Thread: California braces for ferocious storm

California braces for ferocious storm

Doyle Rice, USA TODAY 10:22 a.m. EST December 10, 2014


(Photo: WeatherAg.com)

A ferocious storm is forecast to batter California with drenching rain, heavy snow, pounding surf and howling winds through Friday.

The National Weather Service said the storm is "expected to be one of the strongest storms in terms of wind and rain intensity" since ones in October 2009 and January 2008.

An atmospheric river — known as the "Pineapple Express" — will deliver a steady stream of moisture directly from Hawaii to the West Coast starting Wednesday. Meteorologists use the term to describe a long, narrow plume that pipes moisture from the tropics into the USA.

The Pineapple Express brings rain and snow to the West Coast.(Photo: USA TODAY)

An average of 3-6 inches of rain is possible in some parts of northern California, AccuWeather predicts. That includes much of the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento. Some spots could see as much as nine inches.

The rain could overwhelm waterways and roadway drainage systems, possibly leading to flash flooding.

In the Sacramento area, the strong winds expected with the storm — with gusts as high as 60 mph — could take down outdoor holiday decorations.

"I'm not putting any of it up until after the storm because even though it's pretty durable, it will just blow over," Sacramento resident Tim Adams said.

Experts are advising people take down their holiday lights, especially inflatable decorations, if they are not anchored properly.

Mark Ghilarducci, the director of the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, issued a warning that the storm will present a risk of flash flooding and debris slides particularly in areas that saw wildfires earlier this year in northern and southern California.

"Burned areas are especially at risk for debris slides. Even regions that don't experience regular seasonal flooding could see flash flooding during this intense storm system," he said in a statement.

More rain than what this storm will deliver is needed to end the region's drought. Still, this rainfall will be a major step in the right direction, AccuWeather meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said.

Runoff from the storm will cause water levels to surge rapidly in streams, eventually emptying into lakes and reservoirs.

Snow totals could soar to four feet in the Sierra. A blizzard warning has been posted for portions of the northern Sierra, where winds could rage to 80 mph with heavy, swirling snow likely. A winter storm warning is also in effect for the southern Sierra.

The weather service warns travel will be "extremely dangerous" due to the blizzard conditions: "Do not travel. If you must travel, have a winter survival kit with you. If you get stranded ... stay with your vehicle."

The storm is expected to dump enough snow on California's mountains that the state's snowpack — currently only 35% of average for this time of year — could be at 75% or higher by this weekend.

Oregon and Washington will be the first to see the storm's effects on Wednesday, with flooding and landslides are possible in western Washington state.

Contributing: The Associated Press; KXTV-TV, Sacramento; David Castellon, The Visalia Times-Delta

http://www.usatoday.com/story/weathe...newstopstories

California Residents Load up Sandbags Before Storm

SAN FRANCISCO — Dec 10, 2014, 5:18 PM ET
By SUDHIN THANAWALA Associated Press

Crews in Northern California cleared storm drains and residents loaded up on sandbags Wednesday ahead of a powerful storm that was expected to pack hurricane-force winds capable of toppling trees and power lines and heavy rains that could cause streams and rivers to flood.

As much as 8 inches of rain could fall on coastal mountains over a 24-hour period starting late Wednesday, the National Weather Service said. Ski resorts in the northern Sierra Nevada could get more than 2 feet of snow.

"It's a short amount of time for that amount of water," Weather Service forecaster Diana Henderson said. "We are anticipating some localized flooding, maybe some downed trees and downed power trees. It could have an effect on a wide range of people."

The storm is expected to be one of the windiest and rainiest in five years and could also cause debris slides, especially in areas affected by this year's intense and widespread wildfires.

Wind gusts of up to 70 mph were expected on mountain tops, creating possible blizzard conditions in the Sierra. Rain, pounding surf and gusty winds were forecast for Southern California starting Thursday evening and into Friday.

In California's agricultural heartland, farmers were looking forward to the dousing after three years of drought. Parts of the state have experienced above-average rainfall this year, but not enough to make much of a dent in the drought.

James McFarlane, a third-generation farmer who grows mandarin oranges, almonds and alfalfa in Fresno County, said workers would have to stop picking citrus crops during the storm. But rain this time of year tends to make fruit bigger, allowing it to fetch higher prices.

"If we're not getting some Mother Nature-dictated time off out in the field, that probably means we're going to have a hard time finding surface water in the warmer months," he said.

The rain and, more importantly, the snow falling in the Sierra Nevada that melts during the spring and summer fill the reservoirs that supply irrigation water during the hot, dry months.

In San Francisco, where as much as 4 inches of rain was forecast, crews removed loose rocks from a hillside to prevent them from crashing down, and residents were advised to sweep up leaves and debris in front of their properties to prevent them from clogging storm drains.

"We have crews working starting tonight in 12-hour shifts," said Rachel Gordon, a spokeswoman for San Francisco's public works agency. "It will be all hands on deck."

Farther north, a series of strong weather fronts with high winds and heavy rains could lead to flooding and landslides this week in western Washington state.

The National Weather Service expects as much as 14 inches of rain between Monday and Thursday in the Olympic Mountains west of Seattle. And it expects as much as 13 inches of rain in the North Cascades east of the city.

Saturated soils will bring the risk of mudslides, while winds could topple trees.

High winds were also forecast in Oregon.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/northern-california-braces-powerful-storm-27493957

• L.A. NOW
• 
  Powerful storm unleashes rain, gusts up to 107 mph
• The storm billed as the one of the most powerful to hit California in years lashes the Bay Area with winds and rain that uproot trees and cause widespread power outages in San Francisco.

California storm: 80,000 without power, 230 flights canceled

CAPTIONPowerful storm pounds Bay AreaEric Risberg / Associated Press
Traffic moves slowly across the Golden Gate Bridge in the high winds and rain Thursday, in this view from Sausalito, Calif.


By JOSEPH SERNA, VERONICA ROCHA , CHRISTINE MAI-DUC contact the reporters

Powerful storm pounds Bay Area and lives up to its hype
Storm dumps rain on Bay Area, wind gusts top out at 96 mph in NorCal mountains

Storm hitting Northern California is foreshadowing what's in store for SoCal on Friday

A power outage in downtown San Francisco left 80,000 customers, residences and businesses in San Francisco without power Thursday morning as the Bay Area was pummeled by one of the biggest storms in years.

PG&E spokesman Jeff Smith said most of those affected were in downtown San Francisco, where a substation outage near City Hall was causing widespread outages elsewhere.

Meanwhile, officials at San Francisco International Airport said there had been 230 flight cancellations so far and delays of two to four hours for travelers there.


CAPTIONFlooded sidewalks at 14th and Sanchez

BART spokesman Jim Allison said electricians were working to get power back to the platform at the Montgomery BART station, which was closed due to the outage. The San Bruno BART station was also closed shortly after 8 a.m. due to flooding.

BART was seeing widespread delays across the transit system, as trains were traveling at slower speeds due to the weather.

"The best advice for people who are heading to BART is to take your time, add time to your commute and get there safely," said spokesman Jim Allison.

He said ridership on BART was down about 40% because of the storm.

"A lot of people are clearly staying home," Allison said.

Reports of flash flooding have come in from across the area, the National Weather Service reported, including in South San Francisco and on Interstate 280.

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CALIFORNIA California braces for major winter storm SEE ALL RELATED

Shortly after 8 a.m. Thursday, the National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for parts of Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz counties. That flash flood warning will remain in effect until 11:15 a.m., officials said.

The San Francisco Bay Ferry reported that all morning ferry trips had been canceled due to the foul weather, and told riders to check back at 2 p.m. for further updates about later service.

The storm, billed as the one of the most powerful to hit the state in years, began living up to the hype Thursday, with powerful winds uprooting trees and rain pouring over the northern half of the state.




Forecasters said a wind gust at Mount Lincoln, northwest of Lake Tahoe, was clocked at 107 mph. In Contra Costa County, a big rig ran into a tree that was blown down by the wind onto Interstate 80, temporarily blocking three lanes.

“The wind is actually pretty intense this morning,” said Brian Garcia, a senior forecaster at the National Weather Service’s Eureka office. “There’s quite a bit of rain.”

Over the last 24 hours, the northern-most block of the state has seen up to 4 inches of rain and winds averaging more than 30 mph. Mt. Diablo had a 68 mph wind gust and the Navarro River in Mendocino County is expected to swell from 10 feet to 30 feet by Friday, officials said. Flash flood advisories were issued for Marin, Napa and Sonoma counties early Thursday.

Forecasters estimated up to 8 inches of rain could drop in some areas.

The storm, which has an "atmospheric river" known as the Pineapple Express that can be up to 400 miles wide, is twice as strong as last week's storm. That storm caused havoc in Southern California and trapped more than a dozen people on flooded roadways, said meteorologist Bill Rasch.

The weather service has also issued a blizzard warning for parts of Northern California. The last time the National Weather Service in Sacramento issued a blizzard warning was Jan. 4, 2008, Rasch said.


Storm pounds Northern California: Lights out in downtown S.F.

The storm's approach also triggered widespread closures for Bay Area schools. The San Francisco and Oakland school districts canceled Thursday classes and the Novato Unified School District in Marin County closed its schools for the rest of the week, district officials announced. Schools near Chico in Glenn County also canceled school for Thursday.

Calling the decision to cancel school a serious one, San Francisco Unified School District Supt. Richard A. Carranza said in a statement that the storms could cause power outages and jeopardize students' safety.

"We don’t want to risk having our students injured or seriously delayed transporting to and from school," Carranza said.

San Joaquin Delta College announced that its three campuses around the Stockton area were closed until Friday morning, when final exams were scheduled.

The wet and windy weather up north is just foreshadowing what’s in store for Southern California, forecasters say.

“We’re going to get that storm. It’s coming our way,” said meteorologist Curt Kaplan. “We’re going to see winds increase later today and strong rain after midnight.”

Forecasters predict that Los Angeles could see 2 inches of rain early Friday and winds up to 45 mph.

Thunderstorms could pound Southern California’s mountains too, he said. Flash floods are possible in burned out areas along the San Gabriel Mountain foothills.

For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna.

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles TimesUPDATES

10:04 a.m.: This post has been updated to reflect that BART ridership is down 40% because of the storm.

9:50 a.m.: This post has been updated to reflect an increase to 80,000 of those without power and flight cancellations to 230.

8:25 a.m.: This post has been updated with a power outage in San Francisco.

7:09 a.m.: This post has been updated with new details including 107 mph wind gust.

The original version of this post was published at 6:47 a.m.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/l...211-story.html

http://www.alipac.us/f19/ca-storm-wi...47-mph-315944/