drawing tropical moisture in the mountains and desert started on 11.22 and ended on 11.25. Storm totals: 20 inches at Mt. San Gorgonio, 16 inches at Mt. San Jacinto, 9.59 inches at Cuyamaca, six to nine inches at Banning-Cabezon, over four inches at Palm Springs, less than one inch near the Salton Sea. The one-day total was over nine inches at Snow Creek. Roads and bridges washed out north and west of Palm Springs. Two drowned attempting to cross the Whitewater River. Record flood levels were recorded at Tahquitz Creek. It was the largest flood on the Whitewater River since 1938. 8.87 inches fell in Palomar Mountain, 2.48 inches of rain fell in Riverside, 2.75 inches fell in Palm Springs, and 1.69 inches fell in Borrego Springs on this day, each the greatest daily amount on record for November. For Palomar Mountain it was the second greatest daily amount on the entire record.

On this day in…
2002: 5.68 inches of precipitation fell in Idyllwild, the greatest daily amount on record for November. Incredibly, no rain at all fell just on the other side of the mountain in Palm Springs.
1982: Seven tornadoes touched down in the LA Basin. Three of the tornadoes began as waterspouts off Pt. Mugu, Malibu, and Long Beach. The Long Beach waterspout moved ten miles inland. Two of the tornadoes were in Garden Grove and Mission Viejo. Property damage occurred, especially with the Long Beach waterspout/tornado.
1937: 2.68 inches of rain fell in San Diego, the fifth wettest calendar day on record and the wettest November day on record.
1914: In Bagdad, California rain finally fell on this day ending an incredible dry spell at 767 days that started on 10.3.1912 (Southern Pacific RR employees kept this debated record).

FYI, Bagdad, CA if just east of Yucca Valley near Amboy!