Intense Storm Hits U.S., Forcing Evacuations in California as It Heads Eastward
Rewritten Article:
Heavy rain is battering the West Coast, courtesy of an atmospheric river storm that's packing a punch. This meteorological madness has already set off evacuations in Los Angeles, and things are far from over. The storm's impact will intensify as the week progresses, potentially putting millions at risk across the country.
This cross-country storm will morph into a powerful March anomaly before the week's end, causing chaos for all - from wildfires to blizzards, severe thunderstorms, gusty winds, and tornadoes.
Wednesday's Wrath: Storm unleashes debris flow threat on SoCal
The storm is already causing a ruckus in the Pacific Northwest and Northern California. By afternoon, heavy rain and snow will blanket Northern California, heading southward.
Rain will reach Southern California in the evening, amping up the flood danger overnight and into Thursday. There's a level 2 of 4 risk of flooding rainfall in regions from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles, including areas ravaged by the Palisades and Eaton fires according to the Weather Prediction Center. The swift pace of the storm might limit widespread flooding in California, but recently burned areas remain at elevated threat.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has taken action, deploying over 400 personnel to prepare for the storm's fury. Evacuation orders are in effect for approximately 120 homes in danger zones, mainly around the Palisades burn scar, as well as a handful of residents in the Hurst fire area.
Evacuation warnings have been issued for other parts of Los Angeles County due to the risk of debris flows from the Palisades, Eaton, Franklin, and Kenneth burn scars. Residents of these fire-scarred zones are urged to prepare for evacuation at a moment's notice, while orders are a mandate to leave immediately.
Evacuation warnings have also been issued for parts of San Bernardino County. A stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway will shut down from eastern Malibu to just east of Will Rogers Beach beginning noon Wednesday due to the risk of debris flows and flooding. Travel in California's Sierra Nevada will be difficult due to heavy snow and powerful winds.
Thursday Turmoil: Storm broadens its reach over the West
The storm will advance eastward, bringing rain and snow to more of the West and the Rockies by evening. Places in the mountains may receive over half a foot of snow, with some inches also falling at lower elevations.
Strong winds will start blowing from Nevada and Arizona to the Rockies from late afternoon, with wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph expected, particularly in mountainous terrain. These wind gusts, combined with rain or snow, could lead to challenging travel conditions.
Gusty winds will also impact the Plains ahead of the storm, escalating the fire threat, particularly from the late afternoon onward. More than 800 miles of the central US, from western Texas through Nebraska, are under a level 2 of 3 fire weather risk, according to the Storm Prediction Center. Any spark could quickly turn into a wind-driven blaze under these conditions.
Wet weather will persist in California and the Pacific Northwest for much of the day, gradually subsiding over time. The snow in California's highest elevations will linger, with multiple feet accumulating in the peaks of the Sierra Nevada by the time the storm moves on. These additional accumulations will help the Sierra Nevada snowpack, which is currently at 81% of normal, according to data from California's Department of Natural Resources. A robust snowpack is vital for replenishing reservoirs that sustain the state's water supply during the dry season.
Friday Fiasco: Storm intensifies, severe thunderstorms begin
The storm will rapidly strengthen by Friday, tracking into the Plains and recreating last week's severe thunderstorm threat, strong winds, and increased fire danger. Strong winds that could disrupt travel and knock out power lines will whip across the central US, escalating from breezy in the morning to fierce by the end of the day. Wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph are expected by late afternoon, with stronger gusts past 65 mph likely in New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. These winds will raise fire danger in eastern New Mexico and the Southern Plains to extreme levels, as seen with the dozens of fires that broke out in Texas last week under similar conditions.
Severe thunderstorms will erupt by the late afternoon in the Mississippi Valley as the powerful storm's cold front clashes with a surge of warm, humid air from the Gulf. The storms will become increasingly fierce and spread to potentially over 900 miles of the Mississippi Valley - from Louisiana to Minnesota - into the overnight hours.
"All severe hazards are possible, including paths of intense winds and tornadoes," the Storm Prediction Center warned. A level 3 of 5 risk of severe thunderstorms has been assigned to Mississippi through much of Illinois, indicating that storms in this area could produce wind gusts stronger than 75 mph - the equivalent of a Category 1 hurricane. Strong tornadoes - rated EF2 or higher - are also possible.
Nighttime tornadoes are almost twice as likely to be deadly as those occurring during the day, a 2022 study found.
Saturday's Storm: Severe thunderstorms, blizzard conditions hit the eastern U.S.
The intense cross-country storm will expand over more of the eastern U.S. on Saturday, causing severe thunderstorms and blizzard conditions.
Severe thunderstorms may still be ongoing in the early morning, especially in parts of the Ohio Valley. Some of these storms might diminish by the afternoon, but the threat will persist as another round of dangerous storms emerges in the afternoon along the Gulf Coast and in the Southeast. Damaging wind gusts, hail, and tornadoes could occur. These storms will also drop heavy rain that could trigger flash floods, particularly from Mississippi to northern Georgia and north into Kentucky.
Snow, ice, rain, and strong winds will batter the north-central U.S. beginning in the earliest hours of Saturday morning. The potent mix could result in blizzard conditions - drifting snow making it difficult or impossible to see more than a few feet. Last week's storm caused a blizzard that shut down highways, stranded vehicles, and led to numerous crashes across multiple states.
The widespread, powerful winds will subside over the Plains by Saturday and move east. Sunday will likely be a wet and stormy day for much of the East Coast. Severe thunderstorms with strong winds will persist on Sunday, but are expected to be less intense than Friday and Saturday's storms.
- Weather forecasts warn that Southern California, including regions affected by the Palisades and Eaton fires, should especially prepare for flood danger as the storm advances southward, with a level 2 of 4 risk of flooding rainfall predicted.
- As the storm advances eastward towards the Rockies by Thursday evening, it will bring snow to mountainous areas, potentially causing challenging travel conditions due to strong winds and snow accumulation.
- On Friday, the storm is expected to intensify, track into the Plains, and create severe thunderstorms, strong winds, and increased fire danger. Particularly in New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas, wind gusts past 65 mph are likely, raising fire danger to extreme levels.
