Record-Setting Storm to Continue Crawl Over California into Friday
A nearly stationary storm will be slow to wring out all of its moisture over central and Southern California into the end of the week.
Tag Archive for: southern California
Relentless Storms Continue to Soak Golden State With Rain, Mountain Snow
While California will not receive a soaking rain similar to what occurred at the beginning of the week, residents across the state can expect unsettled weather to stick around through Wednesday.
Southern California May See Its Biggest Soaking This Week Since Christmas; Some Flooding, Debris Flows Possible
This week, Southern California may have its most soaking rain since Christmas after parts of Northern California picked up their first rain since January. To say it has been dry recently in the Golden State is an understatement. The state just had its driest February in 126 years, according to NOAA. Drought has also returned. About one-third of California is in moderate drought, and nearly 70% of the Golden State is abnormally dry, according to the latest report from the U.S. Drought Monitor. Reservoirs remain in fairly good shape, but the snow-water equivalent (how much water is in the snowpack) in the Sierra Nevada is about half of what is expected at this time of year.
Sediment Loading Key to Predicting Post-Wildfire Debris Flows
The mudslides that follow wildfires in Southern California can be deadly and difficult to predict. New research can help officials identify areas prone to these mudslides and respond before disaster occurs, according to scientists.
Mudslides, or debris flows, can occur when rainfall washes away the buildup of sediment in mountain channels. Roughly equal parts water and sediment, debris flows are strong enough to carry large boulders downhill and threaten communities on or near the mountains.
Powerful Storm to Usher In Damaging Wind Gusts Across Southern California
Through the past week, much of Southern California has experienced an offshore breeze, promoting above-average temperatures. Heading into the first full week of February, that will change as this storm system tracks through. A major storm system that is expected to bring feet of snow to the Intermountain West will usher in potentially damaging wind gusts to Southern California. Powerful north-to-northwest wind gusts will pick up in earnest late Sunday across Southern California and Nevada, leading to localized power outages and travel issues.
January Will End On a Dry Note in Southern California as the Jet Stream Locks Into a Zonal Pattern
January will continue to be dry in Southern California as the jet stream settles into a stable or zonal pattern, which means it flows more directly from west to east with little fluctuation. A wavy or undulating jet stream is the pattern that brings storms from the north Pacific into California. “When the winter jet stream calms down, Southern California stays dry,” says Bill Patzert, former climatologist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. When the jet stream is unstable, it meanders from north to south and back again. Cold air sinks farther south and warm air is carried into higher latitudes.
Cold, Fast-Moving Storm Bringing Rain, Snow To Southern California
A cold, fast-moving storm out of the Gulf of Alaska worked its way Tuesday toward Southern California, where it was poised to hit Thursday and generate between three and five hours of moderate rain but is not expected to trigger mud slides or debris flows in burn areas, National Weather Service forecasters said.
In the San Gabriel Mountains, 4 to 8 inches of snow will fall above 5,500 feet and between 1 and 4 inches between 3,500 and 5,500 feet, said NWS meteorologist Rich Thompson in a telephone interview from his base in Oxnard in Ventura County.
Drought, What Drought? Largest Snowpack in 4 Years, Most Stored Water in Southern California History Paint Rosy Picture
With snowpack levels in the Sierra Nevada registering at 90% of normal Thursday and state reservoirs at record historic levels, the urban water supply picture for 2020 could hardly be any rosier.
Southern California water managers are trying to restrain their joy, not because of a picture-postcard mountain top, but for the bounty that will come in spring when the snow melts, sending pristine water into state reservoirs and more importantly, southward via the State Water Project aqueduct, a source that supplies 30% of Southern California’s drinking water.
Precipitation Above Normal in Southern California and Adding Up in the North
Skiers and snowboarders already know this: California’s recent storms have lifted the state’s precipitation totals to the respectable range in the northern part of the state, and to well above normal in the south, according to Jan Null of Golden Gate Weather Services. Skiers and snowboarders already know this: California’s recent storms have lifted the state’s precipitation totals to the respectable range in the northern part of the state, and to well above normal in the south, according to Jan Null of Golden Gate Weather Services.
Amid A Snow-Capped Backdrop, Southern California Will Dry Out This Week
Southern California will get a chance to dry out this week after a string of storms dumped rain and snow across the region over the last few weeks.
“Basically, we’ve got an area of high pressure moving in from the West, and it’s deflecting the storms to the north,” said David Sweet, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
The weather is expected to stay dry through at least Sunday, forecasts show. Temperatures are also expected to warm up later in the week, with highs in the mid-60s to lower-70s on Friday and Saturday, according to the weather service.
