A major shift in the atmosphere clears the way for El Niño to pound Southern California – San Diego Union-Tribune

A major shift in the atmosphere clears the way for El Niño to pound Southern California  San Diego Union-Tribune

Scientists and forecasters say a powerful subtropical jet stream has developed between Hawaii and California, creating an atmospheric conveyor belt that will help deliver El Niño-charged storms to the West Coast this winter. The warm-water El Niño phenomenon is releasing extraordinary amounts of moisture into the atmosphere, which frequently translates into stronger storms and bigger surf. The storms can be especially vicious if they coincide with seasonally large high tides, which are referred to as king tides. “This is a signature outcome of El Niño, and we are already starting to feel some of its effects,” said Phil Gonsalves, a forecaster at the National Weather Service.

“We’ve received about twice as much rainfall as we typically get in October.” A new storm that moved into San Diego County on Saturday night delivered rain to the entire county before dawn Sunday. Here are the latest rainfall totals. The subtropical jet stream is beastly. It often stretches 200 to 300 miles wide and moves 140 mph to 180 mph as it travels 6 to 8 miles above the ocean. Storms that form in this region are often called a pineapple express. Over the years, these storms have damaged homes and caused widespread flooding in greater San Diego. The rain that hit San Diego County this weekend “is the first indication that a