Tag Archive for: California storm

String of Brutal Atmospheric Rivers Imperils a California Already Weakened by Drought

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Hayley Smith

A successive series of powerful atmospheric river storms poses a growing threat to California as the ground becomes more saturated, river levels rise and heavy winds threaten the power infrastructure. This week’s storms are expected to dump intense levels of rain in a fairly short period of time. The greatest potential for disaster is in Northern California, which has already been battered by several destructive storms — including one this weekend that caused a deadly levee breach.

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How Climate Change Is Shaping California’s Winter Storms

/in , , /by /The New York Timesby Raymond Zhong

Drenching rains forecast to pummel California on Wednesday and again over the weekend are poised to be the third and fourth major storms to march through in less than two weeks, raising the prospect of more misery in a season that has already brought flooding, debris flows and power outages to parts of the state. Over the weekend, rescuers scoured rural areas of Sacramento County looking for people trapped in homes or cars.

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Miracle or Mirage? Atmospheric Rivers End California Drought Year With Heavy Snow and Rain

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Hayley Smith

After the driest start to any year on record, California will end 2022 with snow-capped mountains, soaked roadways and — in some places — flood warnings. The soggy end to an otherwise bone-dry year came as something of a surprise. Only weeks earlier, officials sounded the alarm about a rare third appearance of La Niña — a climate pattern in the tropical Pacific that is often associated with dry conditions in the state.

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‘Extra Winter’s Worth of Precipitation’ Needed to Bust California Drought, Scientist Says

/in , , /by /Fox Weatherby Hillary Andrews

Some western residents are breathing a sigh of relief after recent atmospheric river storms have drenched the drought-parched region, and more are on the way. However, scientists caution that it is too early to celebrate. “At this point in time, we still have another four or five months in our snow season and in our typical rainy season,” said Andrew Schwartz, lead scientist at the Central Sierra Snow Lab.

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Atmospheric River Hits California. Here’s What That Means.

/in , , /by /CBS Newsby Kerry Breen

As the United States begins to recover from a week of severe weather that left dozens dead, more storms are already in the forecast. An atmospheric river began moving through California on Tuesday, with another atmospheric river predicted for later in the week.

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Series of Winter Storms is Headed for California. Here’s When Each One is Expected to Hit

/in , , /by /San Francisco Chronicleby Gerry Díaz

Bay Area residents would do well to keep their gloves handy, as they’ll be fighting a parade of storms that started on Boxing Day. Monday’s contender brought light showers and winds that evolved into heavy rainfall and intense winds by the Tuesday morning rush hour. In parts of the East Bay hills, Peninsula and North Bay highlands, winds gusted over 50 mph and were accompanied by intense rainfall across the region, where totals exceeded an inch and a quarter at both official downtown San Francisco and Oakland weather stations. More torrential downpours came down over the Santa Cruz Mountains and North Bay highlands, where stations like Felton and Mt. Tam exceeded 4 inches of rain.

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Storm Blankets Sierra Nevada in Heavy Snow, Brings Rain Across California

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ian James

A storm blanketed the Sierra Nevada in heavy snow and soaked much of California with rain, bringing a wet start of winter weather after three years of record drought. The storm brought 3 to 4 feet of fresh snow in parts of the Sierra Nevada over the weekend. From the San Francisco Bay Area to Southern California, between 1 inch and 4 inches of rain fell in many areas.

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La Niña Forecast to Fade by April, Easing California Drought

/in , , /by /Bloomberg Newsby Brian K. Sullivan

The odds that the drought-enhancing La Niña will fade by the end of California’s rainy season are rising, offering some hope of an easing of parched conditions across the US West.  The Pacific Ocean has a 71% chance of returning to normal temperatures between February and April, bringing an end the La Niña weather pattern that has persisted for three years, the Climate Prediction Center said in a Thursday forecast.

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Winter Storm Hit Tahoe With ‘Win-Win’ Scenario — Here’s How Much Snow Region Got

/in , , /by /San Francisco Chronicleby Jack Lee

The winter storm that dropped rain across the Bay Area dumped snow on the Sierras and ski resorts across Tahoe. Heavy snow and slick roads also made for dangerous driving conditions but the precipitation is a boon for California’s water supply. Building on gains during a storm in early November, this latest storm brought statewide snowpack up to 106% of normal for December 1, according to the California Department of Water Resources.

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Drought-Hit California Cities to Get Little Water From State

/in , /by /ABC10by Kathleen Ronayne

California water agencies that serve 27 million people will get just 5% of what they requested from the state to start 2023, water officials announced Thursday. The news of limited water comes as California concludes its driest three-year stretch on record and as water managers brace for a fourth year with below-average precipitation.

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