The article compares the 1986 storm series to the historic events of 1955 and 1982. Rainfall totals for February 1986 while severe, are less than half the amount of rain that fell in December of 1955, which was 21.07 inches, which fell on already saturated ground. February 1986, saw 9.40 inches of rainfall on top of 1.08" in February before the storm. Despite these differences in precipitation, the 1986 and 1955 storms follow a similar pattern of moisture that comes from the subtropics as a low/mid-latitude system that passes over California and is spread over a longer time period. The storm of '82, preceded by a cold period, stalled in the Santa Cruz Mountains, which resulted in concentrated rainfall. The high pressure areas north and south in 1986 will continue to drive storms toward California on the jet stream.