'A potentially significant and very likely warm atmospheric river event' is set to hit California later this week, forecasters say.
and offered some hope for strained water supplies after three bone-dry years. But heavy snowpack can also become a hazard if it meets with warm rain that melts it too quickly.
There may also be problems at elevations above 5,000 or 6,000 feet, he said. Though snowpack in such areas is probably too deep and too cold to be melted by the incoming storm, it can become heavier as it absorbs more water. That could cause roof collapses and other structural issues. Though there is growing certainty that such a system will arrive, its precise timing, location and impacts will become clearer as the week goes on, forecasters said.
In the central part of the state, areas above 8,000 feet — including Yosemite National Park — could see up to 6 feet of snow, while areas from about 5,000 to 8,000 feet could see up to 4 inches of rain. The Central Valley floor could see 1½ inches of rain, and flooding along the Merced River is possible.
Also of concern is the chance for more rain and snow in the San Bernardino County mountains, where crews on Monday were still. Increasing chances of precipitation there are expected to begin early Friday morning and last through most of the day Saturday, said Elizabeth Schenk of the National Weather Service’s San Diego office, which covers the San Bernardino area.
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