Flood Warning From NWS
January 5,2016
NOAA is predicting more rain and snow for California over the next week with as much as 28 inches of precipitation falling by January 12 in the central and north Sierra.
Already the National Park Service is warning they may close Yosemite to visitors this weekend because a second “atmospheric river”(AR) type rain event – think if it as a fire hose says NWS – that could pose a flood danger in the Valley. In Mammoth the ski resort there is predicting 20 feet of snow over the next 10 days.
The NWS Hanford says last night the Greenhorn Mountains and western slopes of the Sierra over Kern and Tulare Counties were hit hard with rain gauges at Alta Sierra and Greenhorn Summit have exceed 8.5 inches in the past 28 hours. USGS stream gauges along the South Fork of the Tule River as well as Deer Creek are showing unprecedented stage and flow rates and they continue to increase with time. Flood Advisory product remains in effect for this region through mid morning.I impressive 4-6 inch rain totals abound in the Sierra with snow levels at 8000-8500 feet even though the Valley has seen amounts under an inch.
AR rain event number 2 will arrive Saturday morning after we dry out Friday. Forecaster’s model expects rainfall amounts in the Sierra target areas from Fresno County north with 10-15″ of potential RAIN and 5-10” over the already water logged Tulare County and North Kern Mountains.
“It cannot be emphasized enough that the forecast amounts of rain will cause extreme flooding for the Sierra, foothills and adjacent lower elevations.” says NWS Hanford on their website today.