Rounds of storms to prolong wet season in drought-ridden West
By
Nicole LoBiondo, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published Apr 14, 2022 3:03 PM EDT
|
Updated Apr 17, 2022 12:11 AM EDT
During snowfall in Park City, Utah, on April 13, a local resident snorkeled and swam down a snowy hill. She quickly realized the hardest part would be getting back up the hill.
Multiple storm systems are set to charge through the western United States leading up to and through the Easter weekend, AccuWeather forecasters say. This is welcome news for those hoping for any type of drought relief whether it's in the form of rain or snow.
"There is a huge deficit in rainfall across the West, and although the wet season started off strong in areas like Northern California and the Pacific Northwest, the overall precipitation amounts have been disappointing in regards to drought relief," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brian Thompson explained.
Some parts of the Pacific Northwest were already impacted by a storm last week including Portland, Oregon, which received its first measurable snow in April on record.
The storm track is set to bring rain as far south as Central California through the weekend while mountainous areas from California to Wyoming could receive a helping of fresh snowfall.
Many cities and communities across Northern California into the Pacific Northwest have had serious rain deficits during the wet season, which runs from October to April. For example, in a city such as Redding, California, the normal rainfall total from October to April is about 30 inches. So far this season, just over 16 inches have fallen there since October, which is just over half of Redding's normal rainfall during that time period.
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Other cities like Sacramento, San Francisco and Medford, Oregon, are just a few inches of rainfall away from normal while cities such as Seattle and Portland are just above normal rainfall for the wet season. And more rain is on the way, AccuWeather meteorologists say.
"An active storm track and a dip in the jet stream pattern will lead to several shots of rain and mountain snow through this week across many areas that need it in the western U.S.," Thompson said.
This satellite image shows multiple storms over the Pacific Ocean that were en route to the West Coast of the United States as of Friday, April 15, 2022. (GOES-West/NOAA)
Mainly rain showers and mountain snow showers occurred from the Sierra Nevada to the Washington Cascades and into the intermountain West on Friday morning. Snow levels with this system hovered around 2,000 feet in western Washington and Oregon and near around 5,000 feet in the Sierra Nevada.
This storm that will come ashore is expected to pack more of a punch than its predecessor as steady rain could fall from San Francisco to the Oregon coast and heavy snow will fall in the highest elevations of Northern California into the Sierra Nevada range.
The weather pattern will settle down across parts of the region by the end of the weekend. However, another stream of moisture from the Pacific will bring the threat of rain and snow to the region early this week and once again towards the end of the week.
"The cumulative amount of rain from last week through this week will likely amount to between 3 and 6 inches of rain in coastal, low-elevation locations in Oregon and Northern California with up to a few feet of snow over the high country of the southern Cascades and the northern Sierra Nevada," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said, adding, "in terms of drought, it's going to help a little, not hurt these areas."
With a total of four storms expected to impact the Pacific Northwest into Northern California, there is the potential that each system could produce flash flooding in areas that get continuously slammed with drenching downpours. And with each ebb and flow of moisture coming into the region, snow levels will fluctuate. By the end of this week, snow levels are expected to be around 7,000 feet in the region.
Each storm will bring the threat of gusty winds as well, both to coastal communities and locations farther inland, creating headaches for travelers passing through Northern California's higher terrain. Drivers of high-profile vehicles such as tractor-trailers or RVs will need to keep both hands on the wheel when dealing with wind gusts in the 30- to 40-mph range with each storm.
For the latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, DIRECTVstream, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeatherNOW is streaming on Roku and XUMO.
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News / Weather Forecasts
Rounds of storms to prolong wet season in drought-ridden West
By Nicole LoBiondo, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published Apr 14, 2022 3:03 PM EDT | Updated Apr 17, 2022 12:11 AM EDT
During snowfall in Park City, Utah, on April 13, a local resident snorkeled and swam down a snowy hill. She quickly realized the hardest part would be getting back up the hill.
Multiple storm systems are set to charge through the western United States leading up to and through the Easter weekend, AccuWeather forecasters say. This is welcome news for those hoping for any type of drought relief whether it's in the form of rain or snow.
"There is a huge deficit in rainfall across the West, and although the wet season started off strong in areas like Northern California and the Pacific Northwest, the overall precipitation amounts have been disappointing in regards to drought relief," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brian Thompson explained.
Some parts of the Pacific Northwest were already impacted by a storm last week including Portland, Oregon, which received its first measurable snow in April on record.
The storm track is set to bring rain as far south as Central California through the weekend while mountainous areas from California to Wyoming could receive a helping of fresh snowfall.
Many cities and communities across Northern California into the Pacific Northwest have had serious rain deficits during the wet season, which runs from October to April. For example, in a city such as Redding, California, the normal rainfall total from October to April is about 30 inches. So far this season, just over 16 inches have fallen there since October, which is just over half of Redding's normal rainfall during that time period.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
Other cities like Sacramento, San Francisco and Medford, Oregon, are just a few inches of rainfall away from normal while cities such as Seattle and Portland are just above normal rainfall for the wet season. And more rain is on the way, AccuWeather meteorologists say.
"An active storm track and a dip in the jet stream pattern will lead to several shots of rain and mountain snow through this week across many areas that need it in the western U.S.," Thompson said.
This satellite image shows multiple storms over the Pacific Ocean that were en route to the West Coast of the United States as of Friday, April 15, 2022. (GOES-West/NOAA)
Mainly rain showers and mountain snow showers occurred from the Sierra Nevada to the Washington Cascades and into the intermountain West on Friday morning. Snow levels with this system hovered around 2,000 feet in western Washington and Oregon and near around 5,000 feet in the Sierra Nevada.
This storm that will come ashore is expected to pack more of a punch than its predecessor as steady rain could fall from San Francisco to the Oregon coast and heavy snow will fall in the highest elevations of Northern California into the Sierra Nevada range.
The weather pattern will settle down across parts of the region by the end of the weekend. However, another stream of moisture from the Pacific will bring the threat of rain and snow to the region early this week and once again towards the end of the week.
"The cumulative amount of rain from last week through this week will likely amount to between 3 and 6 inches of rain in coastal, low-elevation locations in Oregon and Northern California with up to a few feet of snow over the high country of the southern Cascades and the northern Sierra Nevada," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said, adding, "in terms of drought, it's going to help a little, not hurt these areas."
With a total of four storms expected to impact the Pacific Northwest into Northern California, there is the potential that each system could produce flash flooding in areas that get continuously slammed with drenching downpours. And with each ebb and flow of moisture coming into the region, snow levels will fluctuate. By the end of this week, snow levels are expected to be around 7,000 feet in the region.
Each storm will bring the threat of gusty winds as well, both to coastal communities and locations farther inland, creating headaches for travelers passing through Northern California's higher terrain. Drivers of high-profile vehicles such as tractor-trailers or RVs will need to keep both hands on the wheel when dealing with wind gusts in the 30- to 40-mph range with each storm.
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For the latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, DIRECTVstream, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeatherNOW is streaming on Roku and XUMO.
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