Closed Low Event May 6-10: A Preliminary Synopsis

May 15, 2015

CW3E researcher Nina Oakley provides a preliminary synopsis for a closed low that developed in the Pacific Northwest and moved south along the California/Nevada border over the 6-10 May period. The closed low turned east over southern California with a very cold core moving over a warm surface. The easterly flow produced orographic precipitation on the eastern side of the Sierra with minimal precipitation on the western side of the Sierra. Large areas of the Great Basin experienced precipitation amounts that were not extreme but significant for May.