Severe Thunderstorm Watch Issued For The Inland Empire, Mountains, and Low Desert Zones

Photo bySouthern California Weather Force

Southern California Weather Force has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch effective today, March 16th, 2024 for the following zones;

San Gabriel Valley, Cajon Pass, The Inland Empire, San Bernardino / Riverside / San Diego County Mountains and Deserts, Morongo Basin, Low Deserts from Coachella Valley to Imperial County, which also will include along I-10 through Desert Center.

Discussion: A cutoff low that is meandering around produced the predicted storms yesterday. This same cutoff is still in the area, bringing a health north to south flow around it, much like yesterday. Clear skies across the watch area suggests two things. One, developing instability, more than what other forecasts say. Also, strong surface to 6,000-foot instability column.

It means that strong updrafts will be developing, but also a point across the area that we have the low-level instability for a chance of tornadoes. Now, while this isn’t a tornado watch, the low-level shear along from a north to south flow and onshore flow does promote low-level rotation.

Within the watch area today, hail, wind, heavy rain, and isolated tornado activity will exist.

A couple more inches of snow in Big Bear will fall as a result of this event.

Raiden Storm Wind Gust Intensity Scale –

8. Extensive widespread damage.
7. Trees are broken or uprooted, building damage is considerable. – High Profile Vehicle Roll-Over CERTAIN.
6. SOME Trees are broken or uprooted, building damage is possible. – High Profile Vehicle Roll-Over Likely, Do NOT recommend Traveling in this zone. This zone also is the starting zone where trees and powerlines will fall and damage cars and even kill people near or in them!
5. Slight damage occurs to buildings; shingles are blown off of roofs. HIGH WIND WARNING CRITERIA – High Profile Vehicle Roll-Over Possible if weight is not corrected.
4. Twigs and small branches are broken from trees, walking is difficult.
3. Large trees sway, becoming difficult to walk. POWER SHUTDOWN THRESHOLD DURING FIRE WEATHER / WIND ADVISORY CRITERIARaiden StormMaster General Meteorologist

- Raiden Storm -
https://www.southerncaliforniaweatherforce.com

Master General Meteorologist – is a consulting meteorologist for over 50 companies, including energy, agriculture, aviation, marine, leisure, and many more areas. He has certs from Mississippi State for broadcast met and Penn State forecasting certs MET 101, 241, 341 and 361 as a meteorologist, but before then was completely self-taught, barely learning a thing from the schools that he did not already know.

Both short and long-range is very important to know in those jobs so you can bet on accuracy here. He is versed in fields like Western USA, Tornadoes, Floods, Hurricanes, High Winds, Fire Behavior, Snow and Blizzards, Short Range, Long Range, Seasonal, and Life-Threatening decisions with over 25 years' experience, out forecasting all weather services available today with lead-time and precision, which makes him a focus of ridicule and envy.

NOTE: Alerts are posted on here, be it a tornado watch, etc, and these alerts are issued from this office and nowhere else. At times, which is often, you will see an alert forecast posted on here that you do not see elsewhere.