Southern & Western Wallop

Yet another El Nino system is pulling into the California coast.  One to three inches of rain has already fallen across the foothills surrounding the Sacramento Valley and more is on the way, creating flooding across many of the lower elevations.  Up in the mountains near Lake Tahoe, near blizzard conditions are happening right now with a good 8 to 16 inches of snow on the way for skiers.

National Satellite Image, Image: NOAA

Click here for the latest national satellite imagery.

In the meantime, yet another El Nino storm is moving through the Deep South. This has provided for a couple of inches of rain across the central Gulf Coast and tornado watches from just north of New Orleans, all the way up into Mississippi, east Texas, and southern Arkansas.  Tornadoes were even spotted Wednesday afternoon over portions of Southeastern Louisiana.  Tornado Watches are in effect for cities like Jackson, MS.

US Watches & Warnings, Image: NOAA

California Climate Expert Calls It “Arctic Oscillation”

A California climate expert is blaming heavy rains and mudslides in California on an arctic oscillation, the same climate pattern that caused an arctic outbreak in the Midwest and East Coast. The CBS affilate in Nashville, Tennessee has some cool graphics as well as a lengthy explanation of this climate pattern as well.

Rainfall Forecast, Image: NOAA

Rain continues to fall across most of California today. Up to 20 inches of rain is possible in isolated locations across Southern California. In higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, that could translate into more than 10 feet of snow!

Check out the latest TV forecast in San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, and San Diego.

Skiers and snowboarders are loving this! Go to my Mammoth Mountain and Tahoe webcams under Ski Weather for the latest conditions.

-Dawn Brown