West Coast Atmospheric Rivers
Back-to-back atmospheric rivers have brought substantial precipitation to the US West Coast.
A state of emergency was declared for Southern California as heavy rainfall and flooding threatened the region.
Called a ‘pineapple express’ atmospheric river, which forms in Hawaii and passes north-east through the Pacific Ocean to the Coast, the two storms brought 10.57 inches of rain to Los Angeles.
The first storm hit California on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, and the second storm hit on Feb. 4-6. The storm hit San Francisco first, and then moved down towards Los Angeles and San Diego.
Snowfall in the Sierra Nevada mountains tripled thanks to the system.
Multiple feet of snow were in the forecast from the Sierra Nevada mountains to the Cascades, with winter weather extending well into the Rocky Mountains.
On Feb. 19, another storm slammed into California. Another atmospheric river hit Southern California in the morning, before battering the Bay Area with thunderstorms and wind in the afternoon. Southern California received up to 10 inches of rain. Hail and flooding were predicted over the Central Valley of California as well.
Satellite imagery of this event:
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