SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Another major storm will strike Northern California Wednesday, bringing similar conditions that caused flooding in the southern Sacramento Valley over New Year's weekend.
Satellite imagery shows the mid-latitude cyclone rapidly spinning off the coast and it's expected to undergo explosive cyclogenesis, or become a bomb cyclone.
A storm undergoing explosive cyclogenesis drops its central pressure by 24 millibars in 24 hours, rapidly strengthening wind speeds and the general strength of the storm.
The system will "bomb out" over the ocean rather than over California but will still bring strong winds and abundant rain and snow as the cold front will draw moisture from an atmospheric river.
The system will have a textbook mid-latitudinal shape, with a leading warm front pushing northwards through the state before the following cold front will plow through the state.
The initial wave of rain supplied by the warm front will roll through Wednesday morning. The main event will occur Wednesday night through Thursday morning as the cold front progresses through Northern California, bringing heavy rain rates and wind gusts up to 60 mph.
While most of the valley can expect 1.5-3 inches of rain, snow totals will be relatively light compared to what atmospheric river events typically bring. Expect 1-3 feet in the mountains through Thursday.
Saturated soils and full rivers and creeks present flood danger, but the wind is expected to be the main player of this particular storm. The National Weather Service expects damaging winds with downed trees and widespread power outages, much like the New Year's Eve event.
A break in storms will occur on Friday before more wet weather returns this weekend and beyond.
