Third atmospheric river to slam California with heavy rain as end of fire season within reach for SoCal
Rain heads south to Southern California on Wednesday as current atmospheric river weakens.
Next atmospheric river to bring another round of heavy rain and snow to California on Thursday.
Lighter rainfall rates will reduce debris flow risk.
More storms needed to officially end California's fire season.
Northern California is catching a brief break from a multiday atmospheric river event that brought heavy rain, flooding and high winds to areas around and north of San Francisco. The same event brought snow to those in the mountains and higher elevations in Northern California and the Pacific Northwest.
According to the FOX Forecast Center, the rain is forecast to taper off on Wednesday and shift to Southern California, where it could help to end the region's wildfire season, as communities recover from the devastating Eaton and Palisades fires.
Meanwhile, another atmospheric river-driven storm will impact Northern California and the Pacific Northwest starting Thursday morning. That event is forecast to be somewhat less impactful than the high winds and mudslides on Tuesday that caused a home to collapse in Sonoma County, California.
San Francisco Slammed By Damaging Winds As Atmospheric River Event Soaks Northern California
The heavy rain on Tuesday produced mudslides in Sonoma County, California. The slides sent a home in Forestville California, into the Russian River in the North Bay area.
The Sonoma County Sheriff's office said the home was unoccupied. The department issued an evacuation order for low-lying areas along the river just before 9 p.m. Tuesday night.
Areas north of Sacramento, in particular, have seen the highest rain totals since Friday, with Paradise, California, reporting over 20 inches.
Lake Shasta and Lake Oroville, California's two biggest reservoirs, have risen an incredible 15 feet since just Friday.
2.89 inches of rain was recorded in downtown San Francisco on Tuesday, breaking a 138-year-old record that had stood since 1887.
What Is An Atmospheric River?
The multiday atmospheric river also brought damaging winds, taking down a swath of trees around an elementary school in Santa Rosa, California. The Santa Rosa Fire Department said no one was hurt.
The strongest winds were recorded along the coast, north of San Francisco, including a gust of 90 mph.
Meanwhile, as the current atmospheric river tapers off Wednesday, beneficial rain will move into the wildfire-ridden southern part of the state.
Firefighters Battling Deadly California Wildfires Reach Critical Milestone On Road To Recovery
With the catastrophic fires across Southern California finally contained, the next two rounds of rain could put an end to this devastating wildfire season for Los Angeles and Southern California, according to the FOX Forecast Center.
The first round of moderate rain begins Wednesday morning, with the heaviest rain staying west of the main burn scars. The rain is expected to be light enough to reduce the chance of mudslides and debris flows.
Rain of similar intensity is expected to pick back up from Thursday afternoon through Friday morning.
According to the FOX Forecast Center, the rain is a very positive step toward, but not quite enough to completely end, the fire weather season for the region, which is experiencing rain deficits of 5-10 inches since October.
The atmospheric river is expected to return for Northern California and the Pacific Northwest starting Thursday, right before the start of the morning commute.
This storm is forecast to bring moderate to heavy rain. A Level 1 out of 5 flash flood threat is posted from Thursday into Friday along the majority of the California coast from San Francisco to just north of Los Angeles. Interior parts of Northern California are under the same flash flood threat.
However, this final shot of the atmospheric river will move quickly and prevent major flood threats or heavy snow accumulations.
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Winter Storm Warnings associated with this parting shot from the atmospheric river have been issued through Friday morning for a large part of Oregon, as well as Idaho and Montana.
The Sierra Madre range will also see heavy snow in California, with feet of snow expected on the eastern slopes.
Travel conditions in the Sierra Nevada are expected to be very poor from Thursday morning through Friday.Original article source: Third atmospheric river to slam California with heavy rain as end of fire season within reach for SoCal
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