Hurricane Odile enters Gulf of California?

[Mangosteen]

The reason southern California “never” gets a hurricane is because even in the height of summer the ocean water temperature is only around 70 degrees F. The Alaskan current keeps the water cool. For the most part these storms need water temperatures at least in the mid 80’s to function.

However, the water that is “trapped” in the Gulf of California often reaches 90 degrees.

It appears that the current hurricane off Baja California (Odile) just missed entering the Gulf of California. Is this body of water too narrow to support a hurricane? Has a hurricane ever threaded the needle and actually gone up the gulf and struck the CA/AZ border?

[beowulff]

@Mangosteen

The reason southern California “never” gets a hurricane is because even in the height of summer the ocean water temperature is only around 70 degrees F. The Alaskan current keeps the water cool. For the most part these storms need water temperatures at least in the mid 80’s to function.

However, the water that is “trapped” in the Gulf of California often reaches 90 degrees.

http://www.ospo.noaa.gov/data/sst/contour/gulfcalf.cf.gif

It appears that the current hurricane off Baja California (Odile) just missed entering the Gulf of California. Is this body of water too narrow to support a hurricane? Has a hurricane ever threaded the needle and actually gone up the gulf and struck the CA/AZ border?

Yes.

For example.

[bienville]

@beowulff

Yes.

For example.

Does that really meet the OP’s specifications?
According to the link, it didn’t enter and travel up the Gulf of California. It made landfall hitting the west coast of the peninsula.
In fact, according to the link it wasn’t even a hurricane anymore by the time it hit land:

Javier weakened rapidly before making landfall in Baja California as a tropical depression.

After crossing over the peninsula, it did cross over the gulf but in weakened form and it took the short route directly across to make landfall again rather than traveling the length of the gulf.