Latest news with #PacificStorm
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Hurricane Erick has formed in the Pacific. It could bring rain, humidity to California
Tropical Storm Erick in the Pacific has officially strengthened into Hurricane Erick and is expected to bring "life-threatening flash floods" to portions of southern Mexico Wednesday night and Thursday, according to the National Hurricane Center. The hurricane center said Wednesday morning the storm, the second hurricane of the Pacific season, was located about 160 miles south-southeast of Puerto Angel, Mexico with maximum sustained winds of about 75 mph with higher gusts. Hurricane center forecasters said "rapid strengthening" is expected Wednesday, and the system may reach "major hurricane strength" when it approaches the coast of southern Mexico Thursday. The center of Erick is expected to approach the southern coast of Mexico late Wednesday and move inland or be near the coast on Thursday. Forecasters said Erick's wind speeds could reach 111 mph if strengthening occurs as forecast, which would make it a Category 3 hurricane on the Shaffir Simpson wind speed scale. Hurricane Erick, like most Eastern Pacific hurricanes, is unlikely to directly impact California in terms of strong winds or a direct landfall. However, according to forecasters, it could still indirectly affect Southern California by causing high surf, rip tides, humid conditions, and sometimes thunderstorms in inland or mountain areas. Erick is forecast to produce rainfall totals of 8 to 16 inches, with maximum totals of 20 inches, across the Mexican states of Oaxaca and Guerrero. The rainfall will lead to "life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in areas of steep terrain," the hurricane center said Wednesday. Additionally, rainfall totals between 3 to 8 inches are expected across the Mexican states of Chiapas, Michoacan, Colima and Jalisco. The hurricane center said swells generated by Erick are expected to begin affecting the southern coast of Mexico later Wednesday, and these swells are "likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions." A hurricane warning is in effect for Acapulco to Puerto Angel, while a hurricane watch is in effect for west of Acapulco to Tecpan de Galeana, as well as east of Puerto Angel to Bahias de Huatulco. A tropical storm warning is in effect for east of Puerto Angel to Salina Cruz. 'Heat dome' incoming: Scorching temperatures in the forecast to kick off summer This forecast track shows the most likely path of the center of the storm. It does not illustrate the full width of the storm or its impacts, and the center of the storm is likely to travel outside the cone up to 33% of the time. Illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. The hurricane center uses only the top four or five highest-performing models to help make its forecasts. Hurricanes are born in the tropics, above warm water. Clusters of thunderstorms can develop over the ocean when water temperatures exceed 80 degrees Fahrenheit. If conditions are right, the clusters swirl into a storm known as a tropical wave or tropical depression. A tropical depression becomes a named tropical storm once its sustained wind speeds reaches 39 miles per hour. When its winds reach 74 mph, the storm officially becomes a hurricane. This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Hurricane Erick forms in the Pacific: See path, California impacts
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Watch: Deputy bashes window to save driver caught in raging creek amid California atmospheric river
POINT REYES STATION, Calif. – A deputy broke the rear window of a car to rescue its driver after her vehicle went off the road and into a flooded creek during a major atmospheric river storm Tuesday, Northern California deputies said. The Marin County Sheriff's Office said the driver hit a large puddle of water and lost control of the vehicle, winding up in a flooded creek near Port Reyes Station. When the driver realized she was trapped, she called 911. "The weather was very poor and roadways were beginning to flood," deputies said. Arriving within minutes, a deputy plunged into the water to rescue the driver. The vehicle was nearly submerged, and water was rapidly filling the driver's compartment. In bodycam footage provided by the sheriff's office, the deputy can be seen swiftly breaking the rear window of the vehicle. Third Pacific Storm Slams California With Heavy Rain, Mudslides "After rescuing the driver from the vehicle, and getting her to safety on the roadway, the vehicle had been completely overtaken by the rushing creek," deputies said. "The entire incident lasts just minutes, showing how significant storm activity can be." Authorities urged drivers to avoid flooded roads after two further vehicles became stuck despite closure signs. A nearby rain gauge showed over 4.5 inches of rain had fallen that day. The West Coast will see a final round of rain and snow Friday as a multi-day atmospheric river concludes and shifts eastward, becoming the nation's next big winter storm. Northern California received the last round of rain and snow-producing storms on Thursday evening, after the atmospheric river event on Tuesday led to at least two confirmed deaths in Sonoma County, according to the county sheriff's article source: Watch: Deputy bashes window to save driver caught in raging creek amid California atmospheric river
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Snow blankets Seattle area as winter storm moves through Pacific Northwest
SEATTLE – A winter storm covered parts of Seattle in a blanket of snow by Thursday morning, creating a messy morning commute, shuttering schools and knocking out power to thousands. The winter weather system moved into the region on Wednesday night with a bang over the Puget Sound area, where the image below captured a lightning strike on Vashon Island. The National Weather Service in Seattle received reports of more than 2 inches within the metro region. Meanwhile, higher snow totals of up to 4 inches were recorded in Monroe and Mukilteo. More than 25,000 customers in Washington were without power Thursday morning. Third Pacific Storm To Slam California This Week With Heavy Rain, Mudslides FOX 13 Seattle reports dozens of schools were closed across western Washington due to the storm. That did not include Seattle Public Schools, which instead moved students to remote learning due to the snow and hazardous road conditions. Washington State Department of Transportation crews have been busy clearing crashes and stuck vehicles. Near Woodinville, where 3 to 4 inches were recorded, a WSDOT incident response team gave the vehicle below a push to get it moving along State Route 522. West of Seattle in Kitsap County, busy SR-16 was closed for a while on Thursday morning due to a semi truck that slid into a ditch. "If you can stay home please do there are cars everywhere in ditches," said Trooper Katherine Weatherwax with the Washington State Patrol. North of Seattle, the fresh snow was enough to cover about ¾ of a grande Starbucks coffee cup. The rare snow day also inspired a young Seattle Kraken fan to practice her hockey stick work. A Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect through Thursday morning with an additional inch of snow possible across northwest and west central article source: Snow blankets Seattle area as winter storm moves through Pacific Northwest
