 Image Courtesy: Pivotal Weather DISCUSSION - California is still recovering from the consistent wallop of wet winter weather that has lingered with the state since winter commenced. Some positive outlook on the situation is the D4 Exceptional Drought index has completely diminished from 2016 to 2017. Southern California still seeing the majority of drought related issues, while Central/Northern California currently contending with the Oroville Dam overflow of the spillway.
Forecasters are beginning to sound like a broken record as later this week brings precipitation back into the area. The threat for precipitation comes into the forecast area Thursday as a front will move into the Northern Bay Area on Wednesday evening. With the onslaught of this frontal passage and more rain expected to move into the area Friday, this will be a prime opportunity for Southern California to gain some headway in the drought monitor. A deep area of low pressure centered just south of Alaska will help to bring the frontal boundary into the area along with stronger winds as isobars tighten along coastal California. The front will tend to progress from Northern California and propagate East Southeast into Southern California. Central California/Bay Area can expect to see anywhere between .25-1" with as much as 1.5-2" in the hills. Today will remain dry and mild with clouds increasing in the area ahead of the front. For more updates on California's drought situation or forecast discussions visit the Global Weather and Climate Center! ~Meteorologist Jessica Olsen
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 Image Courtesy: rammb.cira.colostate.edu DISCUSSION: On opposite ends of the US our Western friends are set to experience another pounding of wet weather due to the onslaught of a strong atmospheric river making its way to the California coast. Light to moderate rain is currently falling in the Northern California region extending to the San Francisco Bay Area, as the atmospheric river from the Eastern Pacific brings moisture and a strong cold front to the region today with showers into the overnight. The immediate Bay Area is expecting flooding conditions, mud/landslides and heavy rainfall to make its way in the area, bringing similar conditions the past two months of rain that have brought to the area. In addition to the heavy rainfall expected winds are expected to increase with gusts up to 40 knots offshore. Temperatures are mid and currently in the mid to upper 60’s throughout central and northern California. Despite increased moisture in the area, southern California is still seeing the brunt of drought conditions, to which this plume of moisture will provide no relief. Thursday, February 9th, some locations can see upwards of 4 inches of rain, already adding to some dangerous conditions from previous storms. A Flash Flood Watch is in effect for: North Bay, Northern Monterey Bay, San Francisco Peninsula, Santa Cruz Mountains, Santa Lucia Mountains, and Los Padres National Forest A Wind Advisory is in effect for North Bay and East Bay Hill/Mountains. A Coastal Flood Warning for Sonoma County Coast to Monterey County Coast. For more continued coverage on drought information and forecasts be sure to check the Global Weather and Climate Center daily! ~Meteorologist Jessica Olsen Storm System Takes Aim at Western North America! (credit: NOAA Satellite and Information Service)2/3/2017 
DISCUSSION: As reflected by the discussion (attached below) which is courtesy of scientists working at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Satellite and Information Service (NESDIS), there is a fairly potent low pressure system getting ready to officially landfall near the Washington/Oregon state border during day on Saturday (02/04). Having said that, this low pressure system is already delivering substantial impacts to many parts of the Pacific Northwest as of much earlier in the day on Friday. The majority of the impacts being felt across the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana include heavy mountain snow as well as rain and/or ice (depending on the given location). Many counties within the aforementioned states have already been under winter weather advisories and/or winter storm warnings for quite some time and will remain under winter weather advisories for at least the next 24 to 36 hours as this winter storm continues to impact these areas.
"This GOES West water vapor imagery shows an area of low pressure spinning toward the West Coast today, February 3, 2017.According to the National Weather Service, this upper-level low over the Eastern Pacific will slowly weaken and move onshore over the Pacific Northwest throughout the day, bringing a plume of moisture into Central and Northern California, and across much of the Northwest into the weekend. Coastal areas will have rain, possibly heavy at times, while areas of higher terrain will see a wintry mix of snow, rain, and ice. Snow will spread eastward into the Northern Rockies by this evening and into the adjacent Northern Plains by Saturday. Water vapor imagery, which is useful for both determining locations of moisture and atmospheric circulations, is created using wavelengths of light sensitive to the content of water vapor in the atmosphere. Bright and colored areas indicate high water vapor (moisture) content (colored and white areas indicate the presence of both high moisture content and/or ice crystals). Black and brown areas indicate little or no moisture present." To learn more about other high-impact weather events occurring across the Central and Eastern Pacific Ocean, be sure to click here! ©2017 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz |
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