Pacific storms dump rain, hail and snow across the West
From California to Colorado, severe storms brought a wide variety of precipitation in the first two days of February.
SAN FRANCISCO − A fierce winter storm fueled by a raging atmospheric river was thrashing Californians on Sunday with intense downpours, threatening treacherous flooding and hurricane-force winds − even in major urban areas.
Up to 37 million people, about 94% of the state’s population, were at risk for life-threatening floods from the storm, Accuweather meteorologists warned. The atmospheric river − like a river in the sky − is the second to pound the state in recent days, but forecasters said this storm would be the season’s most potent, particularly in Southern California.
The National Weather Service issued a rare hurricane-force wind warning for the Central Coast: Wind gusts up to 92 mph were possible from the Monterey Peninsula to the northern section of San Luis Obispo County. San Francisco officials sent out alerts about flooded streets, fallen trees − including a large one that brought down wires − and a hillside landslide.
“All systems are go for one of the most dramatic weather days in recent memory,” the National Weather Service said Sunday.
Heavy rain was expected from the San Francisco Bay Area and the Central Coast through Southern California on Sunday into Monday, the NOAA Weather Prediction Center said. Rainfall of 2-5 inches and up to 6-10 inches in some spots was likely, the prediction center said. “This will result in considerable flash, urban and small stream flooding with debris flows and mudslides,” the prediction center said.
The National Weather Service in Los Angeles warned Sunday that heavy rain would be moving into the area: 3-6 inches was expected for the coasts and valleys and up to 6-12 inches in the mountains.
“Due to the numerous mountains and hills, even just a few inches of rain can cause significant flooding,” AccuWeather Senior Director of Forecasting Operations Dan DePodwin said. “The greatest risk … is expected across the canyons and hills of Southern California, especially in Ventura, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles counties.”
Evacuation warnings and orders were in effect for Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Ventura and Monterey counties. Classes were canceled Monday for schools across Santa Barbara County.
“This storm is predicted to be one of the largest and most significant in our county’s history and our goal is to get through it without any fatalities or any serious injuries,” Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said.
Doug and Pam Barry were among more than 100,000 Californians without power when an outage hit their Miraloma Park neighborhood in San Francisco on Sunday morning.
That was far from their biggest concern, though. Their two sons are attending college in Los Angeles and San Diego, respectively, and their daughter Jessica was visiting the youngest son in San Diego when the storm hit. Now she’s hoping her plans to return Sunday to her home in Scottsdale, Arizona, don’t get disrupted.
“We have all three children in the eye of the storm in Southern California,” Doug Barry said. “We texted them yesterday to be careful with the approaching storm. We will get a good storm, but they will have it worse. Rarely do we share the same weather concerns with our children in California who are 400-plus miles away.”
Heavy, wet snow was expected to spread across the Sierra Nevada on Sunday through Tuesday morning, with snowfall of 2-3 inches per hour, the prediction center said. Wind gusts of up to 60 mph could lead to whiteout conditions in the Southern California mountains, forecasters said.
Brutal onshore winds will also pummel the northern, central and southern coasts through Monday, forecasters said, leading to damaging surf. Thunderstorms, waterspouts and even tornadoes with hail are possible, weather.com said.
The first storm in the “Pineapple Express” soaked the state with 1-6 inches of rain Wednesday and Thursday. The new storm is laden with even more moisture, forecasters said, setting up dangerous and deadly conditions in already-saturated regions. Some of the rainiest areas could pick up a foot or more of rain in only 48 hours, Accuweather said.
A Pineapple Express is the best-known nickname for an atmospheric river, which occurs when the source of the moisture is near Hawaii. When a Pineapple Express hits land in the western U.S. and Canada, it triggers heavy rain and snow. In California, it can lead to several inches of rain in a day.
Contributing: Doyle Rice, USA TODAY; The Associated Press
Amanda Smith is a dedicated U.S. correspondent with a passion for uncovering the stories that shape the nation. With a background in political science, she provides in-depth analysis and insightful commentary on domestic affairs, ensuring readers are well-informed about the latest developments across the United States.
