CA/NV/AZ /Flooding, Mudslides, & Snow El Nino Event January

[srainhoutx]

Well, I can say as someone who had to drive thru the stuff we definitely got hammered this morning here in the Bay Area. An unofficial report I heard on the radio mentioned a 125 mph gust up on the top of Mt. Diablo (not sure how reliable that is)

The sun teased us for about an hour at around lunchtime but now it's clouding up again - looks like another squall line is about to hit us and then the big scary one they've been chatting up here is supposed to smack us tomorrow.

Driving tomorrow will be no picnic for sure...ugh!

Talked with a friend near Paradise (N of Oroville) this mornning. She stated that the wind was very frightening. Her home sits about 2700 ft above sea level and is surrounded by trees. She cancelled an appointment in Susanville yesterday due to the snow. The next system looks to pack a wallop.

[Brent]

1230 PM TSTM WND GST NEWPORT BEACH 33.61N 117.91W
01/19/2010 M93.00 MPH PZZ655 CA FIRE DEPT/RESCUE

93 MPH GUST 1230 PM MEASURED BY LIFEGUARDS AT NEWPORT
BEACH PIER. ALSO MEASURED GUSTS TO 72 AND 73 MPH.

0145 PM TORNADO HUNTINGTON BEACH 33.69N 118.01W
01/19/2010 ORANGE CA EMERGENCY MNGR

PROBABLE TORNADO IN HUNTINGTON BEACH. BOATS UPLIFTED AND
DAMAGED IN THE HB HARBOR. DAMAGE TO BUILDING IN AREAS.
CAR FLIPPED 16400 PCH.

0145 PM TSTM WND DMG COSTA MESA 33.67N 117.91W
01/19/2010 ORANGE CA EMERGENCY MNGR

DAMAGE TO MOBILE HOMES REPORTED BY ORANGE COUNTY
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

0145 PM TSTM WND DMG SEAL BEACH 33.76N 118.08W
01/19/2010 ORANGE CA EMERGENCY MNGR

WIND DAMAGE TO BUILDINGS REPORTED IN SEAL BEACH BY ORANGE
COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

[Extremeweatherguy]

That 93mph gust in Newport Beach, at sea-level, is very impressive.

[CrazyC83]

This actually reminds me somewhat of the event around January 4, 2008...and that led to a major tornado outbreak once it got to the Midwest and South.

[Stephanie]

Well, I can say as someone who had to drive thru the stuff we definitely got hammered this morning here in the Bay Area. An unofficial report I heard on the radio mentioned a 125 mph gust up on the top of Mt. Diablo (not sure how reliable that is)

The sun teased us for about an hour at around lunchtime but now it's clouding up again - looks like another squall line is about to hit us and then the big scary one they've been chatting up here is supposed to smack us tomorrow.

Driving tomorrow will be no picnic for sure...ugh!

Good luck and welcome aboard!!

I think I've seen just about everything now - tornado warnings and sightings in California!!! :eek:

[I-wall]

This actually reminds me somewhat of the event around January 4, 2008...and that led to a major tornado outbreak once it got to the Midwest and South.

That Jan 4th 08 storm was really bad here in Sacramento. I saw very large trees knocked over onto houses and we lost power for several hours. It was the worst storm i've personally witnessed in California. Is tomorrows storm supposed to be that bad? Sacramento is now under a high wind warning. The last time I remember having a high wind warning here was Jan 4th 08. I'm ready for a fun time tomorrow (as long as no trees fall on my house)!

[fogbreath]

Good luck and welcome aboard!!

I think I've seen just about everything now - tornado warnings and sightings in California!!! :eek:

Thanks Stephanie. Kinda' stuff for this neck of the woods anyway

This morning I beat the brunt of today's storm into work - not as bad as yesterday morning, but still plenty windy enough, especially on the bridges. I heard a radio report that the pressure was at 29.20 and still falling a couple hours away from the front's arrival.

Saw lots of localized flooding of highways and streets and stuff in the news; they even had to close one bore of the Caldecott Tunnel yesterday because a storm drain had gotten backed up and water was fountaining up from it and spilling onto traffic. Thankfully, there's enough of a break between storms and plus the drought conditions prior to now where the rivers aren't near close to flooding.

I hope you SoCal and AZ folks are going to be okay; you're in the target sight for the tailend of the week stuff based on what I hear (rain veering south of here, like what the forecasters are saying, is pretty unusual.)

[srainhoutx]

12Z OP GFS is down right concerning for N CA and points E. The record low pressure system that I can find is 977mb off the CA Coast. At 36 hours, the GFS suggests the same type storm...

[I-wall]

12Z OP GFS is down right concerning for N CA and points E. The record low pressure system that I can find is 977mb off the CA Coast. At 36 hours, the GFS suggests the same type storm...

What exactly does this mean for those of us that live in central California?

[fogbreath]

Is that the model for Thursday or Friday there srainhoutx?

Just glanced outside the lunchroom window - I see a string of busted umbrellas on the sidewalk and a 15-foot tree that's essentially been debranched (the main part of the branch system is lying on the sidewalk next to the trunk)

Looks like the pressure dipped down to about 986 mb just a little after 8 AM PST, based on the weather station report I glanced at just a few minutes ago. The main front is now thru this area and is hitting parts east and south of us with a vengeance

[srainhoutx]

Very high winds along the Coast as well as the Sacramento Valley to the Sierras. Rainfall/snowfall rates look very concerning as well IMHO. There is also a sub 970mb low off Eureka right now as well. Stay safe folks.

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/satellite/

[srainhoutx]

Is that the model for Thursday or Friday there srainhoutx?

Just glanced outside the lunchroom window - I see a string of busted umbrellas on the sidewalk and a 15-foot tree that's essentially been debranched (the main part of the branch system is lying on the sidewalk next to the trunk)

Looks like the pressure dipped down to about 986 mb just a little after 8 AM PST, based on the weather station report I glanced at just a few minutes ago. The main front is now thru this area and is hitting parts east and south of us with a vengeance

Friday (00Z).

[fogbreath]

Friday (00Z).

Thanks...I never figured I'd be following a model report for something here on the west coast..at least, north of the border of Mexico anyway.

[srainhoutx]

I think the Pacific RECON is paying dividends for you folks and was well worth the effort for those long missions. Hopefully enough folks got the word and are paying close attention to the forecasts.

[I-wall]

The rain here in Sacramento has pretty much stopped. I can see blue skies off to the west. This wasn't nearly as bad as the Jan 4th storm in 08. Are we going to get another strong system this week?

[azskyman]

Here in Phoenix, I did a site survey of a number of water retention areas. They are stressed by the 1"+ rains of Monday and Tuesday. Significant rains on Thursday into Friday this week could see flooding in places not normally prone to such conditions. We'll be watching this storm closely especially Thursday into Friday morning.

[srainhoutx]

Oxnard (LA) AFD this morning...snipet...another very long day out W

.SHORT TERM (TODAY-SAT)...
A COMPLEX WEATHER SYSTEM COVERS THE EASTERN PACIFIC THIS MORNING WITH A POWERFUL LOW OFF OF THE OREGON COAST AND A SECOND DOUBLE LOW COMPLEX IS TO THE WEST OF POINT CONCEPTION. A LARGE PLUME OF MOISTURE IS OFF THE CENTRAL COAST WITH A LONG TAIL EXTENDING TO THE SOUTHWEST. THE TWO SFC LOWS OFF OF POINT CONCEPTION WILL DUMBBELL AROUND EACH OTHER AND MOVE INTO THE BAY AREA...ALL THE WHILE KEEPING THE SOUTHWEST FLOW ADVECTING OVER SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. (AS A SIDE NOTE THE 06Z WRF FCSTS A 984 MB PRESSURE OVER L.A. COUNTY LATER THIS EVENING WHICH IF IS CORRECT WILL BE AT OR NEAR THE ALL TIME LOW PRESSURE READING FOR L.A.). THE ATMOSPHERE IS FAIRLY UNSTABLE AS WELL AND THE AREA REMAINS UNDER THE LEFT FRONT AREA OF THE JET WHICH WILL ENHANCE THE TSTM POTENTIAL THROUGH THE DAY. THE BEST CHANCE OF TSTMS WILL BE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING AS THE MAXIMUM INSTABILITY MOVES INTO THE AREA. DUE TO THE CONVECTIVE NATURE OF TODAYS SYSTEM THERE WILL BE A BETTER CHANCE FOR HEAVY DOWNPOURS WHICH WILL LIKELY CREATE DEBRIS FLOWS IF THEY OCCUR OVER A BURN AREA. WATERSPOUTS AND OR WEAK TORNADOS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE UNDER THE STRONGER TSTMS THIS AFTERNOON. AS THE SURFACE LOW DEEPENS AND MOVES CLOSER TO SHORE IT WILL TIGHTEN THE PRESSURE GRADIENTS AND SET UP ADVISORY LEVEL WINDS FROM THE SOUTHEAST...THIS IS A LITTLE WORRISOME AS EASTERLY WINDS CAN HAVE A PRONOUNCED DRYING EFFECT DURING RAIN EVENTS...BUT CURRENT PROGS HAVE THE LOW MOVING MORE TOT HE NORTHEAST AND THIS SHOULD LIMIT THAT THREAT. ADVISORY LEVEL WINDS ARE LIKELY ACROSS THE CENTRAL COAST AND OVER THE SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS. IT WILL ALSO BE WINDY ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS OF L.A. AND VTA COUNTIES BUT A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THOSE REGIONS. RAINFALL AMOUNTS FOR TODAY THROUGH THIS EVENING SHOULD AVERAGE 1-2" COASTS AND VLYS AND 2-4" MTNS WITH LESSER AMTS IN THE DESERTS AND HIGHER AMOUNTS UNDER THE HEAVIER TSTMS. MAX RAINFALL RATES TODAY WILL BE BETWEEN .5 AND .75 INCHES PER HOUR EXCEPT OVER ONE INCH PER HOUR RATES UNDER TSTMS. SNOW LEVELS WILL RISE TODAY TO BETWEEN 5000 AND 5500 AS THE SOUTHWEST WINDS KICK IN. THERE WILL BE LOWER SNOW LEVELS ACROSS THE INTERIOR. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS THROUGH THIS EVENING WILL LIKELY FALL BETWEEN 10 AND 20 INCHES.

[srainhoutx]

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OXNARD CA
1027 AM PST THU JAN 21 2010

CAZ034-035-037-051-211930-
SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY CENTRAL COAST CA-SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY
INTERIOR VALLEYS CA-SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY MOUNTAINS CA-SANTA BARBARA
COUNTY CENTRAL COAST CA-
1027 AM PST THU JAN 21 2010

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WESTERN SAN LUIS OBISPO AND
NORTHWESTERN SANTA BARBARA COUNTIES UNTIL 1130 AM PST...

AT 1025 AM PST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING
A LINE OF STRONG SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM 7 MILES
SOUTH OF MORRO BAY TO 23 MILES SOUTH OF LOMPOC...AND MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS...ALONG
WITH SMALL HAIL...BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL...AND DANGEROUS CLOUD-TO-GROUND
LIGHTNING.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
PISMO BEACH AND SAN LUIS OBISPO...
ATASCADERO AND GUADALUPE...
ARROYO GRANDE AND VANDENBERG AFB...
LOMPOC AND SANTA MARGARITA...
VANDENBERG VILLAGE...
NIPOMO...
SANTA MARIA...

[srainhoutx]

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
1054 AM MST THU JAN 21 2010

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PHOENIX HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
SOUTHEASTERN IMPERIAL COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA...
THIS INCLUDES WINTERHAVEN...
NORTHWESTERN YUMA COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST ARIZONA...
THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...YUMA...SOMERTON...MARTINEZ LAKE...
GADSDEN...FORTUNA FOOTHILLS...
SOUTHERN LA PAZ COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ARIZONA...

* UNTIL 100 PM MST/NOON PST/

* AT 950 AM PST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED
HEAVY RAIN OVER THE WARNED AREA.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO ARABY...
BLAISDELL...KINTER...ANDRADE...LIGURTA AND WINTERHAVEN

[fogbreath]

Yesterday was supposed to be a relatively calm day, but we had some scattered tstrm cells dampen things all around the area. And everyone was all abuzz about what most of many of you in tornado country consider something fairly commonplace

Brentwood, CA Funnel Cloud