West Coast Storm Systems
A string of powerful storm systems brought rain, snow, and wind to the U.S. West Coast.
A string of powerful storm systems battered the Western U.S. bringing powerful winds, flooding rains, and heavy snow to the Pacific Northwest and across California. From late December to mid-January, three atmospheric rivers slammed California and the west coast, bringing heavy rainfall, power outages and flooding.
In addition to the flooding, parts of the Sierra Nevada mountain saw 120 inches of snow more than twice the normal annual average. Rainfall estimates of 10-20 inches and hurricane-level winds, along with sporadic tornado warnings also occurred in this long storm system. In California, at least 17 deaths have been directly attributed to the flooding and other elements of the storms.
Satellite imagery of this event:
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