CENTRAL COAST—Winter started Dec. 21 and colder, wet weather came through the door with it. A series of storms have dumped heavy rains across the Central Coast and record-breaking snow in the Sierra Nevada.
Just weeks ago warnings of severe drought and water rationing were commonplace, but Mother Nature is suddenly having her say as the first weeks of winter get off to a soggy start.
Meteorologist Brayden Murdock of the National Weather Service of Monterey said Watsonville took in nearly 4 inches of rain in the past week. He said the storms were pushed our way from the Gulf of Alaska by a low-pressure system that dropped anchor there.
“A few of those wet bands were pushed straight to us and that’s where all the rain came from,” Murdock said. “And we’re not completely done. Another system appears to be headed our way and could bring rain Monday evening. But we will get several very cold nights before then.”
Meanwhile, the UC California Central Sierra Snow Lab said the December snowfall buried the 1970 record of 179 inches with a whopping 202 inches—or nearly 17 feet—at an elevation of 6,894 feet, Murdock said. That has led to the closure of Highway 80 from Placer County near Sacramento all the way to the Nevada state line.
Sections of Highway 50 in and around Lake Tahoe have also been closed, trapping scores of people who were in the area on weekend ski trips. An avalanche spilled into Highway 89 near Tahoe City, leading to closure there as well.
In Big Sur, rock slides have forced Caltrans officials to shut down Highway 1 on Monday.
“Rockfall and debris in the roadway associated with an ongoing rain event has resulted in the closure of Highway 1 from the Elephant Seal Parking Lot north of San Simeon to south of Ragged Point in San Luis Obispo County,” said Caltrans spokesperson Kevin Drabinski. ”There is currently no estimated time for reopening as maintenance/engineer teams are assessing the closure.”
The cleanup effort could be impacted by additional rainfall, Drabinski added.
Murdock said the Central Coast can expect cold nights into early next week. Tonight, temperatures will drop to 34 degrees with a high Saturday of 54. Saturday night will fall to around 36 degrees and Sunday’s high should reach 57.
