Pineapple Express Targets California for Christmas—Heavy Rain, Wind & Snow

Pineapple Express takes aim at the West Coast and California just in time for the Christmas holiday. Subtropical moisture—straight out of the Hawaiian Islands—will drive heavy rain, warm air, strong winds, and significant mountain snow.

Flood Watches and Flood Advisories are already posted in parts of California, and small-stream flooding looks likely as the warm conveyor aims directly at the coast. Sierra snow totals could reach 3–5 feet from Lake Tahoe to Mammoth Mountain by the middle of next week.

The Pineapple Express also breaks up the dense Central Valley fog, while Southern California is set for heavy rains heading into Christmas. Travel impacts will pile up—wet roads, rising rivers, and elevation-dependent snow.

Needless to say, the next 3–4 days will be wild, wooly, and warm for a California December.

We’ll track it all—visible satellite, precipitable water, HRRR, North American Model, surface charts, live cams, surf, and national travel.

🌧️ YouTube Chapters

00:00 — Visible Satellite: Pineapple Express Firehose
03:00 — Precipitable Water Forecast Model
04:37 — Radar: Current Conditions
05:16 — 24-Hour Rainfall Totals (Bay Area Focus)
06:32 — California 6-Day Rain Accumulation Forecast (NWS)
08:09 — West Coast NWS Front Pages: Seattle, Portland, Sacramento, Los Angeles
09:37 — HRRR Rapid Refresh Forecast
11:48 — North American Sea Level Pressure / Rainfall Model
13:16 — Rainfall Accumulation Forecast
14:32 — Live Cameras: Mount Shasta, Alturas, Crescent City, Redding, Mount Tam, Diablo, Olympic Valley, Fresno, Bakersfield, Point Conception, San Diego County
22:22 — National Forecast / Holiday Travel
23:37 — Earthquakes
24:31 — Surf Line: Ocean Beach, Palomar & Forecast
25:29 — Nature Snacks🌟 Welcome to Bill Martin's Weather Channel! 🌟
I’m Bill Martin, chief meteorologist at KTU Channel 2, the Bay Area's #1 news station, with nearly 35 years of experience in delivering accurate and engaging weather forecasts. With a solid educational foundation, including an undergraduate degree from UC Berkeley in climatology and physical geography, along with postgraduate work at San Francisco State in atmospheric science, I am also a proud Certified Broadcast Meteorologist recognized by the American Meteorological Society.
Having grown up in Paradise—the town that faced the heart-wrenching reality of wildfires—I’ve developed a personal connection to the landscape and weather patterns of Northern California. As a fifth-generation Northern Californian with pioneer ancestry, my love for this state runs deep. For over 45 years, I've surfed the stunning California coastline, from Santa Cruz to Ocean Beach, gaining an intricate understanding of how the ocean influences our weather.
But that’s not all—I’m also an avid outdoorsman who enjoys fishing, mountain biking, skiing, and snowboarding. My passion for California's natural beauty and the outdoors enriches my approach to meteorology.
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Bill

Bill Martin,meteorologist,weather forecast,surfing,California surf,ocean beach,California history,drought,water issues,climate change,weather patterns,wildfires,coastal weather,Bay Area weather,Sierra Nevada snow,El Niño,La Niña,atmospheric riversBill Martin,meteorologist,weather forecast,surfing,California surf,ocean beach,California history,drought,water issues,climate change,weather patterns,wildfires,coastal weather,Bay Area weather,Sierra Nevada snow,El Niño,La Niña,atmospheric rivers Bill Martin,meteorologist,weather forecast,surfing,California surf,ocean beach,California history,drought,water issues,climate change,weather patterns,wildfires,coastal weather,Bay Area weather,Sierra Nevada snow,El Niño,La Niña,atmospheric rivers