12:30 PM | The pounding continues out West

Discussion

The pounding continues today along the West Coast from San Francisco to Seattle as the atmospheric fire hose continues, and the numbers over the past week are quite remarkable. A series of powerhouse storms and frontal systems since late November have left behind flooded rivers and downed trees with scattered power outages in this part of the country. The hardest hit region has been across northern California where the rain totals have risen to nearly two feet since the onslaught began (23.48 inches at Brandy Creek, CA; 21.24 at Sterling City, CA; 17.50 inches at Petrolia, CA; 15.16 inches at Oak Mountain, CA; 12.55 inches at Secret Town, CA). Heavy rain has also piled up in Oregon and Washington with 12.35 inches reported so far in O’Brien, OR and 9.03 inches at Wynoochee Lake, WA. Even in places farther south there have been generous rainfall amounts during this period with 4-8 inches in the central Sacramento Valley and 2-4 inches in the San Joaquin Valley. San Francisco Intl Airport has recorded more than 4 inches of rain since November 27th and more is falling there today.

Winds and snow have also been on the extreme side in some locations during this stormy week. There have been wind gusts of up to 150 mph recorded at Mammoth Mountain, CA, 113 mph at central Wasatch Peaks, UT, 95 mph near Reno, NV, 74 mph in Newport, OR, and 50 mph at San Francisco Intl Airport. General snowfall amounts of around 2 feet have accumulated in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, a foot and a half at West Yellowstone, MT, and the highest total measured so far is 45.0 inches at Mt. Rose, CA.

7:00 AM | After a cold start it'll turn mild again for the afternoon

6-Day Forecast

Today

After a cold start mostly sunny skies will boost temperatures to a mild 60 degrees this afternoon

Tonight

Partly cloudy, chilly, lows in the mid-to-upper 30’s

Wednesday

Mostly sunny, still mild, upper 60’s

Wednesday Night

Mostly cloudy, chilly, mid 30’s

Thursday

Partly sunny, much cooler, maybe a little rain, low 50's

Friday

Partly sunny, cold, mid 40’s

Saturday

Mostly sunny, cold, mid 40’s

Sunday

Mostly cloudy, colder, snow showers possible, mid-to-upper 30’s

Discussion

Pacific Ocean air will keep us mild through mid-week, but then a cool down will take place beginning on Thursday as a trough of low pressure swings through the region. The weekend will see another frontal system approach the region and it is possible that snow showers may accompany this system by later Sunday as it turns even colder.

Video

httpv://youtu.be/UaovLnwaX7E

7:00 AM | Weather settles down this week across southern California

6-Day Forecast

Today

Mostly cloudy, showers likely, cool, low 60’s

Tonight

Mostly cloudy, cool, fog possible late, lows in the mid 50’s

Tuesday

Fog possible early then becoming partly sunny, not quite as cool, upper 60’s

Tuesday Night

Mostly cloudy, cool, fog possible late, mid-to-upper 50’s

Wednesday

Fog possible early then becoming mostly sunny, cool, mid-to-upper 60’s

Thursday

Partly sunny, cool, mid 60’s

Friday

Mostly sunny, milder, upper 60's

Saturday

Mostly sunny, pleasant, mid-to-upper 60’s

Discussion

Unsettled weather will continue over southern California for another day, but conditions will gradually improve this week. A deep upper level trough that has been sitting over the northern Pacific Ocean will begin its move and warmer and drier conditions will gradually move to the area as the week progresses.

Video

httpv://youtu.be/9c11dxBhZ0I

7:00 AM | Above normal temperatures for the first half of the week

6-Day Forecast

Today

Mostly sunny, mild, highs in the mid 50’s

Tonight

Mostly cloudy, chilly, lows in the low 30’s

Tuesday

Mostly sunny, still mild, upper 50’s

Tuesday Night

Mostly clear, chilly, mid 30’s

Wednesday

Mainly sunny, mild, mid-to-upper 60’s

Thursday

Partly sunny, much cooler, highs near 50

Friday

Partly sunny, cold, mid 40’s

Saturday

Mostly sunny, chilly, upper 40's

Discussion

A deep upper level trough still sits over the northern Pacific Ocean and this has generated a west-to-east flow of mild air into the central Rockies. Temperatures around here will stay above normal right through mid-week, but it looks like it’ll turn cooler again by Thursday.

Video

httpv://youtu.be/9c11dxBhZ0I

11:30 AM | West Coast onslaught continues

Discussion

The onslaught of Pacific Ocean moisture continues to pummel much of the west coast and this pattern will last right through early next week. A deep upper level trough of low pressure has stalled out over the northeastern Pacific Ocean sending wave after wave inland with an onshore flow of air that has its origins back over the tropical central Pacific. The next five days will likely see rainfall amounts range from 6 inches or more along the Pacific Northwest coast to 12 inches or more in northern California - and this is on top of any rainfall earlier this week. Topography plays a key role out west and given this particular pattern and wind flow, those mountains facing the south and west will get the highest rainfall (and snowfall) amounts over the next few days.

Speaking of snow, for now the snow levels are quite high given the mild nature of this Pacific Ocean air, but those critical levels may gradually lower later this weekend as colder air aloft increases with each passing disturbance. Despite the warm nature of the current air mass, some of the snowfall amounts will be quite incredible in the higher elevations of the northern Sierra and Cascades of Washington and Oregon. In the northern Sierra, the snow might be best measured by the yard stick by early next week with 3 or 4 yards expected along with wind gusts of up to 100 mph. Several feet of snow are likely to fall in the same time period over the Cascades of Washington and Oregon as well as the Bitterroots of Idaho and Montana. This onslaught will likely avoid producing snow initially in the Colorado Rockies, but that could change by late Sunday or Monday.

7:00 AM | Mild pattern continues through the weekend

6-Day Forecast

Today

Partly sunny, mild, highs in the low-to-mid 60's

Tonight

Mostly cloudy, cool, lows near 40 degrees

Saturday

Mostly sunny, still mild, low 60’s

Saturday Night

Mostly clear, chilly, mid 30’s

Sunday

Mainly sunny, mild, low-to-mid 60’s

Monday

Mostly sunny, much cooler, low-to-mid 50's

Tuesday

Partly sunny, cool, near 50

Wednesday

Mostly sunny, not as cool, mid-to-upper 50’s

Discussion

A deep upper level trough still sits over the eastern Pacific Ocean and this has generated a west-to-east flow of mild air into the central Rockies. Temperatures around here will stay above normal right through the weekend, but it looks like it’ll turn cooler again early next week.

Video

httpv://youtu.be/kskbd0LoZEQ

7:00 AM | Cool and unsettled pattern continues right through the weekend; Sunday's storm could be the strongest in the series of storms coming off the Pacific Ocean

6-Day Forecast

Today

Cloudy, rain likely, cool, low 60’s

Tonight

Mostly cloudy, more rain likely, cool, lows in the mid 50’s

Saturday

Mostly cloudy, still the threat for showers, cool, low-to-mid 60’s

Saturday Night

Mostly cloudy, cool, showers still possible, mid-to-upper 50’s

Sunday

Mostly cloudy, the threat for more rain and it could be a heavy rain event, cool, low-to-mid 60’s

Monday

Mostly cloudy, cool, showers still a threat especially early, mid 60’s

Tuesday

Mostly sunny, milder, near 70

Wednesday

Mostly sunny, pleasant, low 70’s

Discussion

Cool and unsettled weather will continue over southern California right through the upcoming weekend as a series of storms and frontal systems reach the west coast from the eastern Pacific Ocean. A deep upper level trough has set up shop in the eastern Pacific Ocean and this will transport tremendous amounts of moisture to the coast from its origins over the Hawaiian Islands. Genuine clearing will not take place around here until early next week. The storm on Sunday could end up being the strongest and wettest of the series with a heavy rain event in the offing for southwestern California.

Video

httpv://youtu.be/kskbd0LoZEQ

7:00 AM | West coast gets pounded with heavy rainfall, but same pattern keeps us mild

6-Day Forecast

Today

Partly sunny, mild, highs near 60 degrees

Tonight

Mostly cloudy, chilly, lows in the mid 30’s

Friday

Partly sunny, still mild, low 60’s

Friday Night

Mostly cloudy, not as cold as recent nights, upper 30’s

Saturday

Mainly sunny, mild, low 60’s

Sunday

Mostly sunny, mild, low-to-mid 60’s

Monday

Partly sunny, much cooler, breezy, low 50’s

Tuesday

Mostly sunny, cool, near 50

Discussion

A deep upper level trough will remain in place over the eastern Pacific Ocean over the next few days and this will promote a zonal (i.e., west-to-east) flow of mild air into the central Rockies. Temperatures around here will stay above normal right through the weekend, but it looks like it’ll turn cooler again early next week. Meanwhile, this atmospheric pattern will likely generate tremendous amounts of rainfall along the west coast from northern California to the Pacific Northwest over the next few days.

7:00 AM | Another powerful Pacific Ocean system plows into the west coast today

6-Day Forecast

Today

Mostly cloudy with more showers, cool, low-to-mid 60’s

Tonight

Mostly cloudy, showers still possible, cool, lows in the upper 50’s

Friday

Mostly cloudy, still the threat for some rain, cool, low-to-mid 60’s

Friday Night

Mostly cloudy, cool, showers still possible, mid-to-upper 50’s

Saturday

Mostly cloudy, showers likely, cool, mid 60’s

Sunday

Cloudy, more rain likely, still cool, low-to-mid 60’s

Monday

Partly sunny, cool, mid 60’s

Tuesday

Mostly sunny, warmer, low 70’s

Discussion

Cool and unsettled weather will continue over southern California for the rest of the week and right through the upcoming weekend as a series of storms and frontal systems reach the west coast from the eastern Pacific Ocean. A deep upper level trough has set up shop in the eastern Pacific Ocean and this will transport tremendous amounts of moisture to the coast from its origins over the Hawaiian Islands. While the threat for rain will be persistent here over the next few days, the results in northern California could be quite devastating with incredible rainfall amounts possible of more than a foot over the next few days. Genuine clearing may not take place around here until early next week.

11:05 AM | Atmospheric firehose takes aim at northern California

Discussion

While the weather in the East quiets down over the next several days, the west coast from northern California to the Pacific Northwest will be pummeled by a series of frontal systems and Pacific Ocean storms and, unfortunately, the atmosphere is setting up in such a way that the rainfall in northern California, and perhaps southwest Oregon, could be historic. A deep upper level trough will set up shop in the eastern Pacific Ocean for a few days and this will open the flood gates for a moisture plume to develop extending all the way from the Hawaiian Islands to the US west coast and major flooding could be the result. The soaking begins today as the initial system barrels into the west coast, but this will be a rather quick mover and a relatively “conventional” storm. The next system rolls ashore on Thursday and this will have the extreme moisture associated with it that will have its origins over the Hawaiian Islands. More rain will follow that storm on Friday and the threat will continue daily right through the weekend. By the time all is said and done, more than a foot of rain could fall across northern California, and perhaps southwest Oregon, over the next 5 days or so with the high potential for flash flooding, rock/mudslides, etc.

Rainfall amounts in southern California will be much lighter over the next few days, but not insignificant. This atmospheric set up will also produce heavy snow of more than a foot over the high elevation Sierra Mountains and also the Bitterroots, Tetons, Wasatch and Washington Cascades. Also, this pattern will send a plume of mild air eastward across the country that will first warm up the central Rockies later this week, then the Plains significantly this weekend, and then the eastern states early next week.