FLAGSTAFF, AZ - Pima County bought a new sandbag machine. Coconino County added severe weather events to its list of emergency notifications. Yavapai County ramped up social media messages so residents are better prepared for what's expected to be an unusually wet winter.
Around Arizona, emergency management officials are getting ready for the weather phenomenon known as El Nino that historically has dumped heavy rain and snow across the state. The persistent warming of the Pacific Ocean doesn't necessarily mean winter storms will be more intense, but they will be more frequent, said Tony Merriman of the National Weather Service in Flagstaff.
"We could even see more liquid precipitation than snow, or vice versa," he said. "We'll find out."
Strong El Nino seasons have brought nearly 3 feet more snow on average to Flagstaff than in typical years. Prescott has had 20 inches of snow, while Tucson has seen double the rainfall of normal years in those winters. In Phoenix, the number of rainy days in strong El Nino seasons averaged 34, compared with a typical 23 days.
http://www.abc15.com/news/state/arizona-prepares-for-forecast-of-unusually-wet-weather
No comments:
Post a Comment