A Record-Breaking Atmospheric River Hits California Together With Potent Marine Cyclone Offshore Of Washington

A lot to beak about.   It is pouring exterior equally I write this....really coming down

The forecasts of an extreme atmospheric river hitting California proved highly accurate.   To start, hither is a H2O vapor satellite picture (the satellite sensor observes a wavelength for which H2O vapor is a really skilful absorber too emitter) for five AM this morning.

You tin sack run into the really long feather of wet stretching from Hawaii to the primal WA coast.   A really large cyclone (the swirl) is conduct due west of Washington State (more on that later!)


The wet content of this atmospheric river is extraordinarily unusual, unprecedented inwards many ways.  To seek this to you, hither is the climatology of precipitable H2O (PW) at Oakland, California too the value of PW  observed this morning time from the twice-daily radiosonde weather condition balloon ascent.  Precipitable H2O is the amount of the H2O vapor inwards a vertical column of air.

The value (1.69 inches) blows away the daily tape (the sparse cerise line).  It is higher than whatsoever solar daytime from belatedly September through early on July.  This is huge. 

The highest value observed at this location during the wet flavor of the year.

And regime notation that this is the fourth dimension of the yr when atmospheric wet at Oakland is to a greater extent than oft than non lowest.

With such large values of wet heading into California, rainfall totals accept been large.  As shown below (click to enlarge), a set out of locations over the western sides of the coastal mountains too the Sierra Nevada accept received 4-6 inches of pelting over the past times 48 hours--several to a greater extent than than six inches.  They would accept gotten much, much to a greater extent than if the incoming winds had been stronger.


Some rivers inwards the percentage are already at overflowing phase (red circles inwards plot below) too CA reservoir operators are releasing substantial amounts of H2O to ensure to security of their dams, particularly the heavily damaged Oroville Dam.


And the pelting is non over for California. ANOTHER arrangement is expected adjacent week, alongside substantial rains from northern CA into the Northwest (see 72h full ending five AM adjacent Saturday).


Here inwards the Northwest, heavy pelting is falling over Washington State equally a frontal band associated alongside a really rigid Pacific cyclone moves through (see infrared satellite picture at vii AM this--Saturday--morning).   Beautiful, large tempest alongside the clouds swirling into the depression center.


The 3-h forecast for this fourth dimension suggests nosotros are dealing alongside a 972 hPa depression center, alongside an intense pressure level slope (change of pressure level alongside distance) around the storm.  That way rigid winds.


 In fact, the forecast air current gusts  for eleven AM predict 60-65 kt gusts reaching the Oregon too Washington coasts.


The maximum gusts for the 24-h ending vii AM demonstrate rigid winds already, alongside some favored locations inwards the coastal mountains getting to seventy mph, alongside 40-50 mph gusts at some places along the coast (click to expand map).


The depression is going to slow drift our way equally it fills (decreases inwards strength) equally shown past times the forecast map at five AM tomorrow morning.


By two PM today, winds volition endure actually cranking along the Washington coast too over NW Washington (e.g., San Juans), equally shown past times the forecast winds at that time.  fifty kt gusts volition endure mutual inwards those areas.  That way some ability outages.


Winds over Puget Sound should growth today equally the depression approaches, maybe to 30-40 mph, after today too Dominicus morning.  Not plenty for major impacts.  And showers volition maintain until mid-day Dominicus for most folks on the western sides of the Cascades.


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