bay area storm

Watch: Satellite Videos Show View From Space as Bomb Cyclone, Parade of Storms Hit the Bay Area

Nine atmospheric rivers have occurred in California since late December.

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The view at ground level was alarming enough for most Bay Area residents as a series of storms hit the region this month, bringing heavy rain, mudslides, flooding and dangerous road conditions.

New satellite video from Colorado State University and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows the view from space as wet weather battered the West Coast.

Video shows the bomb cyclone spinning in the Pacific Ocean before it arrived in the Bay Area on Jan. 4.

Another satellite video shows a timelapse of the storm between Jan. 9 and Jan. 14. You can see the storm system moving toward the West Coast in a cyclone motion from the Pacific, continuously hitting California over the course of five days.

The images and video of the storm come from NOAA’s Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, which simply put, monitors weather from space.

This satellite, known as the GOES-18, tracks weather events like hurricanes, atmospheric rivers, wildfires and volcanic eruptions in the western U.S., Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico and Central America.

The video was shared in partnership with Colorado State University’s Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere.

The Bay Area saw clear skies on Tuesday, a welcome change compared to the historic storm conditions seen across the region and the entire state this month.

On Wednesday, we'll see another storm roll in but the Bay Area can expect much lighter rain this time around.

Despite the clearing weather, a coastal flood advisory will remain in effect all week.

Nine atmospheric rivers have occurred in California since late December, the Associated Press reported. 

The term "bomb cyclone" describes a storm that’s rapidly intensifying. The weather event happens when the atmospheric pressure of the storm drops 24-millibar (the unit that measures atmospheric pressure) in 24 hours.

At least 20 people have died during California's severe weather. The number of damaged homes and structures in the state are believed to be in the “low thousands,” according to a spokesperson for California’s Office of Emergency Services.

San Francisco has recorded 21.75 inches of rainfall since October, marking the sixth wettest year on record, according to the National Weather Service.

President Joe Biden is expected to travel to California on Thursday, visiting areas hardest hit by the weather along the central coast.

The Bay Area has seen many storm-related problems over the last three weeks — from rockslides and power outages to downed trees and flooding.

For the latest weather conditions in the Bay Area and California, watch NBC Bay Area's forecast here.

Meteorologist Kari Hall has a look at recent rain totals and how much more rain is on the way in the Microclimate Forecast.
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