Publication: L.A. Times

UCLA Expert: Daniel Swain: Assistant Researcher and Climate Specialist, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability

Synopsis: Even on the heels of an unusual winter of intense rain, wind and snow, the storm that slammed California on Tuesday came with some surprising conditions. The storm was marked by powerful winds in the Bay Area and other parts of Central and Northern California that downed trees, created treacherous commuting conditions, broke windows in downtown San Francisco and caused power outages.

UCLA News: Swain pointed to other unusual attributes of the weather system, including a “sting jet,” or localized acceleration of winds next to a low-pressure center. “The name comes from the 3D visualizations of this feature,” he said, “which look a little bit like a scorpion’s tail descending from the sky… The storm is really raking Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties in particular,” he added as he reviewed radar images. “I have never seen anything quite like it.”

Read more at L.A. Times.