ETS Titan, February 2014

NOAA scientists have produced yet another visualization from satellite imagery of an event developed off the western coast of the U.S. In this case, the extratropical cyclone had already developed and then merged with a cold front or "atmospheric river" in February of 2014. Another event developed a strong rotation later in February and early March. This storm was named Titan. Collectively, these atmospheric river producing events helped to form large coastal swells and brought much needed rain to California. The state had been suffering from significant drought conditions for more than 3 years.

The National Weather Service reported that more rain fell in a few hours than had fallen in eight months as a result of just one of these storms. Due to the relatively steep terrain of the region, and because of the extensive drought, as much needed as the rain was, numerous landslides resulted and coastal erosion at the base of several sections of the coastal highway were undermined or buried. In some areas, roads were closed and people were evacuated. So, although the storms were not as large in scale as most tropical storms, they definitely impacted coastal regions in many of the same ways. This short video clip on YouTube shows high surf at Goleta, California as a result of Titan's winds.

This stunning home video taken at Marina State Beach, just north of Monterey California and south of Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge shows massive waves some 30' high.

Although the winds don't appear to be too intense, significant wave run-up is shown and you can easily see how the swells produce extensive coastal scour and erosion along the shoreline. In the months following, portions of California experienced additional storm activity. Large waves, some in excess of 15 feet, pounded the shoreline up and down the coast. High winds, some gusts as high as 55 mph, were measured and significant accumulations of snow were dumped at higher elevations.