Alert: SIGNIFICANT RAIN EVENT UNDERWAY

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Alert: SIGNIFICANT RAIN EVENT UNDERWAY

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT: SIGNIFICANT RAIN EVENT UNDERWAY FOR CALIFORNIA

Warning: A severe storm has impacted California bringing significant rain to wildland fire burn areas.
The threat of mudslides and debris flows remains high in recently burned areas.

Description: LOW PRESSURE OFF THE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA COAST IS PUSHING RAIN BANDS ONTO THE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA COAST BY DAWN SATURDAY WITH A VIGOROUS COLD FRONT EXPECTED TO PASS THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA EARLY SATURDAY AFTERNOON. THE ATMOSPHERE TURNS UNSTABLE WITH THE COLD-FRONTAL PASSAGE AND A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP AT THAT TIME AND CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING HOURS. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS EXPECTED WITH THE FRONTAL PASSAGE ACROSS THE AREA BEGINNING IN THE MORNING IN THE NORTH BAY AND EXTENDING THROUGH THE AFTERNOON FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE CENTRAL COAST. LOCALLY GUSTY WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN WILL ACCOMPANY ANY THUNDERSTORMS. HEAVY RAIN MAY CAUSE PONDING ON ROADWAYS...CREATING HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. AS OF 8:00 AM SATURDAY MORNING... RUNNING AND LARGER 24 HOUR RAINFALL AMOUNTS IN THE NORTH BAY MOUNTAINS HAVE BEEN 2.80 INCHES AT VENADO AND 1.35 INCHES AT HAWKEYE. IN THE COASTAL NORTH BAY OLEMA REPORTED 1.04 INCHES. IN THE NORTH BAY INTERIOR RAINFALL AMOUNTS ARE NEAR ONE-THIRD OF AN INCH. AROUND SAN FRANCISCO BAY AND PENINSULA COAST LARGER AMOUNTS ARE NEAR ONE-QUARTER OF AN INCH. IN THE SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS BEN LOMOND HAS RECEIVE ABOUT ONE INCH WITH THE LOS GATOS AREA RECEIVING ABOUT ONE-HALF AN INCH OF RAIN.

Instructions: FLASH FLOOD WATCH - CONCERN REMAINS HIGH FOR THE THREAT OF MUDSLIDES DUE TO HEAVY RAIN EXPECTED ON CALIFORNIA BURN AREAS.
A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED.
BY MIDNIGHT TONIGHT SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED AND THEN PERSIST INTO SUNDAY MORNING. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER FAVORITE NEWS SOURCES FOR UPDATED INFORMATION REGARDING THIS EVENT.

FLASH FLOODING POSSIBLE FOR RECENT BURN AREAS IN SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA TODAY	Actual/Future/Severe/Possible
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA
Alert sent at 08:35 PDT on 2008-11-01

SIGNIFICANT RAIN EVENT UNDERWAY FOR NORTHERN AND CENTRAL CALIFORNIA	Actual/Future/Unknown/Possible
SAN FRANCISCO-COASTAL NORTH BAY... INCLUDING POINT REYES NATIONAL SEASHORE-NORTH BAY INTERIOR VALLEYS-NORTH BAY MOUNTAINS-SAN FRANCISCO BAY SHORELINE-SAN FRANCISCO PENINSULA COAST-EAST BAY INTERIOR VALLEYS-EAST BAY HILLS AND DIABLO RANGE-SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS-SANTA CLARA VALLEY... INCLUDING SAN JOSE-SOUTHERN SALINAS VALLEY... ARROYO SECO... AND LAKE SAN ANTONIO-SANTA LUCIA MOUNTAINS AND LOS PADRES NATIONAL FOREST-MOUNTAINS OF SAN BENITO AND INTERIOR MONTEREY COUNTY INCLUDINGPINNACLES NATIONAL MONUMENT-NORTHERN SALINAS VALLEY... HOLLISTER VALLEY... AND CARMEL VALLEY-NORTHERN MONTEREY BAY-SOUTHERN MONTEREY BAY AND BIG SUR COAST-
Alert sent at 07:59 PDT on 2008-11-01

WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM PDT THIS EVENING	Actual/Future/Severe/Possible
COASTAL NORTH BAY... INCLUDING POINT REYES NATIONAL SEASHORE-NORTH BAY MOUNTAINS-EAST BAY HILLS AND DIABLO RANGE-SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS-
Alert sent at 07:46 PDT on 2008-11-01

COLD AND WINTRY WEATHER EXPECTED OVER THE HIGH ELEVATIONS OF THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA	Actual/Future/Severe/Possible
SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON-TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS-
Update sent at 06:04 PDT on 2008-11-01

COLD AND WINTRY WEATHER RETURNING TO THE HIGHEST ELEVATIONS OF THE SIERRA	Actual/Future/Severe/Possible
WESTERN PLUMAS COUNTY/LASSEN PARK-WEST SLOPE NORTHERN SIERRA NEVADA-INCLUDING THE CITIES OF... CHESTER... QUINCY... BLUE CANYON
Update sent at 05:50 PDT on 2008-11-01

FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT FOR THE INTERIOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA BURN AREAS FOR POSSIBLE DEBRIS FLOW	Actual/Future/Severe/Possible
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA
Update sent at 05:21 PDT on 2008-11-01

FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM PDT THIS MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING FOR THE TELEGRAPH FIRE BURN AREA IN MARIPOSA COUNTY	Actual/Future/Severe/Possible
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
Update sent at 05:07 PDT on 2008-11-01

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How fires get their names

Every year in California thousands of wildfires start throughout the state. In most cases, the dispatch center sending the initial resources to a wildland fire will designate a name for the fire, but the first on scene engine or fire official can also name the incident. Fires are usually named for the area in which they start – a geographical location, local landmark, street, lake, mountain, peak, etc. Quickly naming the fire provides responding fire resources with an additional locater, and allows fire officials to track and prioritize incidents by name. For example during the Southern California Fire Siege of 2003, the largest wildland fire in California history, the Cedar Fire in San Diego County, was named after the Cedar Creek Falls area where it started. The destructive Old Fire, which burned during the same time period in San Bernardino County, was named after the road along which it started - Old Waterman Canyon Road.

CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States. CDF - CAL FIRE Firefighters answer the call more than 300,000 times a year. CAL FIRE Firefighters make up the fire department for 30 of our 58 counties in California and more than 100 local communities. We serve as the incident command during many of California’s most serious disasters. CAL FIRE Firefighters respond to many various types and forms of calls ranging from structural fires, to auto accidents, to earthquakes, to floods, to the spilling of hazardous materials, to every conceivable disaster; CAL FIRE answer's the calls. CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States . CAL FIRE firefighters protect 33 million acres of State Responsibility Area (SRA). We have over 4,000 members within CAL FIRE and CAL FIRE is associated with the California Professional Firefighters (CPF) and the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF).

CFN - CALIFORNIA FIRE NEWS - CAL FIRE NEWS

Saturday, November 1, 2008