Forecasters Warns "Hazardous Precipitation" May Return To Southwest United States And California

Ian Greenwood
·2 min read
5

California and the Southwest United States are just coming off an exciting few days of weather. Los Angeles faced hundreds of mudslides, ski resorts got bombarded with snow, and conditions were, well, generally soggy.

According to the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center, inhabitants of California and the Southwest United States might have to do it all over again.

"There is an increased potential for heavy rain, high winds, and flooding for California and Arizona, along with heavy snow at higher elevations, Friday-Wednesday, February 16-21," the report from the NWS reads.

The degree of risk isn't 100%. Instead, the NWS predicts a 60% chance that California's mountains will see heavy snow (with "hazardous precipitation" at lower elevations) between February 17th and February 19th.

A different, longer window—February 16th through the 21st—holds a 40% to 60% chance that California and Arizona will see "precipitation and high elevation snow."

The previous round of precipitation across the Southwest United States and California treated ski resorts swimmingly. Mammoth Mountain, California, picked up 4.5 feet to over 5 feet during the storm, and Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico, walked away nearly 4 feet of snow. Hallelujah.

Remember—the NWS' predictions all fall into the longer-range forecast bucket. We're talking a week or more from now, meaning the possibility of more heavy snow in California and elsewhere shouldn't be treated as gospel quite yet. Still, the prospect of more powder days is exciting. That much is undeniable. For now, though, all we can do is wait.

Related: Night Time Snow Grooming Is An Immensely Satisfying Watch

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