Yesterday afternoon, a massive winter storm was centered off the coast of Washington State; its central pressure was equivalent to a Category 3 Hurricane and its counterclockwise wind field extended as far south as central California. Energized by the jet stream, the storm raked the entire Pacific Coast with high winds and heavy precipitation.
Waves along the Northwest Coast rose as high as 40 feet and winds of 60-80 miles per hour swept across Washington, Oregon and Northern California. Coastal mountains were drenched by a foot of rain and snow levels were dropping across the Sierra Nevada. The worst of the storm was reserved for the central Sierra Mountains, where winds over 160 miles per hour scoured the summits and up to 12 feet of snow was expected.
While the center of the storm has drifted into southwest Canada this morning, the jet stream trough is diving along the Pacific Coast and impulses of low pressure will move along its track, bringing more precipitation to the Northwest and threatening southern California with heavy rains and mudslides. As this trough slides to the east, the rain and snow will shift to the Great Basin and Rocky Mountain States.
