major storm for golden state, 50 foot rogue waves possible!!
Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2004 7:38 pm
Good evening folks. An amazing storm system is expected to plow into northern California starting later tonight, then slam into the rest of the state by later Wednesday into Wednesday night with huge seas with up to 50 foot rogue waves possible, coastal flooding, strong winds, heavy rains in the lower elevations and a tremendous amount of snow in the higher elevations. The following is a breakdown region by region as to the expectations from this major storm system across the golden state!!!
Starting in the coastal areas where numerous advisories are in effect tonight. From Point St George, California to Cape Mendocino, California and out 20-60 nautical miles, a storm warning is in effect tonight through Wednesday morning. A heavy surf advisory is in effect tonight through Thursday night. Expect increasing sustained winds from 40-55 mph with higher gusts tonight and this is expected to continue into Wednesday morning for the northern california coast. High wind warnings are in effect for coastal communities such as Crescent City and Eureka, California. This means expect sustained winds of 25-45 mph with gusts over 65 mph along the beaches and higher elevations also. Seas are expected to increase to over 20 feet tonight and 30-40 feet on Wednesday along the northern California coast.
Further south, winds and seas will increase gradually tonight and increase rapidly during the day Wednesday across central California including San Francisco and Monterrey Bay. Winds and seas will increase rapidly late Wednesday into Wednesday night for southern California coast. Breaking it down region by region, gale warnings are in effect for the entire central California coast tonight through Wednesday. This includes the San Francisco and Monterrey Bay areas. Coastal flooding is also a possibility as well, thus a coastal flood watch is in effect for the central California coast later Wednesday into Thursday. For tonight, expect winds to increase to 40-50 mph sustained with gusts over 60 mph. Seas are expected to increase to near 17 feet later tonight. By Wednesday, expect sustained winds of 25-40 mph with gusts over 60 mph along the central California coast with seas up to 22-28 feet. However by Wednesday night and Thursday, winds will gradually subside along with the precipitation. However combined seas with the wind and high swell is expected to be 25-40 feet with rogue waves possibly reaching an amazing 50 FEET along the north central California coast. As a result of this, coastal flood threat will actually be highest Wednesday night into Thursday for the north central California coast. In addition to that, there are high wind warnings in effect for San Francisco for Wednesday and Wednesday night. Across the bay into Oakland, a wind advisory is in effect for Wednesday and Wednesday night.
Further south into southern California, the danger is not over as coastal flood watches are up Wednesday night through Thursday for the San Diego beaches while gale warnings stretch all the way down the southern California coast to Long Beach for Wednesday evening. South of Long Beach, small craft advisories will be hoisted for Wednesday night into Thursday. However gale force gusts could be felt all the way down to the US/Mexican border along the coast including in San Diego. Seas could be in excess of 20-25 feet in southern California before we're all said and done with this.
In addition to the coastal impact, there is impacts expected courtesy of precipitation and heavy precipitation as well. A flood watch is up for Wednesday and Thursday for the central Valley of California including the Sacrmento, and San Joaquin Valley, and surrounding foothills including Lake Counties. Rainfall amounts will range from 1-2 inches in the valley locations to 2-3 inches in the foothills and surrounding Lake County. Significant rises of creeks, streams, and small rivers are expected and more rain is expected on thursday in this same area. Meanwhile in the higher elevations of the Sierra above 5000 feet, expect 2-3 feet of snow on Wednesday and 1-2 feet on top of that on Thursday. 3-5 feet of snow is likely in the Sierra's above 5000 feet. In the Mount Shasta area above 4000 feet, 2-3 feet of snow is likely to fall between now and Thursday. More snow is expected beyond this time period.
Further south into southern California, flood watches are up for Los Angeles and San Diego including in the burned areas of Simi Valley, the San Bernardino Mountains, and the San Diego Mountains. Burned ares will be most suspectible to dangerous flooding and potentially deadly rockslides and mudslides later Wednesday through Thursday. Rainfall total of 2-4 inches is expected for Los Angeles and San Diego with 4-8 inches possible in the burned areas and in orographically favored zones. This will only worsen the flooding and mudslides we have experienced over the past few days. We need precipitation, unfortunately it's all expected to happen at once across southern California. In addition to heavy rains, expect heavy mountain snows initially above 7000 feet on Wednesday evening, and 4000 feet by later Thursday. Up to 2 feet of snow is possible above 7000 feet in southern California. Wind gusts of 60-75 mph is possible in the higher moutnain peaks of southern California including in the Grapevine north of Los Angeles.
This is a dangerous storm system that should be taken seriously. Prepare to lose power and face the potential of property damage with this storm system in California. Travel is not advisable, especially near flood prone areas, in the ski resorts, and near the coast as well. In the case of flood prone areas, if you run into water covered roads, turn around and find another route. Turn around and don't drown. Along the coast, very high surf and coastal flooding could damage coastal property and make travel along the coastal roads impossible. In the mountains, heavy snows and blizzard conditions could potentially shut roads such as route 50 and I 80 in the Sierra over the next day or two. Snow chains are a must if you absolutely have to travel in the Sierra. However the best option is don't travel at all through the Sierra and in the higher elevated areas of I 5 near Mount Shasta!!! This is a dangerous storm system and more updates will be issued throughout the night and into Wednesday!!
Jim
Starting in the coastal areas where numerous advisories are in effect tonight. From Point St George, California to Cape Mendocino, California and out 20-60 nautical miles, a storm warning is in effect tonight through Wednesday morning. A heavy surf advisory is in effect tonight through Thursday night. Expect increasing sustained winds from 40-55 mph with higher gusts tonight and this is expected to continue into Wednesday morning for the northern california coast. High wind warnings are in effect for coastal communities such as Crescent City and Eureka, California. This means expect sustained winds of 25-45 mph with gusts over 65 mph along the beaches and higher elevations also. Seas are expected to increase to over 20 feet tonight and 30-40 feet on Wednesday along the northern California coast.
Further south, winds and seas will increase gradually tonight and increase rapidly during the day Wednesday across central California including San Francisco and Monterrey Bay. Winds and seas will increase rapidly late Wednesday into Wednesday night for southern California coast. Breaking it down region by region, gale warnings are in effect for the entire central California coast tonight through Wednesday. This includes the San Francisco and Monterrey Bay areas. Coastal flooding is also a possibility as well, thus a coastal flood watch is in effect for the central California coast later Wednesday into Thursday. For tonight, expect winds to increase to 40-50 mph sustained with gusts over 60 mph. Seas are expected to increase to near 17 feet later tonight. By Wednesday, expect sustained winds of 25-40 mph with gusts over 60 mph along the central California coast with seas up to 22-28 feet. However by Wednesday night and Thursday, winds will gradually subside along with the precipitation. However combined seas with the wind and high swell is expected to be 25-40 feet with rogue waves possibly reaching an amazing 50 FEET along the north central California coast. As a result of this, coastal flood threat will actually be highest Wednesday night into Thursday for the north central California coast. In addition to that, there are high wind warnings in effect for San Francisco for Wednesday and Wednesday night. Across the bay into Oakland, a wind advisory is in effect for Wednesday and Wednesday night.
Further south into southern California, the danger is not over as coastal flood watches are up Wednesday night through Thursday for the San Diego beaches while gale warnings stretch all the way down the southern California coast to Long Beach for Wednesday evening. South of Long Beach, small craft advisories will be hoisted for Wednesday night into Thursday. However gale force gusts could be felt all the way down to the US/Mexican border along the coast including in San Diego. Seas could be in excess of 20-25 feet in southern California before we're all said and done with this.
In addition to the coastal impact, there is impacts expected courtesy of precipitation and heavy precipitation as well. A flood watch is up for Wednesday and Thursday for the central Valley of California including the Sacrmento, and San Joaquin Valley, and surrounding foothills including Lake Counties. Rainfall amounts will range from 1-2 inches in the valley locations to 2-3 inches in the foothills and surrounding Lake County. Significant rises of creeks, streams, and small rivers are expected and more rain is expected on thursday in this same area. Meanwhile in the higher elevations of the Sierra above 5000 feet, expect 2-3 feet of snow on Wednesday and 1-2 feet on top of that on Thursday. 3-5 feet of snow is likely in the Sierra's above 5000 feet. In the Mount Shasta area above 4000 feet, 2-3 feet of snow is likely to fall between now and Thursday. More snow is expected beyond this time period.
Further south into southern California, flood watches are up for Los Angeles and San Diego including in the burned areas of Simi Valley, the San Bernardino Mountains, and the San Diego Mountains. Burned ares will be most suspectible to dangerous flooding and potentially deadly rockslides and mudslides later Wednesday through Thursday. Rainfall total of 2-4 inches is expected for Los Angeles and San Diego with 4-8 inches possible in the burned areas and in orographically favored zones. This will only worsen the flooding and mudslides we have experienced over the past few days. We need precipitation, unfortunately it's all expected to happen at once across southern California. In addition to heavy rains, expect heavy mountain snows initially above 7000 feet on Wednesday evening, and 4000 feet by later Thursday. Up to 2 feet of snow is possible above 7000 feet in southern California. Wind gusts of 60-75 mph is possible in the higher moutnain peaks of southern California including in the Grapevine north of Los Angeles.
This is a dangerous storm system that should be taken seriously. Prepare to lose power and face the potential of property damage with this storm system in California. Travel is not advisable, especially near flood prone areas, in the ski resorts, and near the coast as well. In the case of flood prone areas, if you run into water covered roads, turn around and find another route. Turn around and don't drown. Along the coast, very high surf and coastal flooding could damage coastal property and make travel along the coastal roads impossible. In the mountains, heavy snows and blizzard conditions could potentially shut roads such as route 50 and I 80 in the Sierra over the next day or two. Snow chains are a must if you absolutely have to travel in the Sierra. However the best option is don't travel at all through the Sierra and in the higher elevated areas of I 5 near Mount Shasta!!! This is a dangerous storm system and more updates will be issued throughout the night and into Wednesday!!
Jim
