Storms Galore on the Horizon for the West Coast

Posted: November 10, 2023 10:23 am

Right on schedule, the West Coast is being hit with a typical November storm pattern. While the moisture will be beneficial in putting an end to the wildfire season and building the snowpack ahead of next year, the storms may also complicate travel. Here is what you need to know about this messy forecast.

Storm Train Sets Up Across West Coast in Coming Days

A number of storms will continue to pound the western U.S. as moisture gathers in the Pacific Ocean and moves on shore. Depending on the elevation, areas will see the moisture fall as either rain or snow. Forecasters are predicting that the stormy pattern will last for the next few weeks, potentially complicating travel for the Thanksgiving holiday and beyond.

The parade of storms will remain entrenched over the Pacific Northwest this weekend. However, the moisture will eventually move to areas farther south by next week, bringing the unsettled pattern to California and the interior portions of the Great Basin.

The month of November got off to a stormy start in the Northwest with a trio of storms pushing through this corner of the country over the last week. Yet another storm system began to affect the Pacific Northwest late Thursday. Seattle and Portland are preparing for more rain and windy conditions through the weekend, tacking on to the already wet month.

As of November 8, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport has recorded 4.09 inches of rain for the month, equating to about 2.5 inches over the average by this date.

The difference with this upcoming storm pattern is that colder air will accompany the moisture. This will mean that snow levels will drop lower than they have yet this season. Motorists using the Snoqualmie Pass along Interstate 90 in Washington state will want to stay abreast of changing road conditions. Forecasters are predicting that snow levels could fall as low as 3,500 feet this weekend.

The lower terrains will escape with just rain out of this system. It will be a weekend of dodging showers in Seattle, Portland, and the surrounding areas.

California Will See Moisture by Early Next Week

Heading into next week, the storm track will dip to the south, bringing the chance of significant moisture to California. This weather pattern will deliver the first stretch of moisture to the Golden State in months. For instance, it has been approximately six months since the San Francisco area has picked up rain on three or more straight days.

The upcoming forecast indicates that it will be a soaker of a start to the week for the Bay Area. In fact, there is the chance that an atmospheric river could set up over the region, bringing heavy rain to the parched area. Atmospheric rivers are known for their ability to bring moisture for several days in a row. These plumes of moisture also typically bring in strong winds.

There is also good news on the horizon for winter sports enthusiasts. Next week’s storm is likely to trigger the first major snow event for the Sierra Nevada. Heavy snow measured in feet is in the forecast for a large swath of this mountain range.

Southern California will be in line to see rain out of this system. It has been since the middle of August since downtown Los Angeles has picked up significant rainfall. Even though the summer and fall is typically dry for this part of the state, the past few months have been parched even by normal standards.

Moisture Will Put a Lid on Wildfire Season

The influx of moisture will almost certainly put an end to the wildfire season for the West. Although it was a relatively tame wildfire season for this part of the country, there are still several dozen blazes still burning.

When looking at the 2023 wildfire season, there have been 319,070 acres that have burned in California. This is a small fraction of what the state normally sees during this time frame. Climatologists credit the wetter than average winter and spring season for helping to keep the wildfires at bay this year.

The only caveat to this stormy forecast is that an increase in lightning and high winds associated with the weather maker could raise the risk of wildfire ignition in the Four Corners region.

In a true butterfly effect of weather, what is happening in the Caribbean Sea may also impact the conditions on the West Coast. Hurricane experts have been eyeing an area of potential late-season tropical development in the central and western Caribbean. Despite this possible development being thousands of miles away, it could work as a roadblock preventing the storms out West from advancing to the east.

Should this transpire, the projected active weather pattern out West may linger through Thanksgiving week. Those planning on traveling this week will want to stay on top of this forecast in the coming days.

Did you find this content useful? Feel free to bookmark or to post to your timeline for reference later.

Recent Posts