Calmer Conditions in Store for California After Rough Week

It has been a rough week of weather for much of California, culminating on Thursday with hurricane-force winds and mudslides. Here is a look back at some of the most notable impacts as well as the answer to the question about how long the calmer pattern will stick around.

Looking Back at California's Stormy Week of Weather

An atmospheric river set up over the West Coast this past week, sending heavy rain, snow, and a variety of other inclement impacts to California and beyond. Unfortunately for those in Southern California, some of the storm's worst impacts set up over the same general area that is still dealing with the aftermath of last month's historic wildfires.

Last week's event was the biggest storm to hit the Golden State thus far this winter season. Leading up to this event, it has been remarkably dry during what it is typically the rainy season.

Evacuations were issued earlier in the week for some of the areas near the burn scars left behind by the Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire. Local officials ordered the evacuations over the fear of flash flooding, mudslides, and other types of debris flow. Part of the evacuation zone included a famed strip of the Pacific Coast Highway stretching between Malibu and Santa Monica.

The heavy rain triggered flooding that swept away a member of the Los Angeles Fire Department working in his vehicle. Fortunately, the individual only suffered minor injuries.

Several roadways were closed as mud, rocks, and debris came roaring down the burn scars. Wildfires create these scars as they burn through the vegetation and brush, leaving the charred terrain barren and more likely to experience flash flooding.

Over 10 inches of rain was recorded in the hardest-hit areas. The coastal community of Manchester picked up 10.87 inches. The town of Mining Ridge, located about 90 miles south of San Jose, reported 9.89 inches.

Even the normally dry Death Valley National Park saw 0.18 of an inch of rain out of this system. To put that amount in perspective, the park located in the desert of Southern California typically sees just 2.20 inches of rain over the course of an entire year.

Colder temperatures in the higher terrains resulted in heavy snowfall while hurricane-force winds added to the misery. The Palisades Tahoe Ski Area near Lake Tahoe recorded a top wind gust of 126 mph. A handful of other locations in the Sierra reported winds of up to 90 mph. For instance, Joaquin Ridge notched a top reading of 93 mph.

Winter sports enthusiasts were delighted to see the massive amount of snow. Mammoth Mountain came in with 55 inches of new accumulation. This measurement ended up being more than what the resort saw in December and January combined.

What is Ahead for California?

The storm began to dissipate by Friday as the energy and moisture pushed to the east. The clearing conditions were welcome news for crews working hard to clear out the debris left by the flooding and mudslides. A pleasant weekend was the story for most Californians in the wake of the monster atmospheric river.

The calm weather is expected to hold heading into next week. Los Angeles is forecast to see seasonable temperatures to start the new work week. The City of Angels is expecting sun during the early part of the day Monday with clouds building in the afternoon. Highs will reach the upper 60s before sliding into the upper 40s overnight. While the metro area may see light mist at this time, it will not be a significant rain event. The rest of the week is calling for a mix of sun and clouds and highs in the low 70s for Los Angeles.

After a mostly cloudy but dry weekend in San Francisco, the clouds will begin to burn off on Monday. This will bring the mercury up to about the 60-degree mark by Tuesday. Daily highs will bounce around in the upper 50s to low 60s for the rest of the week in San Francisco while overnight lows will bottom out in the mid 40s during this time period.

It will also be a dry week for most of the higher country. South Lake Tahoe is forecast to see a mix of sun and clouds with highs that bounce around in the low to mid 40s. You will find a similar forecast to the south in Mammoth Lakes.

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