Wednesday Top of the Scroll: California braces for flooding, snowmelt from a warm atmospheric river set to slam state
Another atmospheric river system has set its sights on California, raising considerable concern about flooding and structural damage as warm rain is expected to fall atop the state’s near-record snowpack this week, forecasters say. … Last week, the odds of such a system developing were about 20%. By Monday, the chances had increased to “7 or 8 out of 10, if not higher, for a warm atmospheric river event of some magnitude,” [UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain] said. At least one more storm could follow this month. … Officials said the bounty made a dent in the state’s extreme drought conditions and offered some hope for strained water supplies after three bone-dry years. But heavy snowpack can also become a hazard if it meets with warm rain that melts it too quickly.
Related articles:
- ABC30 – Fresno: Water to be released from Friant Dam to make room for incoming rain
- National Geographic: What is snowpack and why is so critical to life in the West?
- The Hill: Yet another atmospheric river to flood California later this week
- Newsweek: How California Atmospheric River Will Impact Snowpack in Sierras
- Weather West: Strong “Pineapple Express” atmospheric river to bring heavy rain, snowmelt, and a wide range of impacts to northern California
- Mercury News: ‘It’s going to be bit of a mess again’: New atmospheric river storm barrels toward Bay Area, signaling yet another wet weekend
- CNN: Threat of late-week flooding across much of California increases
- CalMatters: California’s precipitation paradox
- Wall Street Journal: Parts of California Not Used to Snow Have Been Buried Under It for Weeks
- Fresno Bee: How much rain is expected during this week’s big storm in the central San Joaquin Valley?