SAN FRANCISCO — What has been a wet end to 2022 is going to get even soggier as another atmospheric river takes aim at California later this week into the weekend, bringing a renewed threat of flooding rains and heavy mountain snows.
The first wave of rain will push through much of the Pacific Coast Thursday, stretching from Washington through Northern and Central California, including the Bay Area. Rainfall totals will generally range from about a half inch to an inch.
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On Friday, a renewed wave of heavier rain comes into California with the next in a series of atmospheric rivers taking aim at the Golden State, prompting Flood Watches across much of the region — including the Bay Area.
Northern California will take the brunt of the moderate to heavy rain on Friday, with the atmospheric river focusing its wrath onto Central California and the Bay Area late Friday night into Saturday morning.
Steady rains spread south into Southern California on Sunday as Northern California gets a break, with a rainy start to 2023 in the Los Angeles and San Diego areas.
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Storm totals for Friday through Sunday are around 2-3 inches of rain in the coastal lowlands of southwestern Oregon into Northern and Central California, with higher amounts in the hills.
About 3-5 inches of rain are likely in the inland valleys by Saturday night, and about an inch of rain is likely in Southern California on Sunday. Even the arid areas of Arizona, such as Phoenix and Tucson, will net around a half-inch to an inch of rain from the storm.
The storm will bring 2-3 feet of snow to the highest elevations of the Sierra Nevada, but with snow levels up as high as 7,000 to 8,500 feet, much of the mountains will receive several inches of rain instead, adding pressure to the region’s rivers. Flash flooding is another concern, especially in burn scar areas from recent wildfires.
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After hammering the West Coast, this storm will begin to influence the weather pattern over the Rockies late into the week.
About 5-8 inches of snow is likely for most mountains, with over 1 foot possible in the highest elevations.
For Salt Lake City, it should stay as a mostly rain event, but heavy snow is expected in the Wasatch Range.
In Denver, 3 to 5 inches of snow is likely, which may make for tricky commutes over the next few days. Already several spin-outs plagued the city’s Thursday morning commute, according to FOX 31 Denver.
In addition to snow, avalanches will be possible across most mountain ranges heading into the weekend.
The calendar year may change on Saturday night, but the soggy weather pattern along the West remains the same.
Additional storms are set to roll through California next week — about every 48 hours or so.
Long-range forecast charts suggest much of California could see 4-8 inches of total rainfall from the multiple storms through the end of next week.