“It never rains in California,. But girl, don’t they warn ya? It pours, man it pours.” Never has that song by Albert Hammond ever been more true than in the last two weeks across California and the western states.
A nearly relentless wet pattern has soaked California and the West for the last fourteen days, bringing anywhere from 7 inches to downtown Los Angeles to almost 20 inches reported in the San Gabriel Mountains. The almost constant deluge prompted widespread flooding, evacuations, and even a few rain-related deaths.
As AccuWeather reports, to say California has been waterlogged so far this wet season may be an understatement. Though the period from Oct. 1 to mid-November was rather dry, since Oct. 14, downtown Los Angeles has received nearly 14 inches of rain, through Jan. 3 (343% of the historical average), while San Diego is at 232% of average. Even areas that typically receive more rain over that period, including San Francisco, are also registering above-average totals (128% of average).
The Week Begins with More Rain and Snow
Meteorologists are warning Californians and westerners not to put away the rain gear just yet. “Rainy weather is expected to continue for much of coastal and Northern California through Monday night, as a series of storms continue to hit the state,” said AccuWeather Meteorologist Kai Kerkow.
That means more chances of flooding and heavy snow in mountain regions, especially in the northern Sierra Nevada region above 6,000 feet elevation. While the continuing snow dump is music to the ears of skiers and snowboarders, it will make travel dodgy in these areas.
Beyond Monday, the storm track is expected to shift north, bringing more rain and mountain snow to the Pacific Northwest. Eventually, a large enough area of high pressure will build into the West and help shut off the tap altogether for most through mid-January.
But Relief is on the Horizon
But relief from the storminess is finally on the horizon. In the meantime, a prolonged break from the precipitation, not experienced in California since mid-December, is expected to begin later in the week, according to the AccuWeather forecast.
“From the middle to the end of the week, the storm track will begin to shift north, bringing a drier weather pattern to much of the state and a break in the wet weather,” said Kerkow.
The pattern shift will be driven by a building ridge of high pressure that will be especially felt during the second half of the week. While parts of Northern California may have to contend with some rain and higher-elevation snow on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Bay Area on south will dry out en masse.
The Pacific Northwest will Have to Wait a Few More Days
That drier weather will not be afforded to the Northwest, as Washington and Oregon, inland through northern portions of the Rockies, will have to contend with storminess for a few more days.
Since the beginning of November, both Seattle and Portland have also been enduring above-average rainfall, with rain gauges reporting measurable precipitation more days than not. There was also historic and deadly flooding in December in parts of western Washington because of multiple atmospheric river events.
While the rain this week is not expected to cause widespread flooding, there can be instances of localized ponding, small-stream and coastal flooding. In addition, chillier air arriving midweek can also lower snow levels such that flakes could fly in some of the foothills of the Cascades and perhaps 1,000 feet or so above sea level around Seattle.
The Washington Cascades in particular can expect multiple feet of snow that could result in travel restrictions or road closures on US Highway 2 and Interstate 90. The Oregon Cascades will have a foot or two as well, which may make travel difficult in Willamette Pass.
However, by the second full week of January and beyond, the pattern may shift enough that even the majority of the Pacific Northwest can enjoy prolonged dry weather.
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