Day: December 14, 2014

Flash Flood Watch Issued for Big Sur

FLOOD WATCH…CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA
132 PM PST SUN DEC 14 2014

.PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN WILL DEVELOP BY EARLY MONDAY MORNING AND
THEN CONTINUE FOR MUCH OF THE DAY MONDAY. RAIN WILL TURN TO
SHOWERS BY MONDAY EVENING. THE HEAVY RAIN ON TOP OF LAST WEEKS
RAINFALL WILL BRING THE POTENTIAL FOR POSSIBLE FLASH FLOODING AND MINOR DEBRIS FLOWS TO THE HILLS ABOVE BIG SUR INCLUDING HIGHWAY 1.
SANTA LUCIA MOUNTAINS AND LOS PADRES NATIONAL FOREST-
132 PM PST SUN DEC 14 2014

…FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY AFTERNOON…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA HAS ISSUED
A

* FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR COASTAL MONTEREY COUNTY…INCLUDING THE
FOLLOWING AREA…SANTA LUCIA MOUNTAINS AND LOS PADRES NATIONAL
FOREST. THIS INCLUDES HIGHWAY 1 SOUTH OF CARMEL TO THE SAN LUIS
OBISPO COUNTY LINE.

* FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY AFTERNOON

* PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN DEVELOPING EARLY MONDAY MORNING WILL
CONTINUE THROUGH MUCH OF MONDAY BEFORE TAPERING TO SHOWERS
MONDAY NIGHT. 3 TO 4 INCHES OF RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE
HILLS ABOVE BIG SUR AND HIGHWAY 1. EXPECT MINOR MUD AND DEBRIS
FLOWS ALONG HIGHWAY 1 AND SYCAMORE CANYON AS WELL AS ANY RECENT BURN SCARS.

* RESIDENTS OF BIG SUR SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR POSSIBLE CLOSURES OF HIGHWAY 1 AND PLAN ACCORDINGLY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.

YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED.

Atmospheric River takes aim at the South Coast of Big Sur

For the first time in recent history (probably ever) The Weather Channel specifically mentions Lucia, Gorda, and Cambria, the biggest town – of a whopping 6,000 – being Cambria. It is because this is where this next big storm is expected to come ashore. This will find us late tonight or early tomorrow. The last one took aim at Santa Cruz and Big Sur Valley. Now it is our turn. I am as ready as I can be. Take advantage of this break, as the next one is not due until Thursday.

Take a look at the info I added to the last post, The Calm Before the Storm, for some good info and links about this Atmospheric River.

Calm Before the Next Storm

Actually, it is a series of storms, progged to hit us every day this week but Thursday, starting late tonight/early tomorrow.

And this gorgeous shot is by Lisa Kleissner.

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Thanks for sharing, Lisa!

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Atmospheric River

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Graphic and great article from Scientific American blog

The flow pattern of the atmospheric river now battering the West Coast is classic. The University of Wisconsin at Madison maintains a terrific Web site that shows the flows in real time, updated every five minutes. A snapshot from last night is below. The dark red swath across the equator is the tropical rain band that is usually present; the atmospheric river is the sweeping jet of water vapor (blue in the image) that shoots off towards the U.S.

University of Wisconsin website