Storm 20: it's got pineapple juice

Storm 20 update: feb. 24. storm 20 died and so did most of the storminess of the past two weeks. Today is hot, breezy and humid, and very clear, as all that "pineapple train" moisture has been left behind.
Cloud activity over the mountains: some lenticular clouds. Evidence of activity in the weathersphere overhead. Satellite indicates some small storm activity. Jet stream is wandering by split, one to the south of Fresno, another to the north, but both are weak today.

Update: Storm 20 spreads out and loses its power. It has stalled and the "pineapple express" is passing over us, underutilized.
Storm 20 has stalled over California. While still raining over select areas of the state, it is not of the power and intensity drought-starved California was hoping for. The cold air pushing from behind is suppressing the uplift activity along the front, spreading it into a thinner storm band, elongated and weak, with most of the "pineapple" moisture passing to the northeast underutilized. In other words, what a dud. But there's hope. A minor bit of energy to the southwest I've labeled in the pic as "21?" looks interesting. It could come into its own as a "storm 21" or add a boost to struggling storm 20 event.



Storm 20 is a genuine Pineapple Connection! As of Saturday evening, Feb. 23, the satellite pic confirms the upper air currents into the storm, part of a low pressure cell that dropped down from Alaska, picked up a large clod of subtropical moisture from Hawaii! AND is cruising into California with all of it! Observations from everyone here on the ground is this one feels big. That is now confirmed by the satellite pic as well. Completing the picture of pefect storminess, more subPOLAR cold air is seen shooting down from Alaska. The low is no longer completely cut off. It has grown to form a new u-shaped trough coming down from Alaska.
But as for a rain-free Mardi Gras parade here in Fresno? Storms that seem really big can totally fail to materialize over Fresno or Fresno can wind up perfectly placed in the long Cerro Junipero Serra rain shadow and be just fine rain-wise. Unless those things happen, the parade looks to be a wet affair. So just go there for the beer. That's what I did last year. Twas sorta fun.