It looks like the luck of the Irish may be with the Bay Area when it comes to our next series of storms.
Another atmospheric river storm expected to careen into the Bay Area next week is now looking like it will tack farther south, meteorologists say, leading them to downgrade the amount of rain forecast to douse already saturated ground. In total, most cities around the bay will get about an inch of rain by Wednesday, with light showers beginning Sunday morning.
“The main impacts of the storm will be in the L.A. area,” said Sarah McCorkle, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Monterey.
The Central Coast — where a series of storms has hammered levees, downed trees and caused landslides — could also dodge the worst of the atmospheric river next week, with no large waterways currently forecast to hit major flood stage. There is always a small chance that the storm could skirt north, increasing the flood risk, McCorkle said, though that’s not currently anticipated.
The revised forecast is good news for workers around the Bay Area who are scrambling to clear trees and mud and restore power lines brought down in gale-like wind gusts this week.
The state’s Sierra Nevada mountains, meanwhile, are forecast to get more snow over the weekend and into early next week. Much of the mountain range will get between 3 and 8 inches by Monday morning, with another 1 to 4 feet of snow by Wednesday.
The expected snowfall will further feed the snowpack bonanza, which registered at 222% of normal statewide compared with historical data on Friday. That total obliterates the previous 20-year high for this time of year, which was reached in 2017 at 166% of normal.
Meteorologists warn that all of the fresh snow could make for treacherous driving conditions in the Sierras.
“We could have reduced visibility, rolling snow, chain requirements … and possible snow closures,” said Idamis Shoemaker, meteorologist with the Sacramento National Weather Service.
Use this interactive map to find the total forecast snow for the next 72 hours. The map will periodically update with new data as it is reported. Click the map to get snowfall estimates where you live, work or are headed. Search the address to zoom into your area and then — and this is important — be sure to click on the map again to see results.
Tahoe’s ski resorts are rejoicing at the bountiful snow haul, even though at times it has grown so large that workers have had to shovel lifts buried under snow mounds. Resorts also hope all the snow will help them keep their slopes open past Memorial Day.
“We’ve had an absolutely monumental winter,” said Patrick Lacey, public relations manager at Tahoe Palisades. Lacey said that the ski resort usually gets around 33 feet of snow in a typical snow season. This year, they’ve gotten over 55 feet, with more to come.
“Just in the month of March, we have already received 13.42 feet of snow … and it’s only Saint Patrick’s Day,” Lacey said.
Source: www.mercurynews.com