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Torrential Downpours, Mountain Snow Plague The West

March 27, 2019
UPDATED By WeatherBug's Chris Sayles and Rebecca Huff
Yet another storm system will make its way from California to the Plains through the back half of the workweek.

Another storm on the wet weather train is barreling into the West Coast today and will continue bringing soggy and wintry skies to northern California through the Pacific Northwest and Great Basin for the latter half of the week. Hang in there as this weekend will provide a brief break before the next system bears down. 

A Winter Storm Warning is in effect in the Sierra Nevada for those above 7,000 feet, which includes Yosemite National Park, Mammoth Lakes, Kern County residents. Two to three feet of snow with locally higher amounts as high as four feet are still expected to pile up in the higher elevations. Six to 12 inches of snow and winds as high as 65 mph will also fall on the Tulare County prompting, Winter Weather and Wind Advisories for spots closer to the mountains, such as the Sequoia National Park and the Tulare County Mountains.

Heavy rain will fall in the lower elevations from the Sacramento Valley to the northern California Coast, which could lead to debris flows in recent wildfire burn areas. Heed caution when heading out on the roads and pay close attention to any road closures over the next few days. Although the precipitation has been welcomed for many, the persistent rain over the next few days could also cause a few flooding issues in northern California. Remember, if you encounter a water-covered roadway, be sure to “Turn Around, Don’t Drown” because the water could be much deeper than it appears.

The same cold front will move through the Northern Great Basin into the High Plains, where torrential downpours and snow melt have already caused flooding to occur in much of Montana. Currently, Flood Advisories have been posted for Great Falls, Livingston and Red Lodge, Mont. To make matters worse, a Winter Weather Advisory and Winter Storm Warning have been posted for West Yellowstone, Battle Ridge Pass and Bozeman Pass, Wyo., with snow accumulations anywhere between two to four inches at lower elevations with four to 14 inches expected in the higher elevations. This new system is already causing much concern for potential snow melt that will only add to the flood waters.

The West has been anything but quiet since October 2018 as storm systems have been frequent. The upside of the wet and snowy weather has been the elimination of much of the drought, especially in California as streams, rivers, snowpack and groundwater have been replenished.