&sq=&lang=&file=File:Norman_1978-09-02_1800Z.png) Hurricane Norman at peak intensity south of the Baja Peninsula on September 2 | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | August 30, 1978 |
| Dissipated | September 6, 1978 |
| Category 4 major hurricane | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
| Highest winds | 140 mph (220 km/h) |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 8 |
| Missing | 4 |
| Damage | $300 million (1978 USD) |
| Areas affected | Mexico, California, Nevada |
| IBTrACS | |
Part of the 1978 Pacific hurricane season | |
Hurricane Norman was a rare tropical cyclone that impacted California in early September 1978. The fourteenth named storm, eleventh hurricane, and sixth major hurricane of the 1978 Pacific season, Norman originated from a tropical wave that spawned an area of disturbed weather south of Acapulco. The system coalesced into a tropical depression on August 30 and thrived amid favorable environmental conditions, becoming a powerful Category 4 hurricane with winds of 140 mph (230 km/h) at its peak intensity. The system curved northward, passing into cooler waters that brought an end to its status as a tropical cyclone on September 6. However, its remnants combined with an trough and front over California, contributing to locally heavy rainfall that caused dozens of traffic accidents and sporadic power outages. In higher elevations, the system produced accumulating snow which stranded and killed many hikers throughout Sierra Nevada. Most heavily affected was California's raisin crop, which suffered a record-breaking 95 percent loss. Overall, Norman killed eight people and caused over $300 million in damage.