Daniel -- there are a few other documented examples of such storms, but they are pretty rare. It's almost got to be perfect conditions -- much like me seeing snow in Tallahassee, except a bit more rare -- for a storm to make it intact to California. Sea surface temperatures need to be pretty warm, the storm needs to be fairly strong as it begins to recurve to the north and northeast, and the storm needs to be moving rapidly to maintain its intensity. The closer the storm parallels the Baja coast, the more likely it is to make it further north due to warmer sea surface temps.

I'm not sure if there is any data about the storm from well to the south, but I'd bet it was a pretty strong (cat 3+) storm off of the coast of Mexico. It'd be interesting for the sheer effect to see something like it again someday (albeit staying offshore so as to spare a very highly developed SW Cali coast!), but I don't see it as very likely.

As for publishing...in due time!

If it all works out, it's going to be some very good stuff...and some initial stuff could come as early as later this year.