In Northern California, forecasters are calling for heavy rain and snow at some ski resorts as a series of storms are barreling toward the West Coast that could bring up to a foot of rain in the drought-stricken region.
Dangerous debris flows are also being predicted in areas where the soil was eroded by this summer's massive wildfires. Forecasters say the storms could last over three days, dropping 12 inches of rain in Northern California and up to three feet of snow in the Sierra Mountains. “It’s an early start opportunity for us — and it’s a big one,” said Marty Ralph, director of the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes in La Jolla, Calif. It’s producing light rain in Sacramento, which saw its first measurable precipitation in 212 days Monday — ending a record-long dry streak. Sacramento’s forecast includes rain chances every day through early next week.
Last week, the National Weather Service declared La Niña had returned, which tends to favor plentiful precipitation in Northern California but limited amounts to the south.