A massive stream of moisture is hitting California and has been dubbed an “atmospheric river” by meteorologists. It was bringing heavy rain and snow on Feb. 14.
“Use of the term is most common along the West Coast of the United States, but the setup can occur anywhere that persistent winds can transport moisture from the tropics to a mid-latitude location.”
The weather phenomenon has brought mudslides and flooding to California, and it has set all-time rainfall records in some cities.
“Several inches of rainfall is expected across much of southern California, with the highest totals for the coastal mountain ranges,” the agency said on Feb. 14. “There is a high risk of excessive rainfall on Thursday for the southern California mountains, capable of causing flash flooding and mudslides.”
Flash flood warnings were issued across the Golden State, and forecasters have called on locals to stay clear of areas that have recently burned in fires, including the devastating Camp Fire and Woolsey Fire.
Rainfall, they said, can trigger mudslides, floods, rockslides, and debris flows.
The NWS said the risk will last until Friday morning.
“Snow,” the agency said, “ can be expected for this area in the higher elevations where winter weather advisories and winter storm warnings have been issued.”
Records?
ABC News reported that the top rainfall total was recorded in Venado, California, which saw 9.04 inches of rain on Wednesday.San Francisco also set a daily record of 2.5 inches, the report noted.
Meanwhile, the northern Central California city of Redding saw 10 to 14 inches of snow, which is the most in 31 years.
The weather is forecast to continue into the weekend in the West Coast to the Rocky Mountains.
More Details
According to AccuWeather, the storm will also bring harsh winds, and some gusts have reached 60 mph in Southern California and 100 mph in the Sierra Nevada mountains.Strong winds such as these can topple high-profile trees and bring down trees, causing power outages.
