Yet another ‘river’ may slam California
Experts: Intense rainfall adds to flooding risk
SAN FRANCISCO – Californians were bracing for the latest in an unrelenting wave of strong storms, and forecasters warned of another atmospheric river expected to bring an additional round of flooding rainfall, highelevation snow and strong winds to parts of the state this week.
More than half of California was under either a flood watch or a winter storm warning Sunday as one atmospheric river receded and another one approached.
These long, narrow bands in the atmosphere carry copious amounts of water vapor that get released as rain or snow when making landfall. The upcoming atmospheric river, not expected to be quite as powerful as the one from the weekend, will be the 11th to slam the state since late December.
Before this parade of storms, California was in the grips of a punishing three-year drought.
“The weather in California is almost like your spigot outdoors,” AccuWeather meteorologist Bernie Rayno said. “When it’s on, the water flows out and floods. But when it’s off, there will be barely a drop.”
Rainfall will intensify Monday into Tuesday.
Wind gusts of up to 45 mph will spread across Northern California on Sunday and Monday, AccuWeather said. In upper mountain elevations, meteorologists warn that visibility could be near zero.
The National Weather Service said rainfall will intensify Monday into Tuesday across large parts of the state, leading to more flooding in already saturated areas. During that same time, the combination of more rain and snowmelt will increase the risk of flooding at lower elevations.
“Considerable flooding impacts below 5,000-foot elevation along the central California coast, San Joaquin Valley, Sacramento Valley and southern Sierra Nevada foothills into Tuesday,” the service said.
More than 8,500 people were under evacuation orders
At least two deaths were caused by the latest storm and a third one is being investigated for its links to the weather.
More than 8,500 people were under evacuation orders and warnings Saturday in Monterey County, where a levee failed and flooded the unincorporated community of Pajaro, home to about 1,700 residents, a large number of them Latino farmworkers.
The rain and snow from the upcoming system, carrying warm subtropical moisture across the Pacific from near Hawaii, is expected to extend from Central California to Oregon, as well as northern Nevada.