Updated on January 7, 2016 11:30 PM (IST): Incessant rains trigger mudslides, traffic collisions
A series of storms battering California is nothing but a telltale signature of a strong El Nino. Southern parts of California have been left ravaged by at least one tornado. This bad weather situation led to mudslides and flooded highways on Wednesday.
This bad weather situation led to mudslides and flooded highways on Wednesday.
According to local media, the tornado damaged one home in south San Clemente near the Orange County and San Diego County border on Wednesday.
High winds or small tornado? Crazy weather this morning near my house on the Central Coast of CA. pic.twitter.com/Zvhb7HQ1OE
— Dan Gearhart (@dang8) January 6, 2016
With heavy rain and even snowfall on Wednesday, flooding resumed and brought mudslides. Early morning, the 101 Freeway in Ventura County was blocked after a flow of debris at the Solimar burn area.
Evacuations are being carried out at the Silverado Canyon burn area, northeast of Irvine. Only residents will be allowed into the area for the time being.
North of San Bernardino on State Route 18, a traffic collision was reported after a jeep crashed into a boulder in the roadway.
Going by historical data, January is the second-wettest month of the year in Los Angeles. But, this kind of wet weather has been an outcome of one of the strongest El Ninos on record. A strong El Nino generally favors above-average precipitation across Southern parts California.
Mudslides, floods, fires...and now earthquakes..welcome to Southern California. 4.5 near Banning pic.twitter.com/KnxrV7BTTk
— Josh Rubenstein (@cbsweatherjosh) January 6, 2016
Updated on January 5, 2016 12:30 PM (IST): El Nino fueled storms to drench California
California and southwestern parts of United States will witness a rainy week ahead. A series of storms, fueled by El Nino in the tropical Pacific Ocean, will bring good amounts of rainfall over the region.
During the winter season, El Nino generally tends to strengthen the storm track into the West Coast and California.
Click here to read Impacts of El Nino across the Globe
This spell of rain will come as a good news for the drought-parched California.
Click here to read the story, Parade of storms approaching California, Southwest US
Updated on December 14, 2015 12:00 PM (IST): Heavy rain and snowfall across California
The third winter storm in a week brought snowfall in the Sierra Nevada and rain/thundershowers to much of Northern California. Torrential rainfall made driving treacherous in the region.
At a time when the Northeast is experiencing exceptionally warm temperatures, southern Plains could witness flash flooding.
A smaller storm system was seen moving into Southern parts of California on Sunday evening. A mudslide led to the issue of a Sigalert on the northbound Interstate 5, near Parker Road in the Grapevine. The storm is expected to move away very soon.
Another big weather story came in from the northern parts of the state. One person was reported to be severely injured in an accident on the US 101 near San Rafael, north of San Francisco.
In the San Francisco Bay Area, heavy showers and thunderstorms were witnessed throughout the day. Flooding was reported on the freeways. After a calm Saturday, the storm system moved into the parched California overnight, bringing heavy rainfall accompanied by strong winds, hail and lightning. Several arriving and departing flights were delayed at the Oakland and San Francisco airports.
Rains falls in drought-stricken California. Time to honor the rain gods with a #martini.
— Phineas Fahrquar (@irishspy) December 14, 2015
Updated on December 9, 2015 5:00 PM (IST): California bracing up for rain and snow
Southern parts of California seem to be bracing up for rain and snow later this week. Colder air will sink into the region with rain and mountain snow across most parts of the state on Thursday and Friday. Heavy rainfall could create hazards in the roads. Till Friday, motorists should be careful while riding through slick roads in the cities of Los Angeles, San Diego, Bakersfield, San Bernardino and Riverside.
Rainfall will not be witnessed in many desert locations but winds may pick enough dust in those regions. The storm is likely to unload about 1-2 feet of snow in the Sierra Nevada.
Updated on November 24, 2015 7:00 PM (IST): Winter storm in California to bolster mountain snowpack
The winter storm affecting California's Sierra Nevada mountains is expected to bring about 18 inches of snow this week. This could bolster the state's drought-diminished snowpack but at the same time it will hamper travel plans of many this holiday week.
The prevailing storm is expected to hit the mountain range north of Yosemite by Tuesday.
People travelling in the mountains and foothill areas north of Yosemite may cross slippery roads due to rain or might encounter inaccessible roads because of snow. Snow storm warnings have been issued from Tuesday to Wednesday morning.
Updated on November 18, 2015 1:00 PM (IST): Storm in California moves away
After whipping up a damaging tornado in Central California, the winter-like storm which originated in the Gulf of Alaska has now moved westwards. Weather has now cleared up in most parts of the state.
Powerful winds continued to lash southern parts of California till November 17. The storm continued to topple trees and knocked down power lines. The winds died down by afternoon hours. The blizzard weather conditions continue to travel through much of Central and South United States.
Updated on November 16, 2015 1:00 PM (IST): Severe weather gives rise to tornado in Southern California
Severe weather accompanied by strong winds struck southern California and gave birth to a tornado on Sunday. Due to this power lines were snapped, leading to power outages across southern California. The tornado was an EF-1 category and damaged around 21 homes in the central valley.
It is interesting to note that the occurrence of a tornado in California is a rare event.
The winds were so strong that it uprooted trees, downed power lines and caused a lot of damage to buildings. The tornado travelled for over a kilometer along Zeering Road, leaving a trail of destruction in its path. The tornado clocked wind speed of up to 175 kmph. Even though the tornado was a low intensity EF-1, the damage seemed close to that of an EF-5, which is the highest intensity of a tornado. This is because people in the region were unprepared for a tornado in California.
Violent winds swept through the town of Denair, shattering windows, blowing off the roofs of houses, downed trees and shifted one house from its foundation. The residents of the town took it upon themselves to start the cleaning process and did not wait for fire and police officials to arrive.
The tornado was part of a severe thunderstorm that brought rains to the surrounding areas. This weather was a result of a strong weather system that moved across California, bringing snowfall over Sierra Nevada and resulting in power outages across Los Angeles County.
Image Credit - nytimes.com
