While major flooding has just hit the “Golden State” this New Year’s weekend, a new, even stronger winter storm is poised to bring torrential rain and blustery winds across the state.
A weather bomb born in the Pacific
The low that will be responsible for this storm is actually a meteorological bomb, as it has already recorded a drop in pressure of more than 24 hPa in less than 24 hours. The pressure at its center reached only 958 hPa this Wednesday morning (local time). This sink is supplied with moisture by an atmospheric flow that flows from Hawaii towards northern California. This term refers to a meteorological phenomenon long known to scientists. It’s a colorful and new word, denoting moisture-laden air masses that undulate like the meanders of a river. The very active disturbance associated with this depression is hitting the northern part of the state this Wednesday, which was already tested by record flooding last weekend, before hitting Southern California on Thursday.
Incredible satellite imagery of the bomb storm off the coast of California. The central pressure of this cyclone will fall to the equivalent of a Category 3 hurricane. pic.twitter.com/Na8dzMiPNo
— Colin McCarthy (@US_Stormwatch) January 3, 2023
A real deluge awaits: up to 200 mm water column
At the time of the passage of the disturbance’s cold front, rainfall should increase significantly from San Francisco Bay to the Oregon border beginning this Wednesday evening local time. These torrential downpours will fall on soils already saturated by the weekend’s storm of the new. Significant flooding is expected. The city of San Francisco, which this past weekend recorded its second wettest day for Dec. 31 since 1849, with almost 140mm, could again suffer accumulations of between 50 and 100mm. If the system reaches the south of the state, it could bring between 20 and 70 mm to the city of Los Angeles.
The heaviest rainfall is expected along the northern Californian coasts and in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada with up to 200 mm in just 12 hours. On the coast and in the mountains, heavy snowfall above 1800 m and stormy winds over 100 km/h are to be feared.
California weather bomb © The Weather Channel
While these heavy rains are good news for California, they are likely to cause major flooding due to the drought. The strong winds could cause power outages and the snowstorm in the mountains could cause some road closures. This wet weather is expected to continue in California through at least January 15.