Post by sagobob on Jan 31, 2024 13:10:14 GMT -8
Clouds of Mystery Pouring Confusion on the Ground
Over the next several days, a pair of storms is set to blast California with a nasty, disruptive mix of rain, snow and wind, with the first one arriving on Wednesday and the second likely by Sunday.
Both will be fueled by atmospheric rivers, plumes of tropical moisture that can bring a "firehose" of rain to the state. This type of atmospheric river is sometimes called the "Pineapple Express," since it originates near Hawaii, according to Weather.com.
The National Weather Service warns that the moisture "will create heavy rain over California." In fact, rain from the storm is forecast to be heavy enough to trigger flooding, mudslides and cause major travel disruptions across the state, AccuWeather meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said.
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Some higher elevations in the mountains could see up to four feet of snow, the weather service says.
The storm will create significant disruptions for travel across much of the state from Wednesday through Thursday as the rain spreads south, AccuWeather senior meteorologist Heather Zehr said.
San Francisco and Sacramento will see downpours on Wednesday, while Los Angeles and San Diego will see the heaviest rain on Thursday.
Strong winds and rough surf will also batter the state, forecasters said.