DANGEROUS STORMS SET TO BUFFET REGION, WEATHER SERVICES ISSUES RARE HIGH SURF ADVISORY

By Miriam Raftery

January 4, 2023 (San Diego) – A series of powerful Pacific Storms and atmospheric rivers are set to douse our region starting tomorrow morning, as well as most other areas of California.  The National Weather Service issued a rare high surf warning; waves up to 13 feet are forecast along San Diego beaches, along with coastal and urban flooding possible.  High tide Thursday will be in the mid-afternoon, when marine hazards will be significant. The public is advised to avoid all area beaches and boaters should stay off the water.

Countywide, heavy rainfall and winds up to 60 miles per hour in mountains and deserts are also forecast, with snow above 6,000 feet, making commutes difficult countywide. The storms are expected to be so severe on Thursday, Jan. 5 that CalTrans has activated freeway signs statewide warning motorists to stay home and avoid driving.  This week’s storms could dump two to five inches of rain in our mountain areas.  A flood watch is in effect for much of California.

But that’s just the beginning – since five atmospheric rivers are slated to hit Southern California through January 9 – and the fifth is forecast to be the most intense.

“This is a prolonged period of rain expected through Mid-January,” says Alex Tardy with the National Weather Service in San Diego.

Other atmospheric rivers and intense storms are barreling toward central and northern California in the coming days, with yet another major system arriving January 11 through January 18.

That’s on the heels of storms that in the past 10 days, dropped 10-20 inches of precipitation in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, one of our two major sources of water for our region, along with the Colorado River.

“Central and Southern California are wetter than average,” says Tardy, adding these areas are on pace to surpass the same time period last year, though that also got off to wet start before ending the year in drought.  But there is room for cautious optimism, since the snow pack is on pace to match the snowiest year on record, in the winter of 1982-83.

Heavy rainfall could cause damage, particularly on ground already saturated.

The San Diego River is expected to rise and motorists should heed all signs and avoid crossings that are blocked.

“A massive jet stream is to blame,” Tardy says regarding the cause of series of atmospheric rivers (images right and below show the first five atmospheric rivers.)