LAKE ARROWHEAD, Calif. – California has endured weeks of heavy rain and mountain snow, and it’s about to add another week as more storms loom over the next several days.
Of particular concern is a forecast for an atmospheric river that is eyeing Central and Southern California for the end of this week, promising a renewed round of several inches of lowland rain and feet of mountain snow to parts of the state that simply have too much of both right now. Flooding is also a growing concern for the region.
In the meantime, the weather pattern remains unsettled as a stubborn area of low pressure that brought more heavy snow to the mountains of the West over the weekend lingers off the Pacific Northwest coast.
The wandering low-pressure system swirling off the Northwest coast will continue to spin scattered showers – some heavy – across the West to start the workweek.
For the Seattle and Portland areas, it’s just a few periods of rain at times, but up in the Sierra Nevada, heavy bursts of snow showers could drop another 1 to 2 feet of snow along the heavily traveled Interstate 80 on Monday and Tuesday.
There may even be some rumbles of thunder along the Oregon and Northern California coasts, with a few thunderstorms and bursts of heavy rain possible in the Central California valleys with an inch or two of rain possible in heavier storms.
A strong atmospheric river event is looking likely later this week, starting Thursday evening and lasting into the weekend, according to the FOX Forecast Center.
A pair of large low-pressure centers building off the coast of the Pacific Northwest and near Hawaii will work in tandem to direct a plume of tropical moisture into California.
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Heavy rain and mountain snow would begin on Thursday, peaking on Friday and lingering into the early weekend.
Our various computer forecast models are still working toward building a consensus forecast, but right now, about 3 to 5 inches of rain along the coast and in low-lying areas, with another round of mountain snow measured in feet, seems likely at this time.
However, this storm could bring warmer temperatures, melting some of the massive snowpack lingering at lower elevations that could trigger widespread flooding.
The news that more snow is on the way only adds to the woes mountain residents already face in digging out from the incredible snowfalls of the past few weeks. Some areas received over 10 feet of snow in recent storms, leaving homes buried, streets impassable and supply runs limited.
The California National Guard has been shoveling snow and checking on residents in the Lake Arrowhead area, some of who have been snowed in for more than a week.
It will be a race against the clock to clear as much snow as possible before the heavy snow and rain return later this week.