A string of storms is expected to pummel California with rain, wind, snow and big waves over the next week, bringing the season’s first prolonged stretch of widespread stormy weather to the state.
The storms are arriving as the waters off the coast of California are unusually warm and El Niño continues to strengthen. The climate pattern jumbles weather around the globe, often making winters in California wetter than normal and raising sea levels enough to cause flooding.
Most of the rain will fall in Northern California.
The state has experienced some of its wettest winters during strong El Niños like the one unfolding now. The two upcoming storms are unlikely to deliver showstopping rainfall totals, but they have the potential to bring the first statewide soaking and kick up strong winds.
The heaviest rain is likely to be in the North Coast region, where up to six inches could fall over the next week. The San Francisco Bay Area could record up to two inches, and Los Angeles is likely to get less than an inch.
The first storm will bring rain up and down the state on Friday and arrive in the North Bay as early as late Thursday night. Intermittent rain and blustery winds are expected in the Bay Area most of the day on Friday.
California receives most of its annual precipitation over the winter. The storms over the next week will replenish reservoirs and rivers and soak the landscape enough to reduce the threat of wildfires, experts said. The flooding risk is predicted to be low.
Brian Garcia, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office serving the Bay Area, said people should prepare for a wet and possibly frustrating commute on Friday.
“This is the first real rain of the season for the Bay Area, and any rain is going to cause slippery roads,” Mr. Garcia said.
He also warned that winds could be strong enough to snap branches off trees that had dried out after high temperatures during the summer and early fall.
The rain will gradually spread south through the day on Friday, probably reaching the Los Angeles area by the evening.
“Once the storm gets down to Los Angeles, it’s on the weaker end,” said Chad Hecht, a meteorologist at the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes at the University of California, San Diego.
Huge waves are expected along the coast.
The storms will churn up the Pacific Ocean, sending big, powerful waves crashing ashore this weekend. Experts warned of dangerous conditions at beaches across the state, particularly in Northern California. An unexpectedly large wave can quickly pull a person standing on shore into turbulent waters.
Waves could reach eight to 12 feet in Los Angeles and San Diego, experts said, and higher farther north. Some Central California beaches could see waves of 25 feet, and waves at Ocean Beach in San Francisco could reach more than 40 feet.
“People should log into their computers and watch webcams of the beach,” Mr. Garcia said. “They should not be going down anywhere near the saltwater at all.”
Waves at Mavericks, a famed surf spot 20 miles south of San Francisco, are expected to reach 60 feet or higher.
Snow is expected in the Sierra Nevada.
The storms this weekend are expected to deliver the first significant snow of the season in the Sierra Nevada, with a half foot to over a foot of snow expected through Sunday morning. The region is expected to get more snow than normal this winter because of El Niño.
The Weather Service issued winter storm warnings across the mountain range, including for the Tahoe area from Friday morning to Saturday afternoon.
The agency warned that people should expect travel delays on mountain roads through the weekend. The heaviest snowfall on the Sierra passes was expected on Friday afternoon and evening.
More storms are on the way.
After a brief reprieve, another storm is expected to move across the state between Sunday and Tuesday, with the rain again focused over Northern California.
Next week will likely bring a third storm. But as of Thursday, forecasters said it remained unclear when it would arrive.
“We’re in an active pattern,” Mr. Hecht said.
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