January 2008 Western North American storm complex

January 2008 Western North American storm complex

Storm type	Coastal storm
Formed	January 3, 2008
Dissipated	January 16, 2008 (Left North America.)
Maximum amount	132 inches of snow at Kirkwood Ski Resort, California 10 inches of rain in Loma Prieta, California 37.7-foot (11.5 m) waves
Lowest pressure	28.30 inHg (958 millibars)
Damages	Not yet known
Fatalities	at least 11
Areas affected	Western North America and Rocky Mountains
^* Maximum snowfall or ice accretion

The January 2008 Western North American storm complex was a powerful Pacific Ocean coastal storm that affected a large area in Western North America stretching from western British Columbia to near the Tijuana, Mexico area starting on January 3, 2008. The system was responsible for flooding rains across many areas in California along with very strong winds locally exceeding hurricane force strength as well as heavy mountain snows across the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain chains as well as those in Idaho, Utah and Colorado. The storms were responsible for the death of at least 12 people across three states and extensive damage to utility services as well as to some structures.

Meteorological synopsis

The strong low pressure system responsible for much of the extreme weather (this was actually a series of three storms) traversed much of the Pacific Ocean before the first main wave arrived late on January 3, with the final major band of snow and rain affected much of the Pacific Coast from British Columbia to northern Mexico with precipitation continuing well into January 4 before weakening east of the Rockies. Heavy rain downpours, heavy snow and fierce winds lashed the west coast of most of California, beginning January 4, 2008. For January 4 and 5, general rainfall was around 2 inches (51 mm) of rain in Oregon and Utah, while nearly 4 inches (100 mm) fell over parts of Nevada and as much as 10 inches (250 mm) in parts of California. Snowfall amounts for those two days reached as much as 70 inches (1,800 mm) in Blackcap Basin in California while many mountain regions of California, Nevada and Idaho received between 1 and 5 feet (1.5 m) of snow. On the afternoon of January 6, Kirkwood Ski Resort reported 10 feet (3.0 m) of snow in 48 hours with a storm total of 11 feet. Widespread hurricane-force wind gusts were reported across most western states with winds reaching speeds of 100 mph (160 km/h) or more. The highest reported wind gusts were 165 mph (260 km/h) in Tahoe City, California. Waves were reported as high as 37.7 feet (11.5 m) offshore from Washington State, and pressure fell to 28.30 inHg (958 millibars) - the pressure equivalent of a Category 3 hurricane.

Effects

Satellite image of the system as it arrived near the coast (Courtesy of NWS Hanford, Calif.)

Flights departing from San Francisco were grounded, while over 100 miles (160 km) of Interstate 80 was shut down in eastern California and western Nevada due to poor visibility and a 17-vehicle pile-up. Bay Area Rapid Transit was also disrupted with significant delays to service and was even interrupted between San Francisco and Daly City briefly due to fallen trees on the network's tracks. Strong winds knocked power lines down causing power outages for 1.2 million Californians while several outages were reported in Washington and Oregon. About 500 miles (800 km) of California power lines were damaged by the storm.

The storm closed ski resorts, toppled trees, and created mudslides. Highways from Sacramento to San Francisco were closed by debris. Meteorologists predicted about 10 feet (3.0 m) of snow by the end of the storms giving hope to Californians for more water for the year of 2008 following a drier than average 2007 water season and leading to an expected water shortage in 2008. Mandatory evacuations were ordered in Orange County in Southern California. On January 5, a canal levee ruptured near Reno, Nevada and flooded some 800 residences. At least 3000 people were rescued by helicopter from rooftops of flooded homes while cold temperatures hindered rescue efforts.

Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons declared a state of emergency for Lyon County. The Federal Emergency Management Agency was called in for emergency assistance and distribution of food and water. Bank firm Wells Fargo opened an account to collect donations for the residents of Fernley. Residents began returning home on January 7. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger also declared a state of emergency for three counties while Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski declared a state of emergency for Umatilla County due to wind damage. At least 12 people were killed including two in California, eight in Utah and two in Oregon due to falling branches or trees, traffic accidents, and flooding. Eight of the fatalities were caused by the rollover of a charter bus in southeastern Utah. 7 people in one California home were hospitalized for carbon monoxide poisoning from a lantern. Several other people, including snowmobilers and skiers, were missing in the mountain regions of Colorado. Six snowmobilers were later found alive after calling for emergency services from a train station. A hiker went missing in the San Bernardino Mountains. According to an analysis conducted by meteorologists, a storm this powerful hasn't struck California, since the 1997–1998 North American winter storm season(as of December 2009).^{[citation needed]}

See also

• Winter storms of 2007-08

External links

• The Hydrometeorological Prediction Center Storm Summary
• Photos of Nevada Levee Break (AccuWeather)
• Satellite Photos of the Storm (CIMSS)
• Storm Summary (NWS Hanford, CA)
• Storm Summary (NWS San Francisco)
• Storm Summary (NWS Pendleton, WA)