You may want to keep that umbrella close as we close out 2021.
That’s because rain and showers are in the forecast for Santa Cruz County along with much of the West Coast as the year comes to a close.
It has not only been a wet end to the year, but it also cost two people their lives.
An atmospheric river — a sky-born plume of moisture from the Pacific Ocean — was fueling the weather, which could dump rain and snow over much of the region through Christmas, while the Pacific Northwest was looking at a dayslong cold snap.
On Thursday, two people died when their car was submerged in a flooded underpass in Millbrae. Firefighters rescued two people who had climbed atop a car but they couldn’t reach the fully submerged vehicle, San Mateo County sheriff’s Det. Javier Acosta said.
The National Weather Service is forecasting showers before 10 a.m. Christmas day. Saturday night the rain should continue with lows in the 40s.
The wet stuff continues in the forecast from Sunday to Thursday in Santa Cruz County according to the NWS forecast.
In the Sierra Nevada, an evacuation warning was issued for about 150 homes downstream of Twain Harte Lake Dam northwest of Yosemite after cracks were found in granite that adjoins the manmade part of the 36-foot-high structure. Authorities began releasing some water, but the dam didn’t seem in any immediate danger, Tuolomne County sheriff’s Sgt. Nicco Sandelin said.
The warning was lifted around 6 p.m. after inspectors determined the dam was structurally sound and clear it for continued use, according to a Facebook post by the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office.
The Sierra could see 5 to 8 feet of snow through the holidays, with 10 feet possible at higher elevations, and authorities urged people to avoid traveling through the mountain passes, which could be treacherous.
In Santa Cruz County, Ben Lomond and Bonny Doon recorded the largest numbers Friday. Ben Lomond reported 1.52 inches for a season rainfall total of 33.85 inches since Oct. 1 when the rain year begins. Bonny Doon’s 1.27 inches gave it a total of 37.54 inches.
Other totals Friday included La Selva Beach with 0.66 inches, Soquel posted 0.35 inches and Natural Bridges recorded 0.15 inches.
And it’s no bargain for the Pacific Northwest as the region was facing frigid temperatures and measurable snow was possible in both Seattle and Portland, forecasters said.
Seattle planned to open two severe weather shelters in the evenings starting Saturday. Daytime temperatures could struggle to reach freezing and overnight lows could drop to single digits into next week, National Weather Service meteorologist Reid Wolcott said.
“This is a rare event,” Wolcott said Thursday. “It’s been years since those of us at the weather service in Seattle have seen forecast data like this.”
Portland and Multnomah County planned to open severe weather shelters on Saturday.
“If you don’t have to go out, don’t go out,” Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan said. She urged people to check on neighbors and pets and help to keep sidewalks clear of snow and ice.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown issued a state of emergency declaration Thursday evening to remain in effect through Jan. 3, saying expected snow and sustained temperatures below freezing could result in critical transportation failures and disruptions to power and communications infrastructure.
Portland and Multnomah County earlier declared states of emergency.
The storms do have a bright side by increasing mountain snowpacks that provide a substantial amount of water when they melt. Long-term drought conditions continue to blanket nearly 94% of the West, according to the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center.
Sentinel Assistant City Editor Donald Fukui and the National Weather Service contributed to this report.
