Final Storm in California Will Move Into the Four Corners Region [NWS]

The final storm in California has been forecasted to depart the Golden State and make its way into the Four Corners region of the United States this week, according to the latest weather forecast.

The California storm is part of a long Pacific storm train driven by atmospheric river events.

In the coming days, the storm is expected to bring heavy mountain across the Southwest, Rockies, and High Plains.

Since late December 2022, California was inundated by raging floodwaters caused by torrential rain.

Millions of people were affected in the state, where local officials issued evacuation orders and conducted water rescues as some were stranded in the floods.

Power outages were also reported in many areas, affecting both business and residential establishments.

California's Final Storm

(Photo : Photo by DAVID MCNEW/AFP via Getty Images)
This aerial view shows the Capitola Pier, built in 1857, damaged after recent storms in Capitola, California, on January 15, 2023. - Soggy Californians on Sunday wearily endured their ninth successive storm in a three-week period that has brought destructive flooding, heavy snowfalls and at least 19 deaths, and forecasters said more of the same loomed for another day.

Weather forecast on Monday, January 16, shows that the current atmospheric river storm hovering over California will be the final storm to hit the state following several weeks of non-stop bombardment of heavy rain and strong winds with flooding and mudslides across the West Coast.

The National Weather Service (NWS) on Monday stated a new storm system will bring heavy snowfall in high-altitude terrain of the Four Corners region until Tuesday, January 17, before advancing east into the Central Plains on Wednesday, January 18.

In addition, severe thunderstorms are forecast to impact parts of the lower Mississippi Valley on Wednesday.

Furthermore, above average temperatures will spread in many areas of the southern and eastern US until midweek.

Also Read: California Storm Death Toll Increases to 18 as Persistent Wet Weather Affects the West Coast

Widespread Destruction

California's rainstorm hell is one of the most deadly disaster in history, as the series of storms wreaked havoc across the state and left at least 19 people dead, according to The Guardian.

During the brutal storm systems' onslaught, the extreme weather event damaged nearly every region of the state, ranging from the northern coast to Los Angeles city.

The storms brought hurricane force winds which were responsible for toppling power lines and trees, as well as cutting power supply to thousands of residents and covering large swaths of land with mud and debris due to flooding.

The disruptive and fatal impact of California's flooding, rainfall, and heavy snow is likely estimated to be more than $30 billion in terms of damages and economic losses, according to AccuWeather, as cited by the Silicon Valley website.

What is an Atmospheric River?

Atmospheric rivers or rivers in the sky are long, narrow regions in the atmosphere that carries large amount of water vapor and release it either in the form of rain or snow, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The duration of these weather phenomenon can range from several days and even weeks, as it was the case for California's Pacific storm train.

The said system gathers moisture from surrounding bodies of water.

For California, the precipitation that fell for several weeks reportedly came from the eastern Pacific Ocean and Gulf of Mexico.

This is also the same mechanism from previous atmospheric rivers in the region.