Potent storm bringing heavy mountain snow, flood risk to California
By
Brandon Buckingham, AccuWeather Meteorologist
Published Apr 4, 2020 11:42 AM EDT
A winter-like storm system will continue to bring rain, snow and cooler air to California into midweek.
"The storm is forecast to stall in the vicinity of the Southern California coast into Thursday," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.
"In this position, the storm will pump moisture in from the Pacific Ocean to a broadening area of the southwestern United States over a several-day stretch," Sosnowski said.
While the month of February featured nearly bone-dry conditions across the Golden State, a series of late-season storm events are helping to minimize concerns for the dry season ahead.
Courtesy of a southern shift in the storm track beginning in March, wetter-than-normal conditions across California have brought the average snow/water equivalent statewide to more than 50 percent above the average for April 2.
Historically, conditions across California are at their wettest during the winter months when the polar jet stream sinks southward.
During the first three months of the year San Francisco averages 11.35 inches of rainfall, but this year they had significantly less.
Due to a lack of jet stream intrusions, only 2.50 inches, or a mere 22 percent of the average rainfall was observed.
Despite this, many reservoirs remain near their historical averages courtesy of a barrage of winter storms last year.
While the storm system impacting the West Coast through early week will not erase the winter's drought conditions, it will help to ease concerns for the upcoming dry season.
Across the northern and central Sierra, snow will likely be measured by the foot as moisture rides up the mountains into the middle of the week.
Rain from this system moved inland across Northern and central California on Sunday. On Monday, Southern California joined in with drenching downpours and heavy mountain snow.
Rain and snow are seen spreading across California Monday afternoon local time. (AccuWeather)
Many valley cities could receive more than half of their monthly average rainfall from the storm system, including Redding, Ukiah, Sacramento and Fresno, California.
Many of the coastal valleys could receive between 1 to 2 inches of rainfall. As moisture rides up the foothills of Southern California, an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 5 inches is possible.
"There is the potential for a rather big dose of rain for Southern California from late Tuesday to Wednesday as another burst of energy rotates around the nearly-stationary storm system," according to AccuWeather Lead On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno.
"That particular round could not only bring the risk of urban flooding, but also flash flooding in some of the desert locations of Southern California as well," Rayno said.
The conditions may make travel hazardous for the few essential workers that need to venture out.
Urban flooding, minor debris flows and mudslides will be possible across the coastal and upsloping terrain of Southern California as rounds of rain continue.
Enough cold air is expected to reside within the core of the storm system to drop snow levels below 5,000 feet.
This may allow some wet snowflakes to fall over Interstate 5 near the Grapevine.
Unsettled weather is likely to continue through the middle of the week as the storm system stalls out.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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News / Weather Forecasts
Potent storm bringing heavy mountain snow, flood risk to California
By Brandon Buckingham, AccuWeather Meteorologist
Published Apr 4, 2020 11:42 AM EDT
A winter-like storm system will continue to bring rain, snow and cooler air to California into midweek.
"The storm is forecast to stall in the vicinity of the Southern California coast into Thursday," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.
"In this position, the storm will pump moisture in from the Pacific Ocean to a broadening area of the southwestern United States over a several-day stretch," Sosnowski said.
While the month of February featured nearly bone-dry conditions across the Golden State, a series of late-season storm events are helping to minimize concerns for the dry season ahead.
Courtesy of a southern shift in the storm track beginning in March, wetter-than-normal conditions across California have brought the average snow/water equivalent statewide to more than 50 percent above the average for April 2.
Historically, conditions across California are at their wettest during the winter months when the polar jet stream sinks southward.
During the first three months of the year San Francisco averages 11.35 inches of rainfall, but this year they had significantly less.
Due to a lack of jet stream intrusions, only 2.50 inches, or a mere 22 percent of the average rainfall was observed.
Despite this, many reservoirs remain near their historical averages courtesy of a barrage of winter storms last year.
Related:
While the storm system impacting the West Coast through early week will not erase the winter's drought conditions, it will help to ease concerns for the upcoming dry season.
Across the northern and central Sierra, snow will likely be measured by the foot as moisture rides up the mountains into the middle of the week.
Rain from this system moved inland across Northern and central California on Sunday. On Monday, Southern California joined in with drenching downpours and heavy mountain snow.
Rain and snow are seen spreading across California Monday afternoon local time. (AccuWeather)
Many valley cities could receive more than half of their monthly average rainfall from the storm system, including Redding, Ukiah, Sacramento and Fresno, California.
Many of the coastal valleys could receive between 1 to 2 inches of rainfall. As moisture rides up the foothills of Southern California, an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 5 inches is possible.
"There is the potential for a rather big dose of rain for Southern California from late Tuesday to Wednesday as another burst of energy rotates around the nearly-stationary storm system," according to AccuWeather Lead On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno.
"That particular round could not only bring the risk of urban flooding, but also flash flooding in some of the desert locations of Southern California as well," Rayno said.
The conditions may make travel hazardous for the few essential workers that need to venture out.
Urban flooding, minor debris flows and mudslides will be possible across the coastal and upsloping terrain of Southern California as rounds of rain continue.
Enough cold air is expected to reside within the core of the storm system to drop snow levels below 5,000 feet.
This may allow some wet snowflakes to fall over Interstate 5 near the Grapevine.
Unsettled weather is likely to continue through the middle of the week as the storm system stalls out.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo