big May storms forecast

[Feraleyes]

Sacramento just recorded its wettest May ever yet up here in South Lake we’re sitting at just 45% of average. In the northern Sierra at least, these storms have been falling apart quickly as they near the crest.

[Wandering Daisy]

Another great web-cam photo from Sentinel : this morning after the last storm. Seems like this year April and May were switched! This is more like early April.

sentinel3.jpg

[SSSdave]

Hanford NWS Friday evening:

An impressive late season storm system is still expected to move
in on Sunday. Models track the moist closed upper low down the
northern California coast Sunday morning then move it right over
central California as a ~550 DM low by Sunday afternoon. In
addition, a ~130 knot upper jet is depicted with the left exit
region overhead, providing enhanced lift. So the ingredients are
there for more widespread shower activity and potentially some
strong thunderstorms. But the monkey wrench in the ointment for
thunderstorm development may be if extensive cloud cover limits
surface heating. Thunderstorms would be capable of producing small
hail, gusty winds, and locally heavy rainfall. Cannot rule out the
possibility of funnel clouds or even a weak tornado. Snowfall may
be heavy in parts of the Sierra Nevada on Sunday. A Winter Storm
Watch has been issued for a portion of the Sierra above 6000 feet
from 5 AM Sunday through 5 AM Monday. Current estimates call for
4 to 8 inches of snowfall above 6000 feet with amounts to around
12 inches above 7000 feet. Temperatures will lower significantly
on Sunday to well, well below normal for late May. The forecast
high for Fresno is 62 on Sunday, 25 degrees below the climatological
normal of 87. In fact, we could set new record lowest maximum
temperatures for the date in some areas.[/color]