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.

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.

A few hours later, forecasters at the Eastern Pacific Hurricane Center observed the system's small eye for the first time via visible satellite imagery.

Around this time, the Asia Honesty – passing about 35 miles (56 km) north of Norman's center – recorded easterly winds up to 107 mph (172 km/h), along with ocean waves up to 41 ft (12 m) in height.

Upper-level high pressure centered over Baja California continued to direct the cyclone west-northwest, which brought the system over increasingly cool waters.

[1] A second aircraft reconnaissance plane investigated Norman around 18:00 UTC on September 3, and the storm was operationally downgraded to a Category 2 hurricane as its inner core became ill-defined.

[1] Norman's final advisory was written at 00:00 UTC on September 6, when it was located about 25 miles (40 km) south of San Clemente Island off the coastline of California.

The father's second son washed ashore while unconscious and was transported to a hospital in Cabo San Lucas by two hikers, where communications were severed in the wake of the cyclone.

[4] Meanwhile, in advance of Norman in California, a weather front contributed to rainfall that staved off wildfire risk in a normally dry time of the year there.

However, as this front interacted with the remnants of the cyclone, it prompted flash flood and mudslide warnings across southern portions of the state,[5] in addition to heavy surf and small craft advisories along the coast.

Although accumulations were lower than expected and allowed forecasters to expire the preexisting flash flood warnings,[9] a rainfall maxima of 7.01 in (178 mm) was still recorded at Lodgepole Campground.

[13] One such accident on U.S. Route 50 near Twin Bridges resulted in the death of a 24-year-old man who collided head-on with another vehicle after swerving to avoid large rocks that had washed onto the road.

[5] The storm also contributed to localized power outages affecting 15,000 customers,[9] including 2,000 homes in Mission Bay, La Jolla, and Del Mar.

[14]: 6  A plane, harboring three travelers on a route from Porterville, California, to Reno, Nevada, also went missing in a mixture of rain and snow produced by the remnants of Norman and a nearby front.