A massive storm caused by an atmospheric river brought rain and fierce winds across California on Sunday, leaving destruction and danger behind.
Officials issued the first-ever hurricane-force wind warning along the coast as howling winds toppled power lines and trees and littered communities across the state with debris. By late afternoon, streets in both northern and southern California areas were flooded, with more rain falling along the way.
About 36 million people were placed under flood watches as the metropolitan area, including Los Angeles, which will host the star-studded Grammy Awards ceremony Sunday night, braced for impact.
The storm also brought snow to mountain villages and created steep waves along the coast. By 6:00 p.m. Nearly 850,000 homes and businesses lost power.mostly concentrated in snow-flooded areas along the coast and in the central part of the state.
The National Weather Service warned that rain will continue for 48 hours in parts of the state that are already soggy, including the Central Coast, Los Angeles Basin and mountain ranges.
“This is a dangerous system [sic] “This poses a significant risk to life and property,” NWS Los Angeles warned in a forecast discussion Sunday afternoon, with roads and highways becoming impassable, landslides likely to occur up valleys, and rising waters flooding low-lying areas. It added that there is a possibility that many homes and businesses could be inundated with it.
Five rivers or creeks in the state were already above flood stage. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration observers said about a dozen more people were watching Sunday.
The extreme weather has wreaked havoc in the northern part of the state, but Southern California is likely to be hit even harder. The storm is expected to stall over Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Los Angeles counties. This dangerous deluge could bring up to 15 inches of rain to hills and mountains, and up to 6 inches to coastal areas and valleys.
As the storm swirled Sunday afternoon, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for eight Southern California counties, and state and local agencies deployed millions of sandbags, water rescue teams and high-water vehicles ahead of the onslaught. We have pre-positioned important resources such as:
largely Los Angeles public schools plan to remain open Monday, unless the situation worsens, Superintendent Alberto Carvalho announced Sunday. His two local universities, California State University Fullerton and California State University LA, have chosen to hold classes virtually. The Santa Barbara Unified School District announced Monday it would close schools and offices.
Wind gusts of up to 80 mph were reported along the Big Sur coast Sunday morning, and the storm pulled down power lines and posed other hazards along Highway 1.
Mandatory evacuations and evacuation warnings were issued for communities tucked into mountain slopes, near swollen rivers and near wildfire scars, including Ojai, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. California Department of Water Resources Director Carla Nemeth said water managers have begun releasing water from reservoirs nearing capacity in the Central Valley and Sacramento Valley.
The deluge came as parts of the state were still reeling from last week’s storms, which tested the capacity of infrastructure, bringing storms and thunderstorms on Wednesday and Thursday.
As the first storm saturated the site, the NWS warned that dangerous flash flooding would occur sooner.
Link to the first ever "Hurricane strong wind warning" Published by the San Francisco Bay Area National Weather Service Forecast Office.https://t.co/2ZryeoFqXg
From the westernmost tip of the Monterey Peninsula down the Big Sur coast to the area where Hearst Castle is located. pic.twitter.com/tRIpufs5NP
— Kevin Dayton (@DaytonPubPolicy) February 4, 2024
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Link to the first “Hurricane Wind Warning” issued by the San Francisco Bay Area National Weather Service Forecast Office.https://t.co/2ZryeoFqXg
From the westernmost tip of the Monterey Peninsula down the Big Sur coast to the area where Hearst Castle is located. pic.twitter.com/tRIpufs5NP— Kevin Dayton (@DaytonPubPolicy) February 4, 2024
Climate scientist Daniel Swain said in a discussion of the system posted on YouTube on Friday that California could see a lot of rain in the coming weeks. In years with strong El Niño, the rainy season typically reaches its peak between February and March, he noted. “At least another six to seven weeks is a possibility.” [for storms] And I wouldn’t be surprised if there was another major storm cycle at some point during that period. ”
Here’s a quick look at the different types of storms that hit the West Coast of North America this winter.
A river with atmosphere
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration These are called “rivers in the sky.” For good reason. Characterized by long streams of water vapor through the atmosphere, the average atmospheric river carries an amount of water vapor comparable to the estuary flow of the mighty Mississippi River, and strong rivers can carry up to 15 times that amount. When an AR makes landfall, its moisture is released as rain or snow and is usually accompanied by strong wind gusts, further increasing its destructive tendencies.
pineapple express
These particularly strong atmospheric rivers are named after their origins. Pineapple Express storms, which pull moisture from the Pacific Ocean around Hawaii, are known to cause heavy precipitation when they reach the west coasts of the United States and Canada. dumped about 5 inches of rain on California According to the National Oceanic Service, in just one day.
bomb low pressure
These low-pressure storm systems create atmospheric rivers that help sweep them from the Pacific Ocean to the coast. Unlike hurricanes and other storms, which are strongest in the center, a bomb cyclone can produce the worst weather at its edges.
El Niño
This is a climate pattern characterized by unusually high sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean. Together with the corresponding La Niña event (a period of colder-than-average sea surface temperatures), these patterns can influence weather around the world. Although the weather doesn’t always match, El Niño is associated with warmer temperatures and generally results in drier conditions in the northern United States and Canada, and wetter conditions in the south, increasing the risk of flooding.
– Gabrielle Cannon, US climate and extreme weather correspondent
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quick guide
What is an atmospheric river? Other meteorological terms explained
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What is an atmospheric river? Other meteorological terms explained
Here’s a quick look at the different types of storms that hit the West Coast of North America this winter.
A river with atmosphere
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration These are called “rivers in the sky.” For good reason. Characterized by long streams of water vapor through the atmosphere, the average atmospheric river carries an amount of water vapor comparable to the estuary flow of the mighty Mississippi River, and strong rivers can carry up to 15 times that amount. When an AR makes landfall, its moisture is released as rain or snow and is usually accompanied by strong wind gusts, further increasing its destructive tendencies.
pineapple express
These particularly strong atmospheric rivers are named after their origins. Pineapple Express storms, which pull moisture from the Pacific Ocean around Hawaii, are known to cause heavy precipitation when they reach the west coasts of the United States and Canada. dumped about 5 inches of rain on California According to the National Oceanic Service, in just one day.
bomb low pressure
These low-pressure storm systems create atmospheric rivers that help sweep them from the Pacific Ocean to the coast. Unlike hurricanes and other storms, which are strongest in the center, a bomb cyclone can produce the worst weather at its edges.
El Niño
This is a climate pattern characterized by unusually high sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean. Together with the corresponding La Niña event (a period of colder-than-average sea surface temperatures), these patterns can influence weather around the world. Although the weather doesn’t always match, El Niño is associated with warmer temperatures and generally results in drier conditions in the northern United States and Canada, and wetter conditions in the south, increasing the risk of flooding.
– Gabrielle Cannon, US climate and extreme weather correspondent
El Niño, a climate pattern associated with warmer ocean waters in the tropical Pacific Ocean, can oversupply atmospheric rivers with water vapor evaporating from warm surface waters, such as the one currently driving strong storms over California. . Although variable, El Niño typically brings hotter, wetter winters to California and other parts of the southwestern United States.
On the other hand, in California, The reservoir has already reached 115% of the average The system is in place and Central Valley water managers decided to release water before the storm to prevent overflow, the California Department of Water Resources said. There are still a few weeks left of California’s rainy season, and very wet weather is still in the forecast. Areas of the state are already exceeding or approaching average precipitation. level.
Scientists warn that this is a sign of things to come as the world warms, with less snow and wetter conditions expected to become the norm. “This tells us something about what California winters will be like as the climate warms,” Swain said, noting that this is as much a story of El Niño as it is a climate change. He pointed out that it is also a story of crisis.
