MOUNTAIN COMMUNITIES–While much of Northern California is drying out from a torrential New Year’s weekend storm, the National Weather Service Hanford Office is predicting several more storms will impact our area over the next 10 days. The first one will be arriving tomorrow, Wednesday, and is expected to impact us heavily. A flood watch and winter storm warning have been issued ahead of it.
Tonight the snow showers are mainly dissipating over the Sierra Nevada late tonight so we will get a brief break from precipitation today; however, moderate to heavy showers and high elevation snow are in store for both Wednesday and Thursday. A Flood Watch has issued for much of our forecast area, especially outside of the Kern County desert and higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada. Any place that receives rainfall could experience periods of at least nuisance flooding, and the ground in these areas is saturated due to previous storms.
A Flood Watch has issued for much of our forecast area, especially outside of the Kern County desert and higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada. Any place that receives rainfall could experience periods of at least nuisance flooding, and the ground in these areas is saturated due to previous storms.
Expect a lull in activity for Friday between low pressure systems. However, for the weekend, there will be yet another storm system. This one appears to weaken as it moves southward from Northern California, so it will produce lesser amounts of precipitation. The more rain we receive, the higher the chance for impacts such as additional rises in rivers, creeks, and streams, as well as flooding and debris flows. This active pattern continues into next week, although some of the models suggest the trough pattern and associated precipitation will shift northward into Northern California.
The Climate Prediction Center shows continued chances of above average precipitation for much of next week, or the 10th-13th. There is a moderate risk of heavy precipitation for our entire forecast area with heavy snow mainly in the Sierra.
