2014: A very cold and potent low pressure system dropped very low-elevation snow during this night and into 12/31.
Snow levels dropped rapidly overnight down to as low as 1000 feet.
The southern Inland Empire was hardest hit. 10"-18" fell across Palomar Mountain, 6"-9" from Warner Springs to Julian, 2"-4" in Temecula, Wildomar, and Lake Elsinore, and 4"-8" across Highway 74 and Horsethief canyon in the Santa Ana Mountains.
Several road closures resulted, including Highway 74 and Highway 18, and vehicles were stranded.
2013: Fresno ended the driest calendar year on record with only 3.01" (26 percent of the normal of 11.5", or 8.49" below average).
This was the first year on record for Fresno to receive less than 1" of precipitation per month in every month.
Fresno also had the warmest year on record with an average temperature of 66.9° F.
Many other locations throughout the Hanford warning and forecast area received well below average rain and snow for calendar year precipitation.
Bakersfield tied for the 2nd driest December on record; only a trace of precipitation fell during the month.
The Decembers of 1989 and 1930 remain the driest Decembers on record for Bakersfield when no precipitation was measured.
2006: Very heavy rainfall produced extensive flooding in Reno and Sparks, NV.
2004: 29" of snow fell at Tahoe City, with 28" reported at Mammoth Lakes Ranger Station.
2002: A mountain wave generated an 84 mph wind gust at Inyokern, causing a tree to fall over and kill one person.
2001: Quick moving front deposited heavy snow in the Sierra: 19" fell at Mitchell Meadow in 9 hours and 28" fell at Wet Meadows in 11 hours.
1999: A waterspout was observed off the coast of Costa Mesa.
Funnel clouds were reported in Santa Ana and Oceanside.
1990: Low of 24° F Fin Fresno.
This was the 24th time all month that the low temperature dropped to 32° F or lower, a record for the month of December.
This also tied January 1949 for the most number of freezing low temperatures in any month.
1986: High tide in San Diego was 7.8 feet.
In Eureka the tide was 9.1 feet, thought to be the highest in a century.
Luckily the weather was fine and surf was small.
Minor flooding occurred at coastal low spots on Mission Beach and Ocean Beach and water lapped at the curbs of streets in Balboa Island, Newport Beach.
1965: A warm storm of torrential rains also melted mountain snow from 12.29 to this day.
One report said more than 13" fell in 24 hours at Mt. Baldy.
Nearly 9" did fall in Lake Arrowhead, and 1.5"-3" in the coastal lowlands.
One drowned in Lytle Creek.
Disastrous flooding and debris flows occurred in the Lytle Creek and Scotland communities, Baldy Village, and in Waterman Canyon.
Two boys were rescued from the Santa Ana River in Colton.
Numerous roads were washed out in the high desert and the mountains.
1955: Mount Hamilton (east of San Jose) received 9" of snowfall.
1940: Heavy rains that fell a week previous loosened soil along a Del Mar railroad and led to a landslide.
The slide derailed a train and killed three.
1933: A major storm hit Southern California starting on 12.30 and ending on 1.1.1934.
7.36" fell in 24 hours at LA, a 24 hour record for the city.
8.26" fell as a storm total.
Storm totals in the southern slopes of mountains topped 12" (heaviest: 16.29" in Azusa).
45 died all over Southern California in floods.
Walls of water and debris up to ten feet high were noted in some canyon areas.
1931: Yosemite Valley received 2" of snow bringing the total for the month to 54", making it the snowiest December ever on record here.
1918: It was 22° F in Santa Ana, the lowest temperature on record.
This also occurred the next two days on 1.1 and 1.2.1919, and on 1.6.1950.
It was 24° F in Escondido, the lowest temperature on record for December, and the second lowest temperature on record (lowest was 22° F on 1.22.1937).
1913: Reno, NV, recorded 1.74" of precipitation.
1909: A terrible storm dropped 4.23" of rain in San Bernardino on this day and on 1.1.1910.
Lytle Creek and the Santa Ana River flooded at its highest stage in 20 years.
Railroads were severely damaged down to San Jacinto and Hemet area.
Colton was isolated. Damage in San Bernardino was the "worst in history" and homes in the west of the city were flooded.
Highways, water supplies and other utilities were damaged.
A train from LA plunged into the Santa Ana River in Colton.
1900: Only 27 hours of sunshine were observed in Fresno during December 1900.
This is just 9% of the total possible sunshine available for the month, making it not only the least sunniest December ever, but the least sunniest month ever here.
Source: NWS San Francisco/Monterey, Hanford, Reno, Las Vegas, & San Diego
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