'Rivers in sky' continue to slam Northern California; Floods, slides in weekend forecast
SAN FRANCISCO -- A turbulent Pacific jet stream aimed two more atmospheric rivers at the California coast Friday, carrying with them a renewed threat of flooding, debris flows, power outages and toppling trees.
Mill Valley officials issued a warning Friday morning that didn't pull any punches.
"The current storm (1/13-1/15) will bring heavy rain, flooding, rising creeks, landslides, falling branches/trees, power outages & clogged storm drains," their social media post read. "Please stay away from coastal areas, surging creeks, flooded roadways, and down power lines."
The National Weather Service was predicting another 2 inches or more of rain in San Francisco and other Bay Area communities and up to 6 inches in the already saturated Santa Cruz Mountains by Monday.
"They (atmospheric rivers) act like rivers in the sky," Scripps researcher Marty Ralph of the unrelenting pulses of moisture plumes streaming over the Bay Area since Dec. 26th.
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The first pulse of moisture on Friday will usher in a Cat. 3 atmospheric river early Saturday.
"Cold front No. 1 is passing through the district this morning," forecasters said. "It's the remnants of a
decaying atmospheric river and behaving as expected so far. Rain rates of around 0.25 per hour in the North Bay and Santa Cruz Mountains in favorable upslope flow with lighter amounts in the valleys."
Flood warnings also remained in effect for the rain-swollen Salinas River. The weather service predicted a surge in runoff near Spreckels.
At a news conference Thursday, Monterey County Sheriff Tina Nieto begged local residents who have told to evacuate to leave their homes.
"I just want to remind you, as you look around, this is John Steinbeck's Salinas Valley," she said. "And John Steinbeck actually wrote about in East of Eden how dangerous this river can be at times. He talked about. It's not a pretty river, but it's our only river here in city, in this valley. And during the wet weathers, the river can become very dangerous."
The storm surge was also expected to kick up 25-foot waves along the coast aiding to the woes of beachfront communities including Pescadero already ravaged during the historic deluge.
"It's the worst it's been," said Hillary Goldschlager, who lives in Pescadero. "We've been here ten years. The creeks are three times the size they normally are and swift water flowing."
