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SAN FRANCISCO – On Sunday morning, Californians were being battered by a severe winter storm fueled by raging rivers in the atmosphere that brought heavy downpours, dangerous flooding and hurricane-force winds, even in large cities.
AccuWeather meteorologists warned that up to 37 million people, or about 94% of the state’s population, were at risk of life-threatening flooding from the storm. The atmospheric river, like the River in the Sky, is the second to hit the state in recent days, but forecasters said the storm will be the most powerful of the season, especially in Southern California.
The National Weather Service has issued a rare hurricane-force wind warning for the Central Coast, with wind gusts of up to 92 mph possible from the Monterey Peninsula to northern San Luis Obispo County.
“All systems are gearing up for one of the most dramatic weather days in recent memory,” the National Weather Service said Sunday.
Torrential rains can cause flooding and landslides
Heavy rain is expected from Sunday through Monday from the San Francisco Bay Area and Central Coast to Southern California, according to the NOAA Weather Prediction Center. Rainfall could reach 2 to 5 inches, with up to 6 to 10 inches in some places, the prediction center said. “This will result in significant flash flooding, urban and stream flooding from debris flows and landslides,” the prediction center said.
The National Weather Service in Los Angeles warned Sunday that heavy rain would fall in the area. 3 to 6 inches of rain is expected on the coast and valleys, and up to 6 to 12 inches in the mountains.
“With so many mountains and hills, even just a few inches of rain can cause significant flooding,” said Dan DePodwin, AccuWeather’s senior director of forecasting operations. “The greatest risk…is expected throughout the valleys and foothills of Southern California, particularly in Ventura, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles counties.”
Evacuation warnings and evacuation orders were issued for Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Ventura and Monterey counties. Classes were canceled Monday at schools across Santa Barbara County.
“This storm is predicted to be one of the largest and most severe in our county’s history, and our goal is to get through this storm with no fatalities or serious injuries,” Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said Saturday. ” he said.
Three children ‘in the eye of the storm’ over 400 miles away
Doug and Pam Barry were among more than 100,000 Californians without power Sunday morning in San Francisco’s Mira Loma neighborhood.
But that was far from their biggest concern. Their two sons attend college in Los Angeles and San Diego, respectively, and their daughter Jessica was visiting her youngest son in San Diego when the storm hit. Now she’s hoping her plans to return to her home in Scottsdale, Arizona on Sunday don’t fall through.
Doug Barry said, “All three of our children are in the storm in Southern California. We sent them a message yesterday asking them to be careful about the approaching storm.” Ta. We’re going to have a good storm, but they’re going to have a worse storm. I rarely share the same weather worries as my kids over 400 miles away in California. ”
Possibility of whiteout conditions due to heavy snow and strong winds
Heavy, wet snow is expected to fall across the Sierra Nevada from Sunday into Tuesday morning, with 2 to 3 inches of snow expected to fall per hour, the forecast center said. Wind gusts of up to 90 mph could cause whiteout conditions in Southern California’s mountains, forecasters said.
Thunderstorms, fountains and tornadoes are possible
Strong onshore winds will batter the northern, central and southern coasts into Monday, causing damaging waves, forecasters said. Thunderstorms, fountains and even hail tornadoes are possible, according to Weather.com.
Why is this storm so dangerous?
The first of the Pineapple Express storms dumped between 1 and 6 inches of rain on the state Wednesday and Thursday. Forecasters say the new storm will contain more moisture, creating dangerous and deadly conditions in already saturated areas. The wettest areas could see more than a foot of rain in just 48 hours, according to AccuWeather.
What is Pineapple Express?
Pineapple Express is the most well-known nickname for the atmospheric river that occurs when the source of moisture is near Hawaii. Pineapple Express makes landfall in the western United States and Canada, bringing heavy rain and snow. California can receive several inches of rain a day.
Contributor: Doyle Rice, USA TODAY. Associated Press
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