Dec. 17 (UPI) — Extreme weather on the East and West Coast has sparked flooding rescues and warnings of dangerous high waves off California.
The continuing Pacific cold front is expected to slam central California and the northern Rocky Mountains with rain and snow in the next couple days. Snow totals are expected to top a foot in the Washington Cascades and the Idaho mountains Monday into Tuesday, forecasters said. Maine could receive as much as 4-8 inches of snow before New England starts to dry out Tuesday.
The National Weather Service blamed an occluded low-pressure system for heavy rain on the East Coast that left record rain totals in the Washington, D.C., area over the weekend. Forecasters said, though, there’s still enough of the storm hanging around to bring moderate to heavy snow to northern New England.
Rainfall at Washington Dulles International Airport more than doubled previous records. Baltimore-Washington International Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport also saw record-breaking rain.
In Howard County, Md., emergency crews spent hours helping drivers out of flooded areas, and even rescued a llama with its owner after a pasture experienced rising waters at the Patuxent River in Mink Hollow.
The National Weather Service in San Francisco issued high wave warning along the Northern California coast, warning residents in a Twitter post to stay “well back” from the ocean or risk “certain death.”
The agency estimated some waves as large as 50 feet, with some of the largest coming early Monday. An area of low pressure moving in from the Gulf of Alaska into the western U.S. and Canada appears to be the source of the weather conditions.
“Significant increased risk of rip currents and sneaker waves,” the service wrote in its warning. “Waves can run up on beaches and sweep over previously dry areas.”
The Weather Channel reported one surfer was killed at San Francisco’s Ocean Beach last week in waves of 10 feet.
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