• Flood Potential CA

    From Mike Powell@618:250/1 to All on Fri Nov 21 09:38:12 2025
    AWUS01 KWNH 211331
    FFGMPD
    AZZ000-NVZ000-CAZ000-211930-

    Mesoscale Precipitation Discussion 1240
    NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
    831 AM EST Fri Nov 21 2025

    Areas affected...Inland Deserts of Southern California and Lower
    Colorado River Valley...

    Concerning...Heavy rainfall...Flash flooding possible

    Valid 211330Z - 211930Z

    SUMMARY...Prolonged moderate rain with embedded very weak showers
    capable of .3-.5"/hr rates. Scattered 1-1.5" totals pose longer
    duration flash flooding concerns (3-6hr exceedance).

    DISCUSSION...GOES-W WV suite shows core of deep upper-low has
    wobbled over the LA Basin, but a strong upstream shortwave along
    the western periphery of the upper-level closed low is digging
    sharply resulting an combined effect of tightening the overall
    flow across the deep cyclone while keeping the downstream older
    center stationary over the next 6-12hr. As a result, the core of
    the Atmospheric River will remain focused on NW Baja California
    before cyclonically turning (fairly sharply) through the Imperial
    Valley into the Mojave Deserts back toward the Tehachapi Range and
    southern San Joaquin Valley.

    CIRA LPW prior to the local outage showed a fairly strong sfc to
    850 and 850-700mb signal with 95th-99th percentile signals in each
    layer, combine that with some increase in the surface to 850mb
    layer from favorable southerly flow off the warm Sea of Cortez and
    total PWats remain at or slightly above 1" into the Imperial
    Valley and as high as .75" into the San Joaquin Valley. VWP and
    RAP analysis suggest strong cyclonic curvature but also 20-30kts
    of flux. So while there is sub-100 J/kg of instability, the
    vertical ascent through the strengthening western branch of the
    TROWAL suggests highly anomalous flux to maintain moderate showery
    activity through the deserts. Rates of .33"/hr are more probable,
    but an isolated rate of .5" is not impossible. Still, persistent
    weakly banded features will result in tracks of 1-1.5" totals in a
    3-6hr time period, so any isolated, enhanced vertical cell within
    the core may result in quicker stream/arroyo rises. FFG values
    being only .5"/hr and less than 1"/3hr and less than 1.5-2"/6hrs)
    suggest a few scattered incidents of 'flash' flooding are
    considered possible through early afternoon.

    While less certainty, there are CAMs suggesting some filtered
    insolation may be possible in the morning. Near zero inhibition
    through the profiles, suggest embedded widely scattered convective
    elements may evolve in the 16-19z time period, particularly closer
    to the warmer heat source of the Sea of Cortez across the Lower
    Colorado and southern Imperial Valley. Given the digging wave
    upstream off the SW CA coast, upstream winds may be favorable for
    some potential upstream redevelopment/back-building environment.
    Will continue to monitor those trends for any additional MPD later
    toward the afternoon.

    Gallina

    ATTN...WFO...HNX...PSR...SGX...VEF...

    ATTN...RFC...RSA...STR...NWC...

    LAT...LON 36451689 36001550 35231468 34241409 33061394
    32331426 32491497 32691600 34241623 34841705
    34971779 35591825 36151792

    $$
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