A powerful storm system is making its way toward the West Coast, bringing with it the potential for over a foot of rain in Northern California and towering waves along the Oregon coast. However, San Diego will experience a contrasting weather pattern.
A powerful storm system is set to impact the northern part of the Golden State beginning Wednesday morning. An atmospheric river is transporting rain toward the California coast, acting as a lengthy stream of moisture in the atmosphere.
While atmospheric rivers are known to deliver significant rainfall to Southern California, this particular event appears to be lingering further north. The significant flooding risk in that area is precisely why San Diego is expected to avoid the worst of it.
“The remnants of this are going to be passing through San Diego, but it’s going to be losing basically all of its energy as it runs south down the coast,” explained Chandler Price, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s San Diego office.
San Diego is expected to experience “moderate rainfall,” with the possibility of it beginning as soon as Saturday but becoming more likely on Sunday and Monday.
“At the moment – this could change – we’re looking at 3 to 5 feet here,” said Price.
The surf conditions in San Diego are anticipated to be significantly less intense compared to the Oregon coast, where a high surf warning indicates breaking waves reaching heights of 25 to 30 feet.
“Currently – this is subject to change – we’re anticipating 3 to 5 feet here,” stated Price.
While it’s still early to predict what will happen next week during the Thanksgiving holiday, FOX 5 meteorologist Megan Healy indicated that another atmospheric river could be approaching, based on the long-range forecast discussed on Monday.