Storm Marie to become hurricane as rare track threatens California
Weather officials along the US West Coast are warning of potentially dangerous conditions this Labor Day weekend as Marie is poised to erupt into a hurricane.
TL;DR
- Tropical Storm Marie is expected to strengthen into a hurricane with sustained winds over 75 mph.
- Weather models show a potential for Marie to turn towards Southern California, with possible landfall in Los Angeles or San Diego.
- This potential landfall is considered rare due to the cooler California Current and prevailing winds that usually steer storms away.
- New spaghetti models show a roughly 50% chance of Marie turning east towards California.
- Meteorologists like Sebastian Westerink are skeptical that Marie will maintain hurricane strength by the time it reaches the coast.
- A strong El Niño phenomenon, potentially a 'Super El Niño,' is occurring and could contribute to unusual weather patterns and stronger, longer-lasting hurricanes.
- The National Weather Service has warned of large waves and dangerous rip currents along the Los Angeles coast for the Labor Day weekend.
- Coastal flooding is also predicted.
- The last tropical storm to make landfall in California was Nora in 1997.
- A tropical storm has not made landfall in California in nearly a century (Long Beach Tropical Storm in 1939).
- Other major Pacific storms include Hurricane Karina (Category 4) and Hurricane Lowell (Category 4).