3,441 first-hand accounts of flood events in California, ranked by impact. Each is a NOAA-written narrative of the moment.
A Winter Storm, brought heavy precipitation and thunderstorms with damaging winds as it moved onshore through Southwest California. In the mountains above 5500 feet elevation, 9 to 14 inches of snow fell.
Read the full account →A winter storm moving southeast from the Gulf of Alaska, picked up tropical moisture before it moved onshore. The warmer air mass caused the snow level to remain high during most of the precipitaion event, so that measured snow fall was less than eight inches in the mountains.
Read the full account →A winter storm moving southeast from the Gulf of Alaska, picked up tropical moisture before it moved onshore. The warmer air mass caused the snow level to remain high during most of the precipitaion event, so that measured snow fall was less than eight inches in the mountains.
Read the full account →A winter storm moving southeast from the Gulf of Alaska, picked up tropical moisture before it moved onshore. The warmer air mass caused the snow level to remain high during most of the precipitaion event, so that measured snow fall was less than eight inches in the mountains.
Read the full account →The last in a series of strong, early season storms brought record heavy rain to the coast and valleys, and dumped two feet of snow at the mountain resorts.
Read the full account →An upper-level low developed off Point Conception by October 27, and slowly drifted northeast toward the central California coast. The low pulled a moist, tropical airmass, including remnants from former Tropical Storm Kiko, into the central California interior on the 29th.
Read the full account →A significant early-season winter storm brought significant precipitation and wind to Central and Southern California. Rainfall totals across the forecast area ranged between 1 and 3 inches.
Read the full account →A significant early-season winter storm brought significant precipitation and wind to Central and Southern California. Rainfall totals across the forecast area ranged between 1 and 3 inches.
Read the full account →A pair of winter storms associated with a vigorous, cold upper-low brought periods of high winds, heavy rain, and snow to the region from late on the 13th through the 17th.
Read the full account →A large Pacific plume of moisture ahead of an advancing trough of low pressure brought heavy rain and periods of serious flooding for nearly a week. The plume of moisture responsible was a form of an Atmospheric River.
Read the full account →The fourth, and strongest, in a series of winter storms pounded the region on the 21st and 22nd, bringing another round of gusty winds, heavy rain, thunderstorms, several feet of snow in the mountains, and flooding throughout the CWA.
Read the full account →By January 13th, the medium-range forecast models were becoming consistent in predicting a major precipitation event that would affect interior central California beginning the 17th and continuing for several days.
Read the full account →The warm, unstable airmass that arrived at the end of September remained over interior central California through the 3rd day of October. However, cooler air arrived as an upper level trough moved over the area on the 4th.
Read the full account →High instability (MUCAPE 2,000 J/kg) and abundant moisture (PWATs 1.8-2.0) created an environment conducive to strong to severe thunderstorm development along terrain features in southeast California during the afternoon of the 16th.
Read the full account →A strong and very wet atmospheric storm brought extended periods of moderate to heavy rain and periods of strong winds to much of the region, along with heavy high-elevation snow.
Read the full account →Favorable instability (MLCAPE 1,500-2,000 J/kg) and moisture (PWATs 1.3-1.6) for thunderstorm development were in place across eastern Riverside on the 20th.
Read the full account →A slow moving low pressure system brought several rounds of showers and thunderstorms across portions of southeast CA, mainly from the late morning through the late afternoon hours.
Read the full account →Isolated thunderstorms developed during the afternoon hours across portions of southeast California and southwest Arizona in response to upper-level energy rotating around the base of a cutoff low located over northern Sonora.
Read the full account →A slow moving low pressure system brought several rounds of showers and thunderstorms across portions of southeast CA, mainly from the late morning through the late afternoon hours.
Read the full account →A slow moving low pressure system brought several rounds of showers and thunderstorms across portions of southeast CA, mainly from the late morning through the late afternoon hours.
Read the full account →A slow moving cutoff low was situated over southern Arizona, providing forced ascent. The low pressure resulted in very cold mid-level temperatures of -13C to -14C, which helped increase the instability with moderate to high levels observed (MLCAPE of 1000-2000 J/KG).
Read the full account →A slow moving low pressure system brought several rounds of showers and thunderstorms across portions of southeast CA, mainly from the late morning through the late afternoon hours.
Read the full account →A slow moving low pressure system brought several rounds of showers and thunderstorms across portions of southeast CA, mainly from the late morning through the late afternoon hours.
Read the full account →Tropical Cyclone Kay formed on September 4th, 2022 and made its closest approach to Southern California on the 9th and 10th, with the center of Kay coming within 120 miles of San Diego.
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