‘Fire Hose’ Of Subtropical Moisture Bearing Down On Northern California

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — An atmospheric stream fueled by “a occurrence hose of affluent subtropical moisture” grew successful strength disconnected the Northern California seashore Friday, carrying with it the menace of potent downpours, flash flooding, mudslides successful the pain zones of the September wildfires and blinding blizzards successful the Sierra.

A beardown pulse of rainfall rolled done the Bay Area aboriginal Friday, triggering treacherous driving conditions for the greeting commute. By 5:34 a.m., the California Highway Patrol said it was responding to 26 incidents connected section freeways.

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While much than a fractional of inch of rainfall had fallen by dawn successful Santa Rosa and Petaluma, the main lawsuit was connected pat for Sunday erstwhile the atmospheric stream arrives.

Downpours In Marin County

It’s each portion of an highly turbulent upwind signifier processing successful the Pacific. Forecasters said a potent upwind strategy known arsenic a ‘bomb cyclone’ would nonstop waves of storms into Washington authorities and Oregon.

Meanwhile, the utmost upwind experts astatine Scripps Institution of Oceanography warned that the atmospheric stream headed toward the San Francisco Bay Area was intensifying toward becoming a Category 5 — the highest level successful their standard of measurement.

“By Saturday night, a rapidly intensifying Pacific cyclone directing a almighty atmospheric stream squarely astatine the West Coast delivers a occurrence hose of affluent subtropical moisture into California,” the National Weather Service said. “Snow levels volition beryllium debased capable to broad the Sierra Nevada successful dense snowfall connected Sunday portion prolonged periods of rainfall soak the seashore and valleys of bluish and cardinal California.”

“This awesome atmospheric stream volition effect successful heavier rainfall amounts and successful a shorter clip span, starring to much flash flooding and debris travel concerns for pain scarred areas of California.”

Fremont Officials Handing Out Sandbags

The rainfall totals from Sunday’s tempest volition bring invited alleviation for the Bay Area, which has been successful the grip of an utmost drought for months.

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“Rainfall amounts from this lawsuit are apt to scope from 3-6 inches successful the North Bay and down into the Santa Cruz Mountains,” the upwind work said. “Isolated amounts successful the region`s favored coastal ranges could spot amounts successful excess of 8 inches, particularly successful the North Bay.”

A flash flood ticker was acceptable to spell into effect Sunday for the ample pain scars near down from the wildfires that burned much than 2 cardinal acres successful the Sierra successful August and September.

“Periods of mean to dense rainfall are expected, particularly Monday morning,” the upwind work said successful its flood ticker warning. “These could bring imaginable mud and debris flows implicit caller pain scar areas successful Madera, Fresno, Tulare and Kern Counties.”

A wintertime tempest ticker was besides acceptable to spell into effect successful the Lake Tahoe country connected Sunday.

“Heavy snowfall imaginable supra 8000 feet,” the upwind service’s Reno bureau warned. “Total snowfall accumulations of 1 to 3 feet with locally higher amounts possible. Light snowfall accumulations are imaginable beneath 8000 feet connected Monday. Sierra ridge winds could gust arsenic precocious arsenic 100 mph.”

Transportation officials said concatenation requirements volition beryllium apt successful the upland passes connected Highway 50 and I-80.

When it comes to the drought, adjacent if California were to person above-average rainfall and snowfall this winter, warming temperatures mean it inactive apt won’t beryllium capable to marque up for each the h2o California lost.

This past year, California had its warmest ever statewide monthly mean temperatures successful June, July and October 2020.

Jeanine Jones, interstate resources manager for the California Department of Water Resources, said radical should not deliberation astir drought “as being conscionable this occasional happening that happens sometimes, and past we spell backmost to a wetter system.”

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“We are truly transitioning to a drier strategy so, you know, adust becomes the caller normal,” she said. “Drought is not a short-term feature. Droughts instrumentality clip to develop, and they usually linger for rather immoderate time.”