SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA RAIN and FLOOD, FEBRUARY 27 to MARCH 4, 1938 by LAWRENCEH
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MAY 1938 MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW 139 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA RAIN AND FLOOD, FEBRUARY 27 TO MARCH 4, 1938 By LAWRENCEH. DAINGERFIELD [Weather Bureau, Los Angeles, Calif., June 19381 The season of 1937-38 (beginning July 1, 1937) has period which were directly the cause of the great flood. been marked by wide cont>mstsin rainfall over southern Showery conditions on the 3rd and 4th were followed California. Los Angeles was rainless from May 31 to by frequent threat,s of rainfall thereafter for 9 or 10 days October 2, 1937, inclusive, a eriod of 125 days, followed and actual rain on se.vera1days from a. series of depressions by 67 days, or until DecemE er 8, 1937, with only two appearing off the Cdifornia cod, which moved slowly light showers, tot,aling 0.03 inch. The combined period inland over the coast to the northward of the Los Angeles of 192 days ha.d only 0.03 inch of precipitation. This region. These were followed, however, by a well-defined long dry period is second only to that of 1927, when no anticyclone on the 13t,h, 1oc.ated over the Pacific Ocean measurable rainfall occurred at Los Angeles for the 107- new the thirt,iet,h parallel. The esta,blishment of this day period from April 13 to Oct,ober 26, although t,races high pressure field, and its continuance in modified form we,re recorded each mont,h. The re.cent drought was during the remainder of March brought relief to the rather de,hit,ely ended by t,he rain of December 9-12, flooded areas, through the attending fair weather. 1937, and pre,cipitation was ample aad approximately The saturated condit’ion of t,he soil in Ventura, Los normal during the re.niainde.r of December and through Angeles, San Bernmdino, Orange, and Riverside counties, January 1938. from mountains to coast, prior to the arrival of the major The closing days of January, however, were marked sborm of Msrc,h 3, 1938, prepared t,he way for the heavy by intense disturbances over the Gulf of Alaska and ad- run-off. jacent North Pacific waters, with strong southeasterly While the rainfall over the area involved, during the trends near the Pacific coast of North America, which had cold-front passage of late Fe,bruary 28 to March 1, was been absent or deficient in the earlier depressions of the generally excessive and the run-off rather marked, damage season. This change in storm development and move- would have been small if it had not been followed, after ment ushered in a period of almost continuous and the lapse of a few hours, by t,he second and much heavier frequently heavy rainfall over this area of California rainfall of lat,e March 1 to 2, inclusive, with slight amowits during the first half of February, during which period the occurring on the 3rd and 4th. The run-off from the March soil became well saturated with moisture. 2 storm was extremely high, bringing with it vast quan- The tendency to form disturbance,s near and off the tities of silt, gravel, boulders, and debris generally. Pacific coast featured the late January, February, and As in the case of the historic 3-day rainfall (over a early March period. A storm which developed northeast lesser part of the area more recently covered) of December of Hawaii moved slowly eastward (followed by a well- 30, 1933January 1, 1934, inclusive, the orographic developed Pacific HIGH) and moved inland near the Bay influence was a decidedly potential factor. The San region on February 9. This was an exceptionally violent Gabriel and the San Bernardino Mountains, with their disturbance, attended by precipitation throughout Cali- east-west trend, lying directly across the path of the fornia, heavy over the northern part of the State, and high moisture-laden winds, performed the functions of fixed winds and ga.les over most coastal districts and inland to and permanent “fronts” mechanically accomplishing the and beyond Sacramento. chilling of t,he tropical maritime air and precipitating its A series of North Pacific and Gulf of Alaska depressions moisture during tdie recent, storms as in the case of the prevailed from February 26 to March 4, 1938, extending great 3-day storm of 4 years ago. Just as the 3-day t,heir maximum sphere of influence hundreds of miles storm was a record breaker for 61ie period and area farther southeastwa.rd than normdly over the Pacific involved, so was the recent 5-day rainfall the heaviest coast area. On February 27, a rather shallow distur- known for the period invo1ve.d-at least since accurate bance moved slowly in over the southern Ca.lifornia coast measurements have been generally available. attended by a general light ra,in on the 27th, a.nd int.er- In the recent storm period, the greatest recorded mittently through the 28th. During the night of Feb- amoimt, 33.20 inche.s, occurred at Kellys Hamp in the ruary 28-March 1, heavy rain occurred as the result of the Snn Gabriel Mountains at an elevation of 8,300 feet. passage of a cold front which moved in from the nort!i- Also, in the same mountains, Hoegees Camp, elevation west. No general rain occurred after this fronhl passage 2,G50 feet, reported a total of 30.08 inche.s; this same until March 2, with the arrival of a more intense dis- stsatmionreceived the greatest amount in the 1934 New turbance. This disturbance likewise developed northeast Year’s storm (19.91 inches). In the San Bernardino of the Hawaiian Islands and while the center moved to t’he Mountains, Lake Arrowhead, near the headwaters of Oregon coast, the region of greatmestintensity took place Deep Creek, which will be referred to later, at an elevation over southern California. Warm-front action and a of nearly 5,000 feet, reported 30.49 inches. A consider- pronounced orographic effec,t. produced the greatest in- able number of mountain stations received between 20 tensities and amounts of precipitation of t.he entire storm and 30 inches of rain as shown in table 1. Unauthenticated | Downloaded 09/29/21 11:44 AM UTC 140 MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW MAY1938 TABLE1.-Precipitation data (inches and hundredths), Feb. 67 to Mar. 4, 1938, inclusive, for Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, and Riverside Counties [Precipitation for 24 hours ending near sunset unlesa otherwise indicated] - Eleva- February March Greatest tion - - - Storm Station Latitude mgitude above total m. 8.1 1 2 3 4 lhour I Date O# 118 16 a, 075 0. M 0.23 0.89 3.05 0.81 0.m _____.___.____.__.5.55 117 50 62 .30 1.00 .ga 1.27 2.40 .10 ___._.__.._______.6.03 118 a3 4,060 1.24 .w 1.62 7.64 1.42 .17 .__._._______.__._13.02 118 08 1.3% 1.86 2. 75 2. 18 8.33 .62 .____..__._._.__._15.74 117 55 - - - - - - -. 1.57 1.93 2.13 2. 98 .02 .______.___.____..8.63 118 01 - - - -.-. (1’ Bo 2.73 2.35 7.30 .57 _______._________ .________ 14.55 118 11 1.26 2. 62 2.62 8.10 1.00 _________ __.____._15.60 118 11 ::E 1.65 2. e3 3.23 8.47 1.36 _________ ____.__..17.54 118 53 1,155 .42 1.89 2.74 6.98 .87 ._____--___-----. .-___.--_12.00 118 19 30 .49 1. 62 1.22 1.45 2.18 .03 ..________________6.99 117 M 602 1.33 2.25 2.30 6.72 .84 T .____._...____.___13.44 117 55 675 1.2.5 2.34 2.41 7.00 .gs ._.__________..___13.96 118 12 2.620 .% .65 1.74 .32 .____--____._..___3.57 117 58 378 1. 60 1.60 1.71 5.88 .87 ~......---- ._.._____ 11.46 116 63 2, 330 - - - - -.. 1.65 1.27 2.24 2.70 .25 .________..___.__.8.11 116 55 2,m .a 1.28 1.76 1.01 4. 08 .33 .._...___...____._ 9.09 116 b5 3, .46 .95 1.75 .90 6. 25 .46 .__._____._.____..10.76 118 11 160 1.65 1.31 1. 85 4. 60 .42 ~ ..__....._._.____._9.83 117 48 2.850 6. 18 .62 9.40 .92 .08 .40 2 17.20 117 46 3, 100 ‘?50 4. so .n 5.43 .-. - -. .. ..___....__.____.. ._____.._ 117 48 1,880 1.56 6.38 .88 9.32 1.10 .39 2 19. fJ4 118 24 255 1.42 2.24 1.79 6.08 30 ____.._____.___.__.._.____ 11.83 117 28 1.750 (9 5.50 2 15 (9 9.75 ___..______.______17.40 116 59 4.96 3.39 1. 54 1s. 08 $!00 26.95 117 49 ?E 1.24 3.66 3.42 6.58 .07 117 41 6,660 2.00 2.50 1. Bs 6.80 4.48 118 12 2,050 1.20 3.28 3.00 10.83 2.05 20.36 118 09 2, Qrm 1. 17 .27 .91 6.82 .48 8. 65 118 16 1,350 1.33 2.08 2. M 7. 02 .76 13.73 118 14 2.616 1. 18 3.36 3. 15 8.88 1. 10 18.53 118 18 650 .07 1.28 1.92 .70 2.85 7.01 118 18 665 1.41 1.