CW3E Post Event Summary: 02 February 2019 AR

February 7, 2019

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Overview of Meteorological Conditions

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Valid 0000 UTC 2 February – 1200 UTC 6 February 2019
  • An Atmospheric River and concomitant low-pressure system made landfall over CA on 02 February 2019
  • Once AR conditions ended over CA on the 2nd, the low-pressure system became cut-off and remained over CA for several days
  • Numerous 500-hPa shortwave troughs developed downstream of an Eastern Pacific ridge, providing successive “pulses” of positive vorticity advection, conducive to rising motion and the production of precipitation
  • Strong cold air advection associated with this event led to cold 850-hPa temperatures of 10 to -10˚C across the West Coast
  • These conditions led to an extended period of snow over the Sierra resulting in considerable snow accumulations

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summary provided by C. Hecht, B. Kawzenuk, J. Kalansky, and F. M. Ralph; 10 AM PT 07 February 2019