A Storm Warning in the Pacific Northwest from Dec. 31, the Second-Wettest Day of the Long-Term Loss of the Atmospheric River in California
A large swath of California got hit with heavy rain and snow on the new year. High winds and floods knocked out electricity for tens of thousands of people.
The atmospheric river is a narrow, narrow area of the atmosphere that can carry a lot of water. It was the reason for a parade of storms that brought thick snow on the mountains, shut down roads and prompted water rescues in northern California.
At least 15 million people in the West are under a wind alert from the National Weather Service.
The warning for a high-wind is in effect for most of the Pacific Northwest where there are forecast winds up to 70 mph and widespread gusts of 35 to 45 mph. In addition, wind advisories are also posted both in the Pacific Northwest as well as many other Western states.
Strong winds in Portland could knock down trees that have been weakened by weather extremes in recent years, arborist Colin Bourgeois told CNN affiliate KATU.
“The consecutive dry summers that we’ve had, especially the heat events like the heat dome, that really damages trees and it takes up so much of their energy to fuel their immune systems to fight off pathogens,” Bourgeois said.
San Francisco’s downtown NWS site recorded 5.46 inches of rain on Dec. 31 — the second-wettest day at that location in more than 170 years, the NWS said.
“We could end up with over fifteen inches of precipitation over the next few days, particularly over the Sierra and parts of Northern California,” he said. It’s going to help them out in the long run.
The foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, as well as the coastal areas of Oregon and the Bay Area are worried about flash-flooding.
The first storm of the next week was expected to roll across California. The current system is predicted to be warmer and moist, while the next week’s storms are expected to be colder in the mountains.
There was some positive news out of California when the rain arrived, but more precipitation is needed to make a difference. The past three years have been California’s driest on record.
In the West, an initial round of lashing rain, wind and snow has moved inland and is set Wednesday to engulf inter-mountain areas. While coastal states may experience a brief lull on Wednesday, more rounds of rain and snow are predicted to sweep onshore at the end of the week.
The strong Pacific storm system will likely start to hit California by late Tuesday and early Wednesday, according to the Bay Area NWS office, which says the storm has consistently shown “impressive numbers.”
In the high Sierra Nevada, as much as 2 feet (0.6 meters) of snow could accumulate into early Sunday. There are hazardous driving conditions and the National Weather Service warns about them, as well as photos of traffic on snow covered mountain passes.
The Long-Term Impact of Snow and Flux Flooding on the East Coast of the U.S. As Forecasted by Oravec
Bob Oravec, senior forecaster with the National Weather Service, told Morning Edition that atmospheric rivers are responsible for most of the rain on the West Coast.
Despite heavy rainfall in the West, the East is beginning to see warmer temperatures after a historic winter storm brought frigid temperatures and heavy snowfall. Hard-hit places like the Buffalo, N.Y., area, where at least 31 people have died, are trying to recover and clear roads as snowfall lessens.
That means New Year’s Eve celebrations Saturday will likely be dampened in New York City and Washington, DC. Los Angeles is expected to have a soggy new year.
There were concerns of flooding on the Cosumnes and Mokelumne River when there was a flash flood watch in place.
Rain chances for New York City will increase through Saturday, with the heaviest rainfall expected between 7 p.m. and 1 a.m. Sunday. Temperatures will be near 50 through most of the afternoon into Sunday.
“The slight risk area mostly highlights places that are already high in soil moisture, burn scars and urban areas,” the Weather Prediction Center said.
An eastbound stretch of Interstate-70 in Colorado reopened Thursday after a nine-hour closure left drivers stranded amid bouts of heavy mountain snow, widespread rain and gusty winds.
State of affairs in Sacramento, Calif., after a devastating earthquake struck December 20th and left five dead, including one year-old girl
Dangerous conditions Tuesday in Oregon left five people dead, including a 4-year-old girl, after severe weather caused trees to fall on passing vehicles, state police said.
There is a state of affairs inSacramento, Calif. A powerful storm brought drenching rain or heavy snowfall to much of California on Saturday, snarling traffic and closing highways as the state prepared to usher in a new year.
In the San Francisco Bay Area, between Fremont and Sunol, as well as in Mendocino County, near the unincorporated community of Piercy, debris was removed from the roads Friday night.
According to the National Weather Service, there was a 6.4 magnitude earthquake that struck on December 20th in the northern part of California. A bridge that was temporarily closed last week due to earthquake damage may be closed again if the Eel River, which it crosses, gets too high, officials said.
Fire officials were going to broadcast warnings from a helicopter and boat along the American River to warn of flooding, where many people live in camps.
According to the weather service, strong winds could cause tree damage and lead to power outage, and high waves may capsize small vessels.
“Flooding impacts continue to escalate as this rain continues with too many road closures to count at this point,” NWS said Saturday, telling residents to stay put amid reports of rock and mudslides across the foothills and road closures across the Sierra passes.
At Susanville, California about 85 miles (137 kilometers) north of Reno, the Susan River was forecast to rise from about 5 feet (1.5 meters) Friday to a foot (30 centimeters) above the flood stage of 12 feet (3.6 meters) by Saturday morning, causing moderate flooding that could affect some homes, roads and bridges, the National Weather Service said.
The Second-Weatherest Day on Record in Sacramento, California, on Saturday, according to the National Weather Service and the California Highway Patrol
The National Weather Service said there would be another round of heavy showers in Southern California on Tuesday or Wednesday.
As of early Sunday, at least 40,000 people in the capital were without power, down from more than 150,000 the previous day, according to the online map of the utility district.
At one point on Saturday, officials in Wilton told residents there to leave the area because rising water could cut off access to leave the area. The water was so high that residents were told to shelter in place.
The second-wettest day on record in San Francisco was on Saturday, with 5 inches (12.7 centimeters) of rain falling. With rain continuing to fall, it could threaten the nearly three-decade old record.
In South San Francisco Saturday the California Highway Patrol closed US Highway 101 in both directions due to high tides and not enough water escaping due to a non-stop rainfall.
Weather service meteorologist Courtney Carpenter said the storm could drop over an inch of rain in the Sacramento area before moving south. One ski resort south of Lake Tahoe closed chair lifts because of flooding and operational problems, and posted a photo on Twitter showing one lift tower and its empty chairs surrounded by water.
The map shows the total precipitation that fell in the 24 hours through Saturday, from a low of less than an inch (2.54 centimeters) to more than 5 inches (12.7 centimeters) in some areas.
The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office reported Flooding, mudslides and a car that stalled in more than 100 feet of water on New Year’s Eve
The Stockton Police Department posted photos of a flooded railroad underpass and a car that appeared stalled in more than a foot (30 centimeters) of water.
It was the first of several storms expected to hit over the next week. The current system is expected to be warmer and wetter, while next week’s storms will be colder, said Hannah Chandler-Cooley, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Sacramento.
And as streets flooded and river water levels rose, the storm also forced residents of several small communities in northern California out of their homes on New Year’s Eve as evacuation orders and warnings were issued.
On top of urban flooding, several rivers began overflowing, including the Cosumnes and Mokelumne rivers and the Mormon Slough, according to the National Weather Service in Sacramento. There were warnings of flooding for the southern Sacramento Valley.
The three towns that were ordered to leave by the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office were in a part of the country that has been prone to flooding due to the San Lorenzo River.
Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District crews were kept busy on Saturday, performing water rescues and responding to fallen trees on homes and cars, and to drivers whose vehicles became disabled after they drove through standing water, officials said.
Calling it “Stormageddon,” the Amador County Sheriff’s Office shared an image of cars up to their doorhandles in floodwaters and said there’s been reports of flooding, mudslides and trees blocking roadways.
Highway 50 was reopened just after midnight, hours after a section between Pollock Pines and Meyers was closed due to flooding from the American River, while another section was closed over Echo Summit for avalanche control work.
Interstate 80 was also partially closed near the Nevada line midday Saturday “due to multiple spinouts over Donner Summit,” according to the California Department of Transportation.
In Sacramento County and adjacent areas, residents were advised to avoid travel as wind gusts of up to 55 mph toppled trees and covered roads with debris, according to a tweet from the National Weather Service in Sacramento.
The county proclaimed a state of emergency, saying the atmospheric river has caused “significant transportation impacts, rising creek and river levels and flooding” in the Wilton area.
A winter storm warning is in effect until 4 a.m. Sunday in the Sierra Nevada mountains from Yosemite National Park to Tulare County, where the Weather Service warned travel could be very difficult to impossible.
Bear Valley Ski Resort recorded 21 inches, Boreal Ski Resort received 40 inches, and Sierra at Tahoe Ski Resort had 42 inches according to the Weather Service.
More than 4 feet (1.2 meters) of snow had accumulated in the high Sierra Nevada, and the Mammoth Mountain Ski Area said heavy, wet snow would cause major delays in chairlift openings. On Saturday, the resort reported numerous lift closings, citing high winds, low visibility and ice.
At the Nevada State line and Colfax, CHP reported “dangerous and treacherous” driving conditions with dozens of vehicles stuck on the I-80 and county roads.
Dozens of drivers were rescued on New Year’s Eve along Interstate 80 near Lake Tahoe after cars spun out in the snow, the California Department of Transportation said. The route from the San Francisco Bay Area to the mountains reopened for passenger cars with chains early Sunday.
Aerial video from CNN affiliate KCRA showed cars submerged past their doorhandles in flood waters from Highway 99 and the Dillard Street area. Chris Schamber, the fire captain with the Cosumnes Fire Department, told the station that dozens of people had been rescued.
Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office: Flood Warnings for the Sacramento River, Mokelumne River, and the Cosumnes River from Pasadena during Sunday’s Rose Parade
With the region drying out on New Year’s Day and no rainfall expected during Monday’s Rose Parade in Pasadena, spectators began staking out their spots for the annual floral spectacle.
At least two people died in the storm, including one who was found dead inside a completely submerged vehicle Saturday in Sacramento County, and a 72-year-old man who died after being struck by a fallen tree at a Santa Cruz park, according to officials.
Parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana are at risk of severe storms on Monday, with damaging winds, strong tornadoes and hail possible. The storms are expected to last through the night.
Then came more flood worries: Sacramento County authorities on Sunday escalated an evacuation warning for the community of Point Pleasant to an evacuation order, saying flooding was imminent and would “become incredibly dangerous after sunset.”
The agency expects the flooding from the Cosumnes River and the Mokelumne River to reach these areas in the middle of the night.
The situation in Northern California might get worse before it gets better as a result of the recent floods and mudslides.
It’s the third atmospheric river to hit the region since Dec. 26, the office said, adding that parts of the Russian River are now at particular flood risk. The NWS says the storm’s high winds could cause severe damage in areas where the soil is already saturated with rain.
As of midday Monday local time, around 39,000 electricity accounts were without power in California, with another 20,000 in Nevada, according to PowerOutage.us.
Sacramento Floods and Atmospheric Rivers: The Story of the Pioneer Cabin Tree and the Sacramento Public Radio Echoes Five Years ago
On Sunday, Sacramento’s Mary Spencer-Gode and other residents gaped at the damage on their street, where the storm toppled a massive elm tree on New Year’s Eve.
She told the Capital Public Radio that the wind was crazy. “We turned our TV off so we could hear it, and I was sitting in the kitchen, I heard a big ‘woosh’ and kind of the house moved.”
“It’s just a narrow area of high moisture that gets transported away from the tropics towards the higher latitudes,” often before a cold front arrives, as NWS senior forecaster Bob Oravec recently told NPR.
The precipitation can be extreme: a single atmospheric river “can carry more water than the Mississippi River at its mouth,” as NPR has reported. The winds are very dangerous and have been warned for a long time by forecasters. Five years ago, one of the storms toppled the legendary “Pioneer Cabin Tree” sequoia in Calaveras Big Trees State Park.
Predictions currently show the storm slowing as it nears and arrives over land, boosting the damage it could do and prompting forecasters along the California coast to raise the alarm.
3 to 6 inches could fall in the mountains and foothills of California on Wednesday, according to the NWS office in Sacramento. In addition, a strong low-level jet stream will bring wind gusts of 35-50 mph in the valley and foothills, with winds hitting 60 mph in the mountains.
Due to its expected longer duration and large amount of precipitation, the incoming storm is expected to surpass the Saturday night storm by at least an inch in the upslope areas.
Source: https://www.npr.org/2023/01/02/1146565599/california-floods-atmospheric-river
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Mudslides are high in areas of recent fires, because there’s no longer enough ground cover to absorb and retain the precipitation.