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Weather|Storms Could Bring Up to 15 Inches of Rain to Parts of Northern California
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/01/weather/california-rain-flooding.html
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Atmospheric river conditions could bring multiple feet of snow to the northern Sierra Nevada. Other areas face a risk of flooding as the ground becomes increasingly saturated.
Flow of atmospheric water vapor
Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration The animation shows data from the GOES-18 satellite, which uses an infrared wavelength that detects water vapor in the upper troposphere, All times on the map are Pacific. By William B. Davis
By Amy Graff
Amy Graff is a reporter on The Times’s weather team.
Feb. 1, 2025, 5:46 p.m. ET
Rain fell across Northern California on Saturday and could continue for days with an atmospheric river hanging over the region like a sopping wet towel.
With multiple pushes of moisture expected, parts of the region could see continuous soggy weather into next week, potentially through Friday, and a heightened risk for flooding that could increase as the ground becomes increasingly saturated.
Through Friday, the coastal mountains are expected to record six to 15 inches of rain, and the northern Sierra Nevada could see multiple feet of snow, according to the Weather Prediction Center.
Snow fell in the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Ranges on Saturday, but only at the highest elevations as the system that is pulling in moisture from the subtropics near Hawaii is warm. This kind of atmospheric river is often referred to as a pineapple express.
With the arrival of the atmospheric river, the storm door has opened in Northern California.
“It’s a steady stream of moisture that’s being channeled from the Pacific Ocean into California and as it moves inland, it’s fueling periods of moderate to heavy precipitation,” said Frank Pereira, a meteorologist with the Weather Prediction Center.
Forecasters had originally said two separate atmospheric rivers would hit the West Coast, but by Saturday, it was difficult to tell one from the other.
