Satellite shows storm system hitting the West Coast

A powerful storm system was expected to bring upwards of 6 inches of rain and several feet of snow to parts of the US west coast on Sunday, October 24.

Moisture drawn from the Pacific and transported on a Category 5 out of 5 “atmospheric river” resulted in several inches of rain falling in coastal areas of northern California on Sunday morning.

The torrent of precipitation comes amid a state-wide drought in California. In Sacramento, no measurable rain was recorded for 212 days, until the streak was broken a week ago. Local forecasts predicted between five and seven inches of rain in the city on Sunday, October 24, alone.

This satellite imagery, taken overnight on October 23-24, shows storm activity over the Pacific Ocean and west coasts of the United States and Canada.

This story was originally published October 24, 2021 at 2:04 PM.