Western Railroad Discussion > Heavy rain storm warning for NorCal this weekend . . .

.. SIGNIFICANT FLOOD POTENTIAL THIS WEEKEND...

.THE SECOND PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM ON FRIDAY BROUGHT HEAVY RAIN... AND AREAS OF URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING TO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. SOME AREAS OF SHASTA COUNTY AND THE WEST SLOPE SIERRA NEVADA RECEIVED 6 TO 9 INCHES OF RAIN IN THE 24 HOUR PERIOD ENDING FRIDAY AFTERNOON... AND AN INCH AND A HALF TO 3 INCHES IN THE INTERIOR VALLEY. THE TWO STORMS OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS HAVE NOW SATURATED THE SOILS.

THE FINAL STORM IN THIS SERIES IS EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH NORTHERN CALIFORNIA SATURDAY AND SUNDAY WITH THE HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION OCCURRING SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING.

ADDITIONAL RAINFALL ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY IS EXPECTED TO RANGE FROM 6 TO 8 INCHES IN SHASTA COUNTY... 6 TO 10 INCHES OVER THE SIERRA NEVADA... MAINLY NORTH OF THE HIGHWAY 50 CORRIDOR... AND 1 TO OVER 3 INCHES IN THE INTERIOR VALLEY. THIS ADDITIONAL RAINFALL ON TOP OF SATURDAY SOILS WILL INCREASE THE POTENTIAL OF AREAL FLOODING.

URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING IS LIKELY IN THE VALLEY AND WEIR OVERFLOW THROUGH BYPASSES WILL OCCUR. LARGE RIVERS IN THE VALLEY WILL RISE... THE UPPER SACRAMENTO WILL LIKELY EXCEED FLOOD STAGE AT A NUMBER OF LOCATIONS ON SUNDAY AND INTO MONDAY.

DEBRIS FLOWS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THE HEAVY RAIN... ESPECIALLY NEAR AREAS BURNED IN RECENT WILDFIRES.

IN THE MOUNTAINS... FLOODING OF RIVERS AND CREEKS WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE THROUGH THE WEEKEND ESPECIALLY SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY WHEN THE HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED. THE AREAS MOST LIKELY TO SEE SIGNIFICANT RIVER FLOODING AT THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS WILL BE OVER SHASTA COUNTY ALONG WITH EASTERN BUTTE AND WESTERN PLUMAS COUNTIES... THOUGH OTHER AREAS WILL ALSO BE VULNERABLE.

This is what California gets for making fun of the east coast for Sandy! All jokes aside, those that are on the west coast, be safe. A friend on another forum already had a bad experience with the weather today out there...

Unfortunately for California, this storm is too early (ie: warm) to do much good in terms of snowpack and related water table improvement. It falls from the sky, creates the environment for multiple idiot-based traffic problems and idiot-based legal issues and flows out to sea.

John

If I read the chart on this web page showing the Sacramento River at Delta Ca, the river went up almost 10 feet for a short amount of time:

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ca/nwis/uv/?site_no=11342000&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060

Lone Star Wrote:
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> Unfortunately for California, this storm is too
> early (ie: warm) to do much good in terms of
> snowpack and related water table improvement. It
> falls from the sky, creates the environment for
> multiple idiot-based traffic problems and
> idiot-based legal issues and flows out to sea.
>
> John

While the storm may not make much snow (at least below 7000 ft elevation) in the Sierra, there is plenty of room now behind most of the dams on California rivers, so the rain WILL improve both the water table and supplies for future years.

Highway 70 through the Feather River Canyon was closed most of yesterday (Friday) due to flooding (plugged culvert) and some slides between Belden & Tobin. It opened around 5 PM. The creeks and rivers are certainly up, but not even close to approaching the 96-97 or 1986 levels. We have one more round of storms to go. The breaks between them have certainly helped. BNSF still seems to be running trains as of last night.

Tom Y
from suburban Crescent Mills, CA

I believe this is the beginning of a pattern change that will finally allow the easing of the drought in the central U.S.: http://meteorologicalmusings.blogspot.com/2012/11/is-this-long-awaited-pattern-change.html

Ever notice that the Nat'l Weather Service puts out these bulletins in ALL CAPS?? I can't be the only person that finds it incredibly difficult to read.

Thanks for that detailed weather map. It tends to reinforce the idea that as northern California gets wet, Texas and the southwest tend to get dry. The moisture predictions show east Texas getting some rain, but from the DFW region west and south, no rain..... and that is very bad news indeed.

I'm still chuckling over the "big news" and "weather warnings" from California. Those of us who were born and raised
there and lived there for many years can tell all those nice people that it's rained before, there has been storms before,
and life goes on. As for the weather pattern, if it doesn't change the people in Arizona will be coming to Nebraska for
the better Winter weather.

rehunn Wrote:
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> I'm still chuckling over the "big news" and
> "weather warnings" from California. Those of us
> who were born and raised
> there and lived there for many years can tell all
> those nice people that it's rained before, there
> has been storms before,
> and life goes on. As for the weather pattern, if
> it doesn't change the people in Arizona will be
> coming to Nebraska for
> the better Winter weather.


I agree...it is that time of year for...rain. Why is this news now???

Adam

<<<<<<I agree...it is that time of year for...rain. Why is this news now??? >>>>>

The more thoughtful question is: When, where, and how much?

Rain, and lots of it in the northern California mountains, has little impact on the drought throughout the mid western US, southward to Texas, and southwest. There was a brief interlude in parts of the US in the last year, but the drought conditions continue across huge swaths of the US.

Oddly, it is 81 degrees and sunny here in the DFW area.... and no precipitation in sight.

Usually some of it makes it over the hills and at least into the Rockies as snow but
just like California, they have to hog the precip! Must think it's new tax money.

For people that use all caps...is usually denotes that
they are raising their voice or hollering at you...to get a
point across, I guess...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/01/12 14:04 by Agt-Highland.

Isn't "Capital Letters' a hangover from the old teleprinter days where Telex and Telegrams were Capital Letters

Michael McInerney
Marion, South Australia,

mmciau Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Isn't "Capital Letters' a hangover from the old
> teleprinter days where Telex and Telegrams were
> Capital Letters

Yes, most likely related to sending the info to the news-wire services, like the Associated Press. The practice could probably be done away with, but the NWS is a rather bureaucratic organization. They do great work in the local forecast offices, though.

Any one else notice that it's only raining on the blue states?

rehunn Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Usually some of it makes it over the hills and at
> least into the Rockies as snow but
> just like California, they have to hog the precip!
> Must think it's new tax money.

<<<<<Any one else notice that it's only raining on the blue states? >>>>>>>>

It's because we won.

God is rewarding intelligent, smart Americans, with life giving rain. Drought is part of the punishment for voting incorrectly.

mustraline Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> <<<<>>>>>>>
>
> It's because we won.
>
> God is rewarding intelligent, smart Americans,
> with life giving rain. Drought is part of the
> punishment for voting incorrectly.

LOL