Episode 73
Pacific Storms Unleashed: A Comprehensive Weather Briefing
The primary focus of today's brief centers on the significant impacts of a powerful Pacific storm train, which is anticipated to bring excessive rainfall and heavy snow across various regions, particularly California, Nevada, and the Pacific Northwest. We begin by addressing the heightened risk of flooding in California, where coastal downpours are likely to raise river levels and exacerbate travel difficulties due to road closures and chain controls in mountainous areas. As the storm progresses, we will see its effects extend into Nevada and other states, with advisories for high winds and winter weather being issued.
Takeaways:
- A powerful Pacific storm train is currently affecting multiple regions across the United States.
- California faces a slight risk of excessive rainfall, impacting coastal areas and Sierra Nevada mountains.
- Travelers should anticipate road closures and chain control requirements due to severe weather conditions.
- Nevada has winter storm warnings in place, with significant snow expected in various counties.
- Wind and rain are expected to increase in Washington, accompanied by flood warnings in certain areas.
- Arizona will experience moisture from the Pacific storm, leading to potential flooding and winter weather advisories.
Sources
[USGS M4.5+ Past Day | https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/feed/v1.0/summary/4.5_day.geojson]
[NWS Bay Area | https://www.weather.gov/mtr/]
[NWS Hanford (San Joaquin Valley/Sierra) | https://www.weather.gov/hnx/]
[NWS LOX Gale Warning | https://forecast.weather.gov/wwamap/wwatxtget.php?cwa=lox&wwa=gale+warning]
[WPC — Excessive Rainfall (CA Slight Risk today) | https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/qpf/ero.php?day=1&opt=curr]
[SFGATE — Bay Area flood watch & storm timing | https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/flood-watch-bay-area-through-christmas-21256885.php]
[NWS Reno — Warnings/Travel briefing | https://www.weather.gov/rev/]
[NWS Las Vegas — Flood Watch & wind messaging | https://www.weather.gov/vef/]
[NWS Reno — Flood Watch text (issued 1:45 AM PST) | https://forecast.weather.gov/wwamap/wwatxtget.php?cwa=usa&wwa=flood+watch]
[NWS Portland — hazards | https://www.weather.gov/pqr/]
[WPC — CA-to-OR heavy rain corridor (Slight/Marginal) | https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/qpf/ero.php?day=1&opt=curr]
[NWS Seattle — hazards & hydrology | https://www.weather.gov/sew/]
[NWS Phoenix — Flood Watch & event timeline | https://www.weather.gov/psr/]
[NWS Flagstaff — winter headlines | https://www.weather.gov/fgz/]
[NWS Buffalo — Hazardous Weather Outlook (Lake Ontario counties) | https://www.weather.gov/buf/BUFHWOBUF]
[NWS Buffalo — hazards | https://www.weather.gov/buf/]
Transcript
A powerful Pacific storm train continues today.
Speaker A:The Weather Prediction center holds a slight risk of excessive rainfall for large parts of California with coastal downpours rising rivers and heavy Sierra snow through Wednesday.
Speaker A:Travelers over mountain passes should plan around closures and chain controls farther inland.
Speaker A:The same system spreads wind, rain and high elevation snow into Nevada, Oregon, Washington and Arizona tonight into Christmas Day.
Speaker A:The Storm Prediction Center's Day one outlook does not highlight organized severe thunderstorms, but embedded lightning and convective bands are possible along the coast.
Speaker A:No U.S. earthquakes greater than a magnitude 4.5 are on the USGS past day list as of this morning.
Speaker A:Lets run through the states.
Speaker A:Storm number one peaks tonight into Wednesday morning with high wind warnings at the coast and headlands, flood watches for much of the Bay Area, central coast and interior valleys and storm gale warnings on the coastal waters.
Speaker A:Heaviest rain focuses from the North Bay through the Central coast while the Sierra transitions to heavy snow lowering to pass level Wednesday.
Speaker A:Nevada Winter storm warnings now blanket the Tahoe, Mono Counties and northeast CA border ranges, expanding snow impacts into western NV late tonight through Friday morning.
Speaker A:High winds develop area wide and flood watches start Wednesday for southern NV as rain bands arrive.
Speaker A:Oregon the coastal low tightens the gradient today into tonight.
Speaker A:High wind warnings along exposed headlands and ridges, gale warnings on coastal waters and winter weather advisories for the Cascades.
Speaker A:Washington Wind and rain increase this afternoon and evening west of the Cascades with wind advisories, ongoing flood warnings on a few forecast points and small craft gale hazards on the waters.
Speaker A:Winter weather advisories continue on the Cascade passes where wet snow and slush will degrade traction.
Speaker A:Arizona Moisture from the Pacific system reaches central and southwest AZ Wednesday Thursday with flood watches posted for portions of the lower deserts and winter weather advisories for the high country.
Speaker A:New York A winter weather advisory runs today into early Wednesday for the eastern Lake Ontario region.
Speaker A:Oswego, Jefferson, Lewis with light to moderate lake effect snow and slick travel while western NY transitions to rain with only minor early accumulations.
Speaker A:All other states have no significant updates in the last 24 hours.
Speaker A:That's the brief for Tuesday, December 23rd.
Speaker A:Stay safe.
Speaker A:Source links are in the show notes below.
