The Weather Service in Sacramento said heavy snow on top of previous accumulation could cause roofs to buckle or collapse. Up to two feet of snow was possible at similar elevation levels in the Sierra Nevada, and areas south of Interstate 80 in Northern California could record up to five feet of snow, forecasters said. Oravec added.įor higher elevations, the National Weather Service said there could be “ significant avalanche danger” in places above 5,000 feet. “It’s going to be a heavy precipitation event,” Mr. “Flooding is definitely a concern as we go forward.” “Besides the heavy rain that falls and runs off, there’s going to be a lot of snowmelt,” he said. The first atmospheric river is expected to move into California on Thursday, and another is forecast to arrive on Monday, said Bob Oravec, a forecaster with the Weather Prediction Center. The rain is especially concerning in areas that have already received a near-record run of snow this winter, including at low elevations in the Sierra Nevada foothills. With the potential for up to seven inches of rain in some spots by the end of the weekend, forecasters said flooding was possible and that rain could cause mudslides. The atmospheric rivers, sometimes described as “ rivers in the sky,” were expected to blanket higher elevations with heavy snow and to bring heavy rain across portions of northern and central California, with lighter rainfall in the Los Angeles area. The severe weather, caused by back-to-back atmospheric rivers starting on Thursday, comes on the heels of recent winter storms that dumped several feet of snow in parts of the state, leaving many stranded while others are still trying to dig their way out. So some downed trees and power outages are certainly possible.Swaths of California are once again bracing for days of heavy rain and snow, with flooding and avalanches threatening areas of the state.

This is where the greatest chance of seeing 6+ inches of snow resides with good confidence. Typical coastal flooding concerns exist with nor'easters during high tides, especially the north shore Monday night.Īs of Sunday morning, there's a winter storm watch for Sussex, northern Passaic, Orange, Putnam, northern Fairfield, and all points north. Wind gusts on Tuesday could reach 30-40 mph, even some stronger near the coast, especially Tuesday afternoon into the evening. Wraparound snow continues through Tuesday, steadiest in the morning and tapering to snow showers in the afternoon and evening. There's a bit more confidence that it'll be primarily snow by that time for the Lower Hudson Valley and interior northeast New Jersey (Morris, northern Passaic, Rockland, etc.) We'll need to monitor trends to zone in on that. It's also possible it's still mainly rain or a wintry mix. It's possible it's snowing in the city Tuesday morning. This is also where the most uncertainty exists, regarding how fast the cold air change rain to snow. The Tuesday morning commute will be most affected as colder air wraps around our storm and the rain/snow line surges south and east. Snow picks up in Sussex County up through Orange County and points north. Expect 1-2 inches of rainfall and ponding on roadways. Rain becomes heavy at times in New York City and especially points south and east.įor much of the area, late Monday night through Tuesday morning is when the bulk of precipitation falls. Plan on light to moderate rain for most of the area through the Monday evening commute.Īfter sunset Monday night and through the overnight, the coastal storm takes over, tracks northeast and rapidly intensifies.

The exceptions being higher elevations far north and west (Sullivan and Ulster counties), where it remains wintry. The coastal low begins to develop to the south and, with winds off the water (ocean temps are in the 40s), warm air pushes northward, changing what little wintry precipitation was out there to the north and west to plain rain. This is from the primary low approaching from the Midwest.Īs we go through the day on Monday, it's still not crazy. Plan on light rain (with snow/mix in northwest New Jersey, Orange County and northward).

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