NOAA Upgrades this Week’s Storm with Forecasts of Over 100 Inches of Snow in NorCal

UPDATE:

The NOAA has upgraded this week’s storm in Northern California and increased the snow totals. Here are the updated totals:

That’s right, Lassen Volcanic National Park is expected to see over 100 inches of snow through Wednesday, while forecasts in the Sierra Nevada have DOUBLED! Another crazy winter week in NorCal!

Read the original article:

Historic February Snowfall: Another 8 Feet of Snow Forecast for NorCal this Week

For some high-elevation areas of Northern California, this month has already seen a record amount of snowfall. Now, another atmospheric river is heading for NorCal this week, bringing the possibility of up to 100 inches of snow. The historic February snow totals are about to grow significantly.

A storm system entered NorCal and Saturday evening and another will come on Monday, bringing more record snowfall and flooding concerns to the area. The first storm will last through Monday morning with snow as low as 2,500 feet, with the second storm bringing snow to 4,500 feet through Wednesday.

Once again, Lassen Volcanic National Park will see the most snowfall, with 80-100 inches. The Tahoe area and lower Sierra Nevada will each see up to 3 feet.

Rain will slam the North State during this time period, continuing the flood concerns that plagued California through the month of February. Just over a week ago, a similar atmospheric river caused flooding which closed roads, caused mudslides and forced evacuations. Some NorCal communities are forecast to receive up to 8 inches of rain.

This month’s snowfall is already on historic pace and may give mountain areas rare snowpack levels. Squaw Valley Resort and Mammoth Mountain have already broken their February snowfall records and this new storm may push them to their largest month of snowfall ever. Over 500 inches of snow has fallen all over the Sierra Nevada this winter.

The combination of snowfall and tourists visiting mountain areas caused chaos in Tahoe last week:

https://www.facebook.com/ActiveNorcal/videos/975456575911953/

The new round of rain will also bring more flooding concerns to the already soaked areas of Northern California. In fact, the Department of Water Resources says there’s a chance that they will have to use the brand-new Oroville Dam spillway. The last time the spillway was used in February 2017, the spillway capsized, sending floodwater throughout Butte County and forcing evacuations to over 180,000 residents.

A flood watch has been issued in Humboldt County, where they are expected to see up to 8 inches of rain through Wednesday.

During the last storm, evacuations were forced along the Sacramento River near Chico and Red Bluff. There was also a long closure on Interstate 5 due to flooding, causing hours of delays for motorists. Meanwhile, the last storm at one point saw closures to all roads in and out of the Tahoe area, causing significant delays for Weekend Warriors and forcing CHP to plea with people to stop visiting the area during the storm.

So far this month, 18 trillion gallons of water has fallen on California this month. That number is about to grow significantly.

Active NorCal

Telling the Stories of Northern California

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