🌧️ Ever heard of an atmospheric river? It’s like a sky-high water highway, and right now it’s pounding California with floods, heavy snow, and… a rare tornado warning! 😲 Here's what’s going on:
- Tornado Alert Lifted: On Friday, U.S. weather services briefly issued—and then lifted—a tornado warning in parts of California. Crazy for a state more famous for sunshine and Hollywood! 🌞🎬
- Flood Watch Extended: The Bay Area and Central Coast are under Flood Watch until 10 p.m. local time. Think raging creeks and street flooding—kind of like our monsoon madness back home, but in winter gear. 🌊
- High Surf Advisory: Waves up to 7.6 meters (that’s nearly 25 feet!) are smashing the coast. Imagine 8-story buildings in wave form! 🏄♂️
- Record Rainfall: L.A. got 6.6 cm of rain over Christmas Eve and Day—its wettest holiday since 1971. Even your Christmas pudding would be soggy! 🎄☔
- Snow Dump in the Sierras: Over 60 cm of snow fell in 24 hours at UC Berkeley’s Central Sierra lab. Perfect if you’re dreaming of a white Christmas—minus the slip and slide! ❄️
- Historic Observatory Hit: Gusty winds tore part of the 137-year-old dome at Lick Observatory near San Jose. Telescope pieces rocketing around? Sci-fi level stuff! 🔭💨
- Power Prep: Pacific Gas & Electric has 5,500+ crew on duty. Think of it as a massive lightning crew ready to tackle outages. ⚡👷♀️
Experts warn the biggest threats are flash floods, debris flows, and mudslides, especially in Southern California’s steep landscapes. 🚨 If you’re heading to West Coast ski resorts or road-tripping down the Pacific Coast Highway, keep your apps handy for real-time alerts.
Winter storm warnings also stretch into the Sierra Nevada and interior West. Basically, Mother Nature’s throwing everything at California right now—storms, snow, and surprise twisters! 🌪️
Stay safe, stay dry, and maybe binge a favorite series at home while the weather chills out. 📱🍿
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
