Excessive Rainfall Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
734 PM EST Sun Dec 22 2024
Day 2
Valid 12Z Mon Dec 23 2024 - 12Z Tue Dec 24 2024

...THERE IS A MARGINAL RISK OF EXCESSIVE RAINFALL FOR PORTIONS OF
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AND SOUTHWEST OREGON...

Update...

The 12Z guidance did not suggest any significant changes were
required, therefore made only minor adjustments to the previous
outlook area.

Previous Discussion...

Consensus continues to grow for a quick hitting weak to borderline
moderate atmospheric river aimed at southwestern OR down into
northern CA by late Monday into Tuesday morning. Recent ensemble
depictions are in agreement on an IVT pulse centered over the
northern CA coast, protruding inland through the end of the period
with warm air advecting well into the boundary layer and above
yielding a majority rainfall signal across even some of the higher
terrain inland. NAEFS output for PWAT anomalies indicates a tongue
of 2-3 deviations above normal moisture plume being ushered in on
deep layer southwest flow thanks to a shortwave trough undercutting
a broad upper level cyclone located off the PAC Northwest coast.
This look is fairly textbook for a period of prevailing
southwesterly flow running orthogonal to some of the adjacent
coastal ranges that are situated from southwest OR down through
northern CA. The zones most impacted will lie at the foothills of
Mount Shasta and the northern Sierra Nevada for the inland portion,
as well as the King and Siskiyou Ranges that align from OR down
through northwestern CA. Rainfall totals on the order of 3-5" with
locally higher in the highest elevations of the above ranges are
forecast during the time frame beginning 21z Monday through 12z
Tuesday with some carryover into D3 before the main shortwave moves
inland. 2-4" will be common within the coastal plain with locally
higher in areas south of Eureka. Localized flooding prospects are
higher than normal given the stronger IVT pulse being depicted,
also impacting areas that saw decent rainfall as of a week to 10
days prior. The saving grace is the time frame is not very long in
terms of impact, so that helps limit a greater flash flood threat.

The previously inherited forecast was generally maintained outside
some fine tuning across the Sierra Foothills and the northern
periphery of the MRGL risk into OR.

Pereira/Kleebauer


Day 2 threat area: www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/qpf/98epoints.txt