Storm moving across Northern California

A powerful winter storm is expected to hit Northern California starting late Monday and bring several inches of rain and heavy winds.

The National Weather Service office in Sacramento called it a “major weather pattern change” that will “bring multiple rounds of rain and snow through the week and through the weekend.”

An atmospheric river, or a weather system that moves high concentrations of water vapor outside of the tropics, could on Tuesday bring up 1 to 3 inches of rain to the coastal areas, with higher elevations receiving upward of 3 to 5 inches, the National Weather Service says.

The atmospheric river could be as strong as a Category 3, with a scale that tops out a 5.

A low-level pressure system currently forming is set to push through Washington late Tuesday and pull a plume of very moist air over California early Tuesday through early Wednesday, according to the NWS.

timing the storm

  • 7 pm Monday – Lighter rain arrives in the region.
  • 2 am Tuesday – Leading edge of the storm moves in.
  • 4 am-8 am Tuesday – Continue to see heavy rain in the valley, foothills, and the Sierra. It will move down into the San Joaquin Valley.
  • 12 p.m. Tuesday – Showers below.
  • Wednesday 7 am – Dense fog settles in, resulting in zero visibility on the streets.

Sierra Watches and Warnings

The National Weather Service says a high wind warning will go into effect Monday at 10 pm and stay in effect through Tuesday at 10 pm They say there will be southwest winds up to 65 mph and 100+ mph gusts along the ridges. High-profile vehicles will have travel difficulties. There will be possible damage to trees and powerlines. Power outages are expected. The Service also warns of dangerous boating conditions.

A wind advisory will be issued for the western Nevada Basin and Range, including Pyramid Lake. That advisory goes into effect at 10 pm Monday and stays in effect until 10 pm Tuesday.

A winter storm warning will go into effect at 10 am Tuesday and remain until 10 am Wednesday for Mono County and the Greater Lake Tahoe area.

A winter weather advisory will go into effect at 10 am Tuesday and remain until 10 am Wednesday for Lassen, eastern Plumas, and eastern Sierra counties, the National Weather Service says. They say travelers should plan on difficult travel conditions in the easter Sierra passes over on Tuesday, becoming more widespread Wednesday.

A Backcountry Avalanche Watch is in effect for eastern Sierra in Inyo and Mono counties.

Here we go! A winter storm will impact the region tonight through Wednesday afternoon. Take a look here for more details: 🌬️❄️
Wind Impacts: https://t.co/YxnA34ZGi2
Winter Impacts: https://t.co/xySb6hQTUq pic.twitter.com/MRU2vbi2IB

— NWS Reno (@NWSReno) December 26, 2022


WeatherTools

The shift in weather comes as millions of Americans deal with a cold winter storm that has gripped much of the United States.

CBS News has confirmed at least 38 weather-related deaths nationwide from that storm.

The scope of the storm has been nearly unprecedented, stretching from the Great Lakes near Canada to the Rio Grande along the border with Mexico. About 60% of the US population faced some sort of winter weather advisory or warning, and temperatures plummeted drastically below normal from east of the Rocky Mountains to the Appalachians, the National Weather Service said.

Thousands of US flights were canceled Saturday, and nearly 3,000 as of Sunday night, according to the tracking site FlightAware.

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