Key Highlights
- National Weather Service (NWS) and AccuWeather warn of storms hitting California throughout the week.
- A atmospheric river has already brought rain to Northern California in October, with Southern California experiencing rain and thunderstorms this fall.
- Several weather alerts are in place for millions across Central and Northern California, including Sacramento and Oakland.
- The storm will bring heavy rain and coastal impacts, with potential for high winds and coastal flooding.
Storms Hit California: Warnings Issued Across the State
Several weather alerts are currently in place across millions of people living in Central and Northern California as meteorologists from the National Weather Service (NWS) and AccuWeather warn of incoming storms. This storm will continue a wet pattern that has already affected the state, with an atmospheric river having brought rain to Northern California in October.
Current Conditions and Predictions
According to Heather Zehr from AccuWeather, some showers could begin as early as Monday in Northern California before spreading southward on Monday night. The storm will bring heavy rains, coastal impacts, strong winds, and high surf advisories across the region.
Impact and Preparedness
NWS offices in the area have issued warnings for expected winds, heavy rain, and coastal effects. By late Tuesday into Wednesday, a strong cyclone in the northeast Pacific is expected to reinforce existing weather patterns, bringing breezy to windy conditions from northern California northward. The NWS San Francisco office warned that gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects, with isolated gusts up to 55 mph possible along North Bay coastal areas and ridgetops on Wednesday morning as the cold front passes through.
Chad Merrill from AccuWeather stated, “The next atmospheric river heading for the Northwest and Northern California is reminiscent of the one that impacted the region from Oct. 24-26, when places like Eureka, California, and Portland, Oregon, tallied more than 1.50 inches of rain.”
People living in the affected areas are advised to be storm aware and follow local weather officials’ guidance.
Extended Forecast and Pattern Continuation
The persistent Gulf of Alaska trough will lead to more wet weather in the Northwest and Northern California through mid-November. According to Merrill, a pattern change to drier and warmer weather is expected heading into the week of Thanksgiving to early December. The next sizable storm for the Pacific Northwest following this one is predicted to hit Oregon and Washington on Thursday.
The incoming storm will persist until Wednesday night, but the wet pattern could continue throughout the first half of November.
AccuWeather senior meteorologist Chad Merrill added that coastal flooding, strong winds, and heavy rains are expected from Central California northward through all of Washington state and part of Idaho starting Tuesday night and continuing into Wednesday.
The heaviest rainfall amounts will be along the coast for California, Oregon, and Washington, with some regions potentially seeing up to 4 inches of rain throughout the storm’s duration. People living in these areas should prepare for these conditions and follow local weather advisories closely.
