Latest storm front leaves much of Owens Valley drenched
Forecaster says ‘significant rainfall event’ to continue to Wednesday
While the Owens Valley over the weekend saw some trace amounts of snow mixed with rain, the more “significant rainfall event” began Monday and is expected to offer to double punch this week, according to a National Weather Service meteorologist.
John Adair, a forecaster with the NWS Las Vegas office, which monitors the Owens Valley region, said Monday that while the higher climes will be seeing snow, “it’s going to be strictly rain in the Owens Valley because it’s very warm, Pacific moisture coming in.
“It will be heavy snow high in the mountains, but rain in the Owens Valley,” Adair said.
The forecaster reported Monday morning that, generally, a quarter to a half inch of rain already had been seen at a number of NWS monitoring sites in the Owens Valley.
“And it’s just going to keep coming down all day,” Adair said Monday morning.
Adiar said the weather forecast through today shows a “really significant system and maybe the best one of the past couple of weeks for the
Owens Valley.”
“As far as total rainfall amounts, that kind of remains to be seen but we’re off to a good start this (Monday) morning and it’s gonna keep going all day into this evening.”
Adair said the forecast shows a break in the rain Wednesday through Friday and then, moving into Saturday, and Sunday, there will be another chance of rain as another Pacific storm comes in.
He said snow levels will probably be a little lower with the weekend storm front “but still mostly above the Owens Valley floor.”
Adair said while Death Valley is expected to see some storms and flooding, it is not anticipated to be as intense as the flash flooding that occurred at the national park back in September. Those storms caused major damage throughout the park, much of which is still under repairs.
Adair said this week’s storms, because they are occurring in the winter season, there isn’t a high expectation for thunderstorms, which usually bring in the more damaging flooding. However, he said there is a slight chance of thunderstorms in the area this evening.
He said the forecast for Death Valley and the lower valleys as far as precipitation goes is about a quarter to a half inch.
On the passes that lead from Owens Valley into Death Valley, there could be upwards of three quarters of an inch to an inch of rain.
Due to heavy snow and multiple vehicle spinouts, Caltrans closed part of U.S. Highway 395 in Mono County Monday. The highway was closed from Gorge Road, approximately 17 miles north of Bishop, to the town of Bridgeport.. U.S. 6 in Bishop is open as an alternative route, which connects to the Nevada 95.
Because driving conditions are slick, Caltrans asks that all drivers slow down and allow themselves plenty of time to reach their destinations