Monster Late-Season Atmospheric River Volition Hitting The Due West Coast Alongside Heavy Pelting In Addition To Rigid Winds

An extraordinarily rigid atmospheric river volition hitting the West Coast starting tomorrow inward the Pacific Northwest in addition to and then moving southward into California on Fri in addition to Saturday.

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 monster that volition last ane the strongest on record, peculiarly this belatedly inward the season.  And to add together to the fun, an extremely powerful tempest volition cast off our coast, bringing real rigid winds over the Oregon coast.  Again, real odd this fourth dimension of the year.

Just a reminder-- an atmospheric river is a narrow electrical flow of high wet values,  originating inward the torrid zone in addition to subtropics, that is associated amongst warm air in addition to heavy rain, peculiarly when into coastal terrain.  In our cervix of the woods, atmospheric rivers are oftentimes termed a pineapple express.

Satellite-measured integrated H2O vapor production this morning time shows large values inward the torrid zone (orange, red, in addition to purple) amongst high values starting to movement northeastward towards the North American westward coast.

Let's showtime yesteryear viewing the UW WRF model's forecast of column-integrated H2O vapor...the amount of H2O inward vertical column of air (see below).  The nighttime blues shout for very, real high levels, white in addition to crimson are high values, amongst lesser values shown inward light-green in addition to low-cal blue.

At v PM today (Wed), a natural language of modestly high values reaches the Pacific Northwest coastline.


One 24-hour interval afterwards (5 PM Thursday), a much to a greater extent than threatening province of affairs has developed.  Huge values (blue colors) are straightaway inward a real broad atmospheric river that is directed correct at California.


Fri at v PM is stunning.  An extreme atmospheric river (blue all the way) is hitting California.

 And during the adjacent 12-h (5 AM on Saturday), the river moves southward, choose heavy (and real unusual) pelting to southern California---with the threat of causing to a greater extent than landslides from the debris from the Dec fires.


By Sunday, the atmospheric river moves out, but in that place is trivial relief for the sodden California folks, amongst roughly other (but weaker) final result belatedly Mon in addition to Tuesday (see below).


How much atmospheric precipitation volition California in addition to the Northwest get?  Here are the atmospheric precipitation totals for the adjacent 8 days from the European Center model (courtesy of weatherbell.com). For California, nosotros are talking most every bit much every bit 4-8 inches inward terrain in addition to heavy amounts (over two inches) over much of cardinal in addition to northern CA.  Remember Apr is typically a calendar month that California dries out every bit the jet flow commonly moves north.


Here is the Northwest, nosotros volition larn a slice of the action, amongst several inches everywhere, but peculiarly heavy atmospheric precipitation on the Olympics in addition to inward southern BC.
This is actually an historic final result that is real odd for this fourth dimension of the year.  Let me essay this to you.  Consider the forecast for H2O vapor inward a vertical column for Fri at eleven AM, in addition to lets display it every bit the per centum of normal (below).  OMG!  The values approaching the coast are 300-400% of normal!


 For those who know roughly statistics, nosotros tin regard how far from normal the values are inward price of touchstone deviations (see below).  Large expanse higher upward half dozen touchstone deviations, which way nosotros are talking most unprecedented values.


The National Weather Service has a inundation sentry out for the Sierra Nevada mountains in addition to a heavy snowfall warming for the Cascades.

But the extreme activity is non but amongst precipitation.  An amazingly rigid oceanic cyclone volition prepare in addition to movement upward the Northwest coast.   Take a await at the sea score pressure level map forecast for v AM Sabbatum (below).  Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 deep (972 hPa low) westward of Washington State, amongst a huge pressure level slope to its due south in addition to west.  That way large winds.


Here are the forecast current of air gusts at that time--above lxx knots to the due south of the low, amongst the Oregon coast getting hitting difficult (50+ knot gusts).


The depression volition like shooting fish in a barrel movement upward the coast, crossing northern Vancouver Island late  Sabbatum (see map at v PM Sabbatum below).  Big pressure level gradients along the Washington Coast...so major current of air final result there.  Expect coastal ability outages.


Having such a rigid tempest inward Apr is unusual, but non unprecedented.  Anyway, this is getting exhausting....too much weather.  But nosotros are inward for an interesting period.  But ane adept thing...one tin forget most West Coast drought or whatever H2O issues for this summer.  Our tank is most to last filled...if non overfilled.
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Announcement:  The Northwest Weather Workshop is on Apr 27-28

The NW Weather Workshop is the large annual coming together for those interested inward Northwest meteorology.  This yr nosotros volition get got a major session on the meteorology of NW wildfires in addition to others on other aspects of our regional weather.  The gathering takes house at the NOAA facility inward Seattle.  To sentiment the agenda in addition to to register, become to the meeting website.  The workshop is opened upward to everyone, but registration is required.

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