A storm forecast to hit the West Coast of the United States starting this weekend was located over the Bering Sea. The Colorado State/GoES-West region has the CIRA.
A long-duration storm has the potential to dump a month's worth of rain in a few days and deliver blockbuster snow to the mountains of the West Coast from this weekend to next week, according to AccuWeather. Heavy rain and snow can cause problems for travel and pose risks to lives and property, but it will be beneficial for relief.
There was a storm in the Bering Sea between Alaska and Russia on Thursday. The storm will be steered by the jet stream along the Pacific coast of North America. As the storm nears California, it may stall for a time or slow down, which could enhance precipitation. There is a chance that the storm will deposit a lot of snow in the Sierra Nevada and cause rain totals to go up as high as several inches.
As the storm slides from north to south along the West Coast, an atmospheric river may cause a firehose effect of water, which may lead to 1-2 inches per hour for a time and 2-4 inches per hour over the mountains.
Rob Richards said that the storm will lead to dangerous travel and road closings because of the large amount of rain and mountain snow. The weather is likely to cause shipping delays during a critical time ahead of the holidays as truck, rail and aircraft travel may be hampered.
After hitting Alaska and British Columbia, the storm will hit northwestern Washington late Friday and then hit Washington and Oregon on the first part of the weekend.
The zone from British Columbia to western Washington has weathered storm after storm this fall and the excessive rain could add insult to injury. Seattle had its wettest meteorological autumn on record with 19.4 inches of rain.
In three weeks, the rain will have 888-405-7720 888-405-7720 The city along the Pacific coast on the Olympic Peninsula typically receives 101 inches of rain on average per year, but a few additional inches of rain are expected this weekend on top of the 105 inches observed as of December 9.
A general 2-4 inches of rain is forecast to fall along the Washington and Oregon coasts, as well as the lower, west-facing slopes of the Cascades this weekend. Slow travel is likely due to rain and winds. Snoqualmie and Stevens passes are at risk of being closed for a time due to the amount of snow in the mountains.
As cold air arrives in the wake of the storm, it could bring snow to the sea level and the valley floors of the Pacific Northwest. It is possible that it could snow in Seattle and Portland by the end of the week.
California could be hit hard by the storm.
The worst of the storm is likely to hit the San Francisco and Sacramento areas from late Sunday to Monday night as the storm's progress slows to a crawl. San Francisco and Sacramento have normal December rains of 4.14 inches and 3.43 inches, respectively. In less than 48 hours, both of those locations could get some rain. Other locations can get a month's worth of rain in a couple of days.
Recent burn scar locations may not be immune to flooding and mudslides if several inches of rain falls. AccuWeather predicts that there is a chance of urban flooding in cities such as San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Southern California and the Los Angeles area are expected to get a lot of rain on Monday and Tuesday. Motorists should expect delays.
The Los Angeles area could get 1-2 inches of rain from the storm. The San Gabriel, Santa Monica, San Bernardino, and San Rafael mountains are likely to get more than 4 inches. San Diego is likely to receive significant rain.
Several inches to a foot of snow is possible over some of the highest altitudes in Southern California from Tuesday to Wednesday as the snow levels fall. It is possible that the Tejon Pass along I-15 in Southern California could also close, as well as the Cajon Pass along I-5.
If the storm develops to its full potential and persists for a period over California next week, a general snowfall of 2 to 4 feet could accumulate in the Sierra Nevada, although higher snowfall amounts of 6 to 8 feet could be unleashed in the high country.
"Blizzard conditions are likely in the passes as the storm pushes southward this weekend into next week," Anderson said. Travelers in the region will be at risk due to the conditions.
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Even though the storm will pose a hazard in the short term, there will be benefits. More than 80% of California is in the grips of extreme and exceptional dry weather.
Since the start of 2020, California has only received 50% of average precipitation, and the long-term drought will not be solved by one storm alone. There are double-digit deficits in San Francisco and Sacramento. The storm may help the region out of its long-term dry spell.
The multi-day storm along the West Coast should prove to be very beneficial to the snowpack across the Cascades and Sierra Nevada initially and later next week for other ranges that make up the Intermountain West, according to Deger.
The snow will hold a lot of water that can be released later in the winter or spring into area streams and rivers. Should storms continue to dump snow over the West, the Colorado and Lake Mead could see a rise in water levels. The water levels on the lake were the lowest on record. Water levels along the Colorado River are a vital source of food for southwestern U.S. and generate electricity for the area.
The storm from late this weekend into next week will follow a storm that dumped heavy snow from the Sierra Nevada to the Wasatch Range and Colorado Rockies.
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