BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES! Wet Weather Ahead!

[teardrop_focus]

Batten Down the Hatches!

Weather Forecast for the Week of January 17 to 23...

... A MAJOR PATTERN CHANGE IS EXPECTED NEXT WEEK WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR EXCESSIVE RAINFALL AND STRONG WINDS...

A MAJOR CHANGE IN THE UPPER LEVEL PATTERN IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON SUNDAY AND CONTINUE THROUGH NEXT WEEK. A VERY POWERFUL WEST TO EAST JET STREAM SAGGING SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE PACIFIC WILL BREAK DOWN THE PERSISTENT RIDGE ACROSS THE WEST COAST. THIS WILL ALLOW STORM SYSTEMS TO TRACK INTO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WHILE MAINTAINING A RICH SOURCE OF SUBTROPICAL MOISTURE.

CONFIDENCE IS GROWING THAT SIGNIFICANT AND POSSIBLY EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL OCCUR OVER SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA FROM SUNDAY THROUGH MOST OF NEXT WEEK... BUT THE EXACT DETAILS OF TIMING ARE STILL UNCLEAR. AT THIS TIME... IT APPEARS THERE WILL BE THREE OR FOUR SEPARATE STORM SYSTEMS MOVING INTO THE AREA BETWEEN LATE SUNDAY AND FRIDAY. FOR THE ENTIRE WEEK... THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR RAINFALL TOTALS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES IN COASTAL AND VALLEY AREAS... AND 8 TO 16 INCHES IN THE FOOTHILLS AND MOUNTAINS. LOCAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OVER 20 INCHES WILL BE QUITE POSSIBLE ACROSS FAVORED SOUTH FACING COASTAL SLOPES.

THE STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS THAT ARE PROJECTED AT TIMES NEXT WEEK COULD BRING SIGNIFICANT OROGRAPHIC ENHANCEMENT OF RAINFALL ACROSS SOUTH FACING SLOPES. RAINFALL RATES OF AROUND ONE INCH PER HOUR WILL BE POSSIBLE DURING THE PEAK TIMES OF HEAVIEST RAINFALL... WHICH CURRENTLY APPEAR TO BE MONDAY... AS WELL AS LATE WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY. EARLY INDICATIONS ALSO SHOW THE POSSIBILITY OF EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS AT TIMES DURING THE WEEK... WHICH COULD BRING LOCALIZED RAINFALL RATES IN EXCESS OF ONE INCH PER HOUR.

http://www.weather.com/weather/alerts/l ... 4071b4f4fc

[emiller]

Yep I heard that too, Darn

[Oasis Maker]

Yep I heard that too, Darn

Same here.

Very interesting article explaining the weather pattern shift and why this is going to happen. But the numbers on the amount of rainfall are just trippy.

Scott G.

[S. Heisley]

The weatherman in my area of Northern CA is predicting a new storm every 24 hours for the next 10 days; and, yes, the possibility of flooding. At least the rain will help fill the dams and reservoirs back up.

[teardrop_focus]

Hey, guys. More AZ monso0ns for you, too, huh...

At least the rain will help fill the dams and reservoirs back up.

Hey, Sharon!

Every drop helps, yes, but what we really need is 3 to 5 years of a deep, strong snowpack to mitigate our drought.

People in other parts of the country think it doesn't rain out west here. Granted, rainfall may not be as often or as consistent as it is in other regions, but when it rains here it can be fierce.

We've had some brushfires and this next weather event may lead to extreme mudflows, let alone general flooding. Before the Army Corp of Engineers built the L.A. metro area storm drain system, whole areas of what is now downtown L.A. and Glendale were washed away 90 years ago.

[jhb]

On January 18th, 1973 I watched it rain 12 inches in 4 hours in San Luis Obispo, and 18 inches in the 24 hour period. Then there was the '69 flood that took out every bridge going across the Santa Anna river through San Berdo and Riverside. So anything can happen!

[S. Heisley]

teardrop focus wrote:

We've had some brushfires and this next weather event may lead to extreme mudflows, let alone general flooding. Before the Army Corp of Engineers built the L.A. metro area storm drain system, whole areas of what is now downtown L.A. and Glendale were washed away 90 years ago.

I used to think the LA River was a joke because it is a deep, cemented channel to the ocean which usually has only a trickle of water in it. But, when a series of storms hits like what you're going to get, it will be very full and helpful. However, LA doesn't have as much water as it used to 90 years ago. Whole rivers and lakes have dried up and no longer exist. (There is a grist mill that gives tours, near the Pasadena area…..I think it is still there....It has no water anywhere near it anymore.)

That said, yes, there will probably be some terrible mudslides and nobody is looking forward to seeing that. The canyon catch basins will probably fill with mud and overflow, too.

I vaguely remember that, many years ago, there was a flood that was so bad it caused caskets in a cemetery in LaCrescenta to float up from their burial places in the ground and float down the street and into front yards, with some of them opening up. ...Not pleasant.

[jhb]

I think the caskets were the '69 flood. And there was the Russian River, I remember driving on the road above it and seeing the high water mark on a sign about 10 feet above the road, and looking down to the river I couldn't even see it as it was so deep in the gorge.
But it's clear and sunny this morring!

[doug hodder]

Just exactly WHO are these "hatches" and do they really need to be "battened down"?? These are sensitive/politically correct times and I don't think that any group of individuals, whether they be "hatches" or otherwise need to be "battened down". Jeez...this is 2010...can't we all just get along? Doug

[jhb]

The Hatche's used to live down the street until the cops came one day and battened them down.

[angib]

Just exactly WHO are these "hatches" and do they really need to be "battened down"??

Well, seeing as how you're a Californican, you'll quickly run out of Sunbrella as I bet you can't get decent canvas like you used to and then Home Depot will sell out of battens, plus you may get a power outage that stops the nail gun working and you've forgotten now how to use a hammer to nail battens in place by hand.

I mean, all in all, you'd better drop all this yakkin' about sensitivity and get with the battening program real quick. A little screaming "don't panic" here and there wouldn't go amiss....

Best of luck with the weather,
Andrew

[S. Heisley]

Most Californians, if they've lived in the state for long, know what to do and do it fairly well.

What to do is mainly have plenty of food and water on hand and, if you're in an area prone to flooding, stack up the sand bags to keep water away from the house. Keep a couple flashlights on hand, with fresh batteries (or hand crank recharger) as the power may go out. Most of today's gas stoves use electric starters; so, having matches on hand can allow one to manually light their propane or natural gas stoves. Keep at least one corded phone in you home as it will usually work even when the cordless phones and electricity in your area doesn’t.

If you can, stay home. If you have to go out, be certain you have some food, water, blankets, flashlight, and a first-aid kit in your vehicle. A Cell phone could come in handy; but may not work, especially around here. Shelter your pets and be certain they have enough available food and water in case you can’t get back home to them.

People in this area of Northern California are smart. I went to the nearby grocery store Friday and was amazed to see that the cans of soup were almost totally gone from the shelves. This is because a can of soup doesn't need refrigeration and contains an easy, complete food and beverage with little effort or energy needed to heat and eat.

That said, TD & TTT campers everywhere are probably the smartest and best prepared for most any disaster because we know what it takes to live off grid and can usually be ready to do just that with little, if any, notice! So, pat yourselves on the back!

[teardrop_focus]

do0gie hoddingtpwn, Canned Hamulus

Just exactly WHO are these "hatches" and do they really need to be "battened down"??

angib From the Land O' the Perennial Nor'easter

Well, seeing as how you're a Californican, you'll quickly run out of Sunbrella as I bet you can't get decent canvas like you used to...

Sharon the Wise

What to do is mainly have plenty of food and water on hand and, if you're in an area prone to flooding, stack up the sand bags to keep water away from the house. Keep a couple flashlights on hand, with fresh batteries (or hand crank recharger) as the power may go out. Most of today's gas stoves use electric starters; so, having matches on hand can allow one to manually light their propane or natural gas stoves. Keep at least one corded phone in you home as it will usually work even when the cordless phones and electricity in your area doesn’t.

If you can, stay home. If you have to go out, be certain you have some food, water, blankets, flashlight, and a first-aid kit in your vehicle. A Cell phone could come in handy; but may not work, especially around here. Shelter your pets and be certain they have enough available food and water in case you can’t get back home to them.

Will you marry me? I love a woman who knows how to be prepared...

[jhb]

Now it's getting really deep in this thread. And I don't mean the water or the mud...

[doug hodder]

A can of soup, sandbag and a flash light.....and he's proposing. Chris, you need to get out more often. Doug