RAIN!!!
I think we’re about to get dumped on here in California.
Here’s the official word from The National Weather Service:
Issued by The National Weather Service
San Francisco/Monterey, CA
2:15 pm PST, Thu., Jan. 14, 2010… A VERY WET AND WINDY WEEK AHEAD FOR CALIFORNIA STILL ON TRACK…
THE LATEST FORECAST MODELS CONTINUE TO DEPICT A SERIES OF STORMS WILL MOVE IN FROM THE PACIFIC AND IMPACT CALIFORNIA NEXT WEEK.
AFTER A BRIEF DRY SPELL THE STORM DOOR WILL START TO OPEN WITH A WEAK FRONT BRINGING LIGHT SHOWERS TO THE AREA ON SATURDAY.
THE FIRST OF THE MORE SIGNIFICANT SYSTEMS IS FORECAST TO SPREAD RAIN INTO OUR AREA STARTING LATE ON SUNDAY AND CONTINUING THROUGH MONDAY AFTERNOON. THIS SYSTEM COULD PRODUCE UP TO 3 INCHES OF NEW RAINFALL FOR THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS AND 1-2 INCHES FOR THE VALLEYS.
AFTER A BRIEF BREAK ON MONDAY NIGHT THE NEXT IN THE SERIES IS EXPECTED TO SPREAD MORE RAIN INTO OUR AREA THROUGHOUT THE DAY TUESDAY AND INTO TUESDAY EVENING. AN ADDITIONAL 2-4 INCHES OF RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS WITH 1-2 INCHES FOR THE VALLEYS.
A SECOND BREAK IS EXPECTED TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING BEFORE THE NEXT AND MOST POWERFUL SYSTEM OF THE WEEK APPROACHES DURING THE DAY WEDNESDAY. THIS SYSTEM COULD LINGER WEILL INTO THURSDAY. TOTALS FOR THIS SYSTEM COULD REACH 3-5 INCHES OR MORE FOR THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS AND 1-3 FOR THE VALLEYS. AS THE FRONT MOVES THROUGH SHOWERS COULD PERSIST WELL INTO FRIDAY. ALSO OF NOTE… A VERY POWERFUL JET STREAM IS FORECAST TO BE OVER CALIFORNIA BY THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK WHILE A DEEP SURFACE LOW IS POSITIONED OFF THE WASHINGTON COAST. THIS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE VERY STRONG WINDS AND HIGH WIND WARNINGS MAY BE NEEDED.
BY THE END OF THE WEEK AHEAD… TOTAL RAINFALL COULD REACH 10-15 INCHES AT THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS AND THE POTENTIAL FOR UP TO 20 INCHES IN THE WETTEST LOCATIONS. IN THE VALLEYS… 4-8 INCHES.
ANYONE WITH TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS NEXT WEEK SHOULD TAKE THESE STORMS INTO CONSIDERATION AND BE PREPARED FOR POTENTIAL DANGEROUS ROAD CONDITIONS… INCLUDING SNOW POTENTIAL FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 5000 FEET.
MARINERS AND THOSE AT LOCAL BEACHES ARE ALSO ADVISED TO CONSIDER THE POTENTIAL FOR DANGEROUS OCEAN AND COASTAL CONDITIONS MOST OF THE WEEK DUE TO LARGE NORTHWESTERLY SWELLS THAT WILL COMBINE WITH THE STRONG WINDS OVER THE WATER.
(Bold emphasis mine. All caps courtesy of NWS.)
I love that paragraph in bold above. 10-15 inches at elevation, with up to 20 inches in some places. 4-8 inches elsewhere. Sheesh. That’s a lot of rain. Whoever was worried about Global Warming and drought in California need not worry any more.
Quick, where’s my Ark?