Posted on 01/06/2005 4:20:25 PM PST by NormsRevenge
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The first of two major winter storms was expected to strike California late Thursday night, bringing strong winds and rain along the coast and heavy snow in the Sierra Nevada.
"The entire state of California is pretty much under the gun for the next three or four days," Duane Dykema, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Monterey, said Thursday. "People are definitely going to have to be wary if they have travel plans, especially if they plan to go to the mountains."
The first storm, which originated in the eastern Pacific Ocean, was expected to reach the San Francisco Bay area late Thursday night. The NWS issued a high wind watch for the region between San Francisco and Monterey.
The U.S. Coast Guard advised Bay Area boaters and beach visitors to "exercise extreme caution" over the next four days, warning of waves that could reach 17 feet high and winds up to 20 knots per hour. It also issued a gale-force wind and high surf advisory for Monterey Bay and the Central California coast.
California's north coast could see some wind and rain, but the brunt of the storm was expected to hit the Bay Area and then head south to the Los Angeles area by late Friday morning.
A second storm, which originated in Western Canada, was forecast to move south through Washington and Oregon before reaching California on Friday night, offering no break between the storms.
"It's going to bring a lot of moisture and storminess throughout California," Dykema said.
The two storms could cause flooding near streams and rivers, produce damaging winds and disrupt air travel, Dykema said. Dry weather was not anticipated until the middle of next week, he said.
Over the next four days, the Bay Area is expected to see between 1 and 3 inches of rain at low elevations, and 2 to 5 inches in the coastal mountains.
Southern California is expected to receive between 4 and 8 inches of rain in coastal and valley regions and up to 20 inches in the mountains.
Between 3 and 5 feet of snow is expected in the Sierras, where a winter storm warning has been issued from 4 a.m. Friday to 4 p.m. Sunday.
A continuous band of storms that began on Dec. 27 brought up to 9 feet of snow at some ski resorts around Lake Tahoe and pushed rainfall totals throughout California well above normal.
Since July 1, the start of the rainfall season, Los Angeles has received 15.68 inches of rain - nearly four times the usual rainfall for the period, and more than the city normally gets in a year. San Francisco has received 14.23 inches of rain since July 1, about 165 percent of normal.
"Donner Party" bump.
My pity party for California has been non-stop since I left in 1987.
Hasta la vista Baby!
Beautiful place, but socialsim sucks!
FRom the Bay Area southward mainly including SoCal, pretty wet conditions at lower elevations to lots of snow higher up for the next 3-4 days.. looks like the Pineapple Express will be kicking in..
Be careful out there.
ps... if ya haven't made a trip by the FReepathon thread and ya lurk like a mugger here, donate if ya can or better yet, Become a FR Monthly.
As the old saying goes..
Only you can prevent FReepathons. :-)
Thanks!
Under the gun? Been to Banda Aceh recently?
Would the Donner Party have made it if they had SUVs? ;-)
EXCELLENT!
4-5' base at Mt. Baldy!
One does not have to dismiss lesser problems because of the horrific tragedy in Indonesia..I have not seen you on the many threads expressing horror and listing places to donate.
Basic question, is all this rain/snow a good thing or a bad thing? Weren't there problems with drought, or at least less water available from the Colorado?
doubtful cause where they were they would find "roads" helpful as well..........lol.........bbbrrrrrrrrr
Skiers, if they can get there now, will already be very happy, lots of good snow in them thar mountains already. :-)
I don't ski myself, too darn expensive and dangerous.. ;-)
I used to live in Upland and had a great view of Mt Baldy everyday..........still prettier here in Nor Cal......lol
TV actually made a movie on the Donner Party, it aired approx. 20 years ago. "Robert Fuller" of the 60's show "Wagon Train" was the wagon master of the Donner Party.
Uuuggghhh. Sounds like a good weekend to stay in bed, or just stay curled up in front of the fireplace.
It's Arnold's fault!
The local weather goober babe said the Sierra could get 3 to 5 feet of snow by Monday.
We were at the Hotel Del Coronado once overlooking the water...I told the table.."I don't know what those are called here ,but in Texas it's called a tornado."..(spied a water spout)..One guest headed for the basement..
I have to laugh...LACK of snow is killing them here in New England. Ski areas, especially the cross-country ones, and taking it in the financial shorts. Local snowmobile dealers can't give them away; crates of them are stacked everywhere. We got several inches today, but more good news (for those of us who HATE snow!) is on the way...mid 50'S and RAIN headed this way in a few days! Yahooooooo! (Voting for Kerry has consequences, Yankees!)
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