National Weather Service Los Angeles/Oxnard

National Weather Service Los Angeles/Oxnard
Name	National Weather Service Los Angeles/Oxnard
Formed	1930s
Headquarters	Oxnard, California
Parent agency	National Weather Service

Contents

National Weather Service Los Angeles/Oxnard is a field office of the National Weather Service serving coastal and inland areas of southern California from Santa Barbara County through western San Bernardino County and southern Kern County. The office issues forecasts, warnings, and hydrologic information affecting cities such as Los Angeles, Long Beach, Santa Barbara, Oxnard, Ventura, and Bakersfield. It operates within the framework of the United States Department of Commerce, coordinating with federal, state, and local partners including the Federal Aviation Administration, United States Geological Survey, California Department of Water Resources, and county emergency management agencies.

History

The office traces its lineage to early 20th century weather services that supported maritime navigation off the Pacific Ocean and agricultural interests in the Central Valley. During the 1930s and 1940s the office expanded alongside the Civil Aeronautics Administration and the United States Navy's increased presence at Naval Air Station Point Mugu. Postwar growth aligned with the creation of the modern National Weather Service and technological advances such as the deployment of the WSR-57 radar and later the WSR-88D network. The office has supported responses to major regional events including the Northridge earthquake indirect weather impacts, the 1991 Perfect Storm coastal interactions, and wildfire seasons linked to the Thomas Fire and Woolsey Fire eras, coordinating with entities like the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services.

Coverage encompasses portions of Los Angeles County, Ventura County, Santa Barbara County, Kern County, and western San Bernardino County, extending from the Channel Islands to inland valleys and mountain ranges including the Santa Monica Mountains, San Gabriel Mountains, and Sierra Pelona Mountains. Major population centers in the area include Los Angeles, Pasadena, Glendale, Burbank, Santa Clarita, and Lancaster, while key marine zones include the Santa Barbara Channel and the approaches to the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach. The office coordinates with regional agencies such as the Los Angeles County Fire Department, Ventura County Sheriff, Santa Barbara County Public Works, and metropolitan planning organizations like the Southern California Association of Governments.

The office issues public, marine, aviation, and hydrologic forecasts as well as watches, warnings, and advisories for hazards such as coastal flooding, flash flooding, high surf, and wind events influenced by Santa Ana winds and Pacific storm systems like the Pineapple Express. It utilizes numerical guidance from models including the Global Forecast System, High-Resolution Rapid Refresh, North American Mesoscale Model, and ensemble systems used by the National Centers for Environmental Prediction. Warning coordination occurs with the National Hurricane Center when tropical remnants approach the region and with the Hydrometeorological Prediction Center for heavy precipitation events. The office supports flood operations tied to the Los Angeles River and watershed management in collaboration with the United States Army Corps of Engineers and local water agencies like the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

Observational assets include terminal aerodrome observations at airports such as Los Angeles International Airport, Burbank Airport, and Santa Barbara Municipal Airport, cooperative observer networks involving the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, tide gauges maintained by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and surface networks coordinated with the California Irrigation Management Information System. Radar coverage is provided by the WSR-88D Doppler radar network and supplemented by satellite data from the GOES series and polar-orbiting platforms like NOAA-20. Automated surface observing systems link with Federal Aviation Administration facilities, while stream gages and soil moisture networks employ instrumentation standards from the United States Geological Survey and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Aviation support includes terminal aerodrome forecasts, SIGMETs, and consultation for air traffic management at hubs like Los Angeles International Airport and Burbank Bob Hope Airport, coordinated with the Federal Aviation Administration and military airfields including March Air Reserve Base. Marine forecasting covers the Santa Barbara Channel, Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, and coastal waters with warnings for gale-force winds, small craft advisories, and surf hazards relevant to ports such as the Port of Hueneme. Fire weather services emphasize red flag warnings and predictive indices used by the United States Forest Service, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, and local fire chiefs to manage responses during seasons dominated by Santa Ana winds and prolonged droughts tied to California water wars-era impacts.

The office conducts outreach through partnerships with academic institutions including the University of California, Los Angeles, California Institute of Technology, University of Southern California, and community colleges, and engages with emergency managers from Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management and Ventura County Emergency Services. Public education initiatives reach stakeholders at events hosted by museums like the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and science centers such as the Griffith Observatory, while media collaboration includes regular briefings with broadcasters like KCBS-TV, KTLA, and KCAL-TV. Collaborative research and internship programs have linked the office with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, California Polytechnic State University, and federal partners such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s research divisions.