Hurricane Hilary May Cause Severe Weather Event in Disneyland

Florida is no stranger to bad weather. We’ve experienced sudden downpours, severe thunderstorms, and even hurricanes in Central Florida. But the most recent news on the hurricane front comes from California — and may impact Disneyland Resort.

Heavy rainfall and strong winds are predicted to hit California soon. If you’re planning a trip to Disneyland (or anywhere along the southwestern part of the US), you might need to be aware of a serious potential weather event.

UPDATE: As of August 20th, Hurricane Hilary has weakened to a Category 1 hurricane and was about 285 miles south-southeast of San Diego at 2AM Pacific on Sunday. It is expected to weaken to a tropical storm before reaching Southern California, according to the New York Times. 

UPDATE: As of 5PM on Saturday, August 19th, Hurricane Hilary has weakened to a Category 2 hurricane, according to CNN.

UPDATE: As of around 8AM on August 19th, Hurricane Hilary has weakened to a Category 3 hurricane and is around about 235 miles west-southwest of the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula according to the New York Times.

Tropical storm conditions are still expected to hit within the coverage area, which stretches from the California-Mexico border to Point Mugu, around 40 miles west of Santa Monica by road, in the next 36 hours. While the storm is still expected to weaken before hitting land, it may still “cause ‘life-threatening’ and potentially ‘catastrophic’ flooding in Baja and the Southwestern United States.”

According to the National Hurricane Center, as of August 17th, Tropical Storm Hilary “has the potential to bring significant impacts to the Baja California Peninsula and portions of the southwestern United States this weekend and early next week, including after it becomes post-tropical.”

What started as Tropical Storm Hilary off the coast of Mexico was later upgraded to Hurricane Hilary, per the Weather Channel. The storm is expected to move north toward California soon.

#Hilary is a hurricane!

How will this affect Mexico and California? We're LIVE today tracking the topics. Check out @conexiontiempo for Spanish-language updates! pic.twitter.com/hQdhKGwYnm

— The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) August 17, 2023

The most recent predictions from the National Hurricane Center show the possibility of tropical-storm-force wind speeds ranging anywhere from 5mph to between 40-50mph along the west coast.

 

For reference, Disneyland Park is located near Long Beach, California, and is located within the predicted path of the storm in some weather models.

Keep in mind that many agree it is still too soon to determine the exact path and force of the storm, but those along the predicted path should continue to monitor Hilary. Heavy rain is expected to hit much of California over the next few days.

The National Weather Service is reporting a 20-30% chance of tropical-storm-force winds beginning as early as Sunday evening. 

Here is the latest forecast info for Tropical Storm Hilary from @NWSNHC:

– Hilary forecast to become a major hurricane Fri night
– Hilary is forecast to impact #SoCal as a tropical storm on Mon
– 20-30% chance tropical storm-force winds, beginning as early as Sun evening#CAwx pic.twitter.com/mf6xU1OkDL

— NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) August 16, 2023

 

Meanwhile, we will have to wait and see if and when the storm could impact Disneyland Resort. In 2022, Disney World temporarily closed due to Hurricane Ian, so it’s possible Disneyland may close for the safety of its guests.

Currently, Disneyland has not given any official comment relating to the storm, but we will continue to look for updates. If you live in California or were planning to visit soon, we recommend you monitor the weather updates carefully. Stay tuned for updates.

2023 Hurricane Season Predictions and What They Mean For Your Disney Trip