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California braces for 'once-in-10-year' storm amid fears of flooding, avalanches, bli
California braces for 'once-in-10-year' storm amid fears of flooding, avalanches, bli
California braces for 'once-in-10-year' storm amid fears of flooding, avalanches, blizzards
Sierra travelers trapped by back-to-back storms that dropped more than 2 feet of snow have a brief window to pass, before the arrival of a weather system Saturday so wet forecasters are calling it an "atmospheric river."
Up to 12 inches of rain below 8,500 feet are expected, and massive amounts of snow — up to 6 feet — above that elevation. A fifth, colder storm two days behind that will drop yet more heavy snow.
“It’s a once-in-10-year event,” said Zach Tolby, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Reno. “It’s the strongest storm we’ve seen in a long time, the kind of setup we look for to get significant flooding.”
The atmospheric river, or “Pineapple Express,” will be felt across much of California this weekend, though rains will be much heavily in the north than in the south.
Tolby said the storm is packing the same wallop as an atmospheric river that hit Northern California a decade ago that caused $300 million in damage, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Angelenos may remember the 2005 storm because it was the first time it rained on the Rose Parade in 51 years. But Tolby, who lives in Lake Tahoe, remembers the storm differently.
“It was pretty wild. I was here in 2005 and it was definitely the hardest rain I’d ever seen. It didn’t stop for 24 hours,” he said.
This weekend’s storm could bring 36 straight hours of heavy rain from Mammoth Mountain to Susanville, Tolby said.
In the mountains, the rain could pile onto the snow and trigger early snow melts, feeding extra water into watersheds already swollen from a week of rain.
“A combination of intense rain on saturated soils will lead to excessive runoff,” the National Weather Service said in its weekend forecast.
The Carson, Truckee and Susan rivers are all expected to become overwhelmed and the nearby communities may become increasingly isolated if the deluge triggers mud flows and rock slides.
In Mono County, authorities offered sandbags to residents in preparation for the rain. In Yosemite National Park, authorities are cautioning visitors to check with the park before heading in — the weekend storm could close Yosemite if the Merced River floods, they said.
Colfax, known as the turnaround town, is ready.
"It's something we prepare for — it goes with the snow, hand in hand," said Wes Heathcock, community services director for the tiny Placer County town that has perhaps one of the most used Interstate 80 on/off ramps in Northern California when it is a snow day.
When snow conditions become too treacherous, the California Highway Patrol typically closes Interstate 80 at Colfax, as it did Wednesday during a snowstorm that also brought a car-semi collision. Perched at an elevation 2,400 feet, the official tagline of Colfax is "above the fog, below the snow."
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California braces for 'once-in-10-year' storm amid fears of flooding, avalanches, bli
California braces for 'once-in-10-year' storm amid fears of flooding, avalanches, blizzards
Sierra travelers trapped by back-to-back storms that dropped more than 2 feet of snow have a brief window to pass, before the arrival of a weather system Saturday so wet forecasters are calling it an "atmospheric river."
Up to 12 inches of rain below 8,500 feet are expected, and massive amounts of snow — up to 6 feet — above that elevation. A fifth, colder storm two days behind that will drop yet more heavy snow.
“It’s a once-in-10-year event,” said Zach Tolby, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Reno. “It’s the strongest storm we’ve seen in a long time, the kind of setup we look for to get significant flooding.”
The atmospheric river, or “Pineapple Express,” will be felt across much of California this weekend, though rains will be much heavily in the north than in the south.
Tolby said the storm is packing the same wallop as an atmospheric river that hit Northern California a decade ago that caused $300 million in damage, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Angelenos may remember the 2005 storm because it was the first time it rained on the Rose Parade in 51 years. But Tolby, who lives in Lake Tahoe, remembers the storm differently.
“It was pretty wild. I was here in 2005 and it was definitely the hardest rain I’d ever seen. It didn’t stop for 24 hours,” he said.
This weekend’s storm could bring 36 straight hours of heavy rain from Mammoth Mountain to Susanville, Tolby said.
In the mountains, the rain could pile onto the snow and trigger early snow melts, feeding extra water into watersheds already swollen from a week of rain.
“A combination of intense rain on saturated soils will lead to excessive runoff,” the National Weather Service said in its weekend forecast.
The Carson, Truckee and Susan rivers are all expected to become overwhelmed and the nearby communities may become increasingly isolated if the deluge triggers mud flows and rock slides.
In Mono County, authorities offered sandbags to residents in preparation for the rain. In Yosemite National Park, authorities are cautioning visitors to check with the park before heading in — the weekend storm could close Yosemite if the Merced River floods, they said.
Colfax, known as the turnaround town, is ready.
"It's something we prepare for — it goes with the snow, hand in hand," said Wes Heathcock, community services director for the tiny Placer County town that has perhaps one of the most used Interstate 80 on/off ramps in Northern California when it is a snow day.
When snow conditions become too treacherous, the California Highway Patrol typically closes Interstate 80 at Colfax, as it did Wednesday during a snowstorm that also brought a car-semi collision. Perched at an elevation 2,400 feet, the official tagline of Colfax is "above the fog, below the snow."
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