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Storm-Ravaged California Is Hit With More Rain and Snow Storm-Ravaged California Is Hit With More Rain and Snow
(about 1 hour later)
As heavy rain and snow fell across swaths of California on Tuesday, residents faced a new round of the flooding and power outages that have disrupted life in parts of the state after a series of storms over the past few weeks. Heavy rain and snow fell across swaths of California on Tuesday, unleashing a new round of flooding and power outages in areas where successive storms have disrupted life over the past few weeks.
The latest storm system is forecast to bring up to four inches of rain to parts of Southern and Central California, and up to four feet of snow in elevations above 6,000 feet through Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. The merging threats of rain, snow and gusty winds up to 75 miles per hour may lead to downed trees and power lines, as well as flooding and a “significant threat of avalanches” at higher elevations, the Weather Service said. Snow on Tuesday covered portions of Interstate 80 in Northern California and flooding prompted the temporary closure of other roadways, including several in Santa Cruz County and a portion of the Pacific Coast Highway, south of Los Angeles.
By Tuesday afternoon, flooding prompted the temporary closure of several roadways, including a portion of the Pacific Coast Highway, south of Los Angeles. Several roads across Santa Cruz County were also closed. By the evening, some communities had recorded an inch or more of rain over the previous 24 hours, and more than 200,000 utility customers statewide were without power, mainly in the San Francisco Bay Area. Millions of residents were under flood advisories or warnings about high winds and winter weather.
Some areas of the state had already recorded more than two inches of rain since midnight, and snow had covered portions of Interstate 80 in Northern California. About 250,000 utility customers across the state were without power on Tuesday evening, according to poweroutage.us. Officials urged people to consider alternate routes when traveling and warned of mud and rock slides. The National Weather Service warned of thunderstorms causing heavy rain and hail near Davis, Calif. The storm system is forecast to bring several inches of rain to parts of Southern California by Wednesday morning, creating the potential for more flooding in areas where soils are already saturated from weeks of precipitation, according to a National Weather Service forecast.
In the San Francisco Bay Area, Stanford University canceled final exams on Tuesday because of a widespread power outage, the school’s emergency information center said. One of the main transmission lines that feeds the campus was impacted by the storm. High winds were also expected overnight, along with more downed trees and power lines. And at higher elevations, residents were bracing for several feet of snow and the threat of avalanches, the agency said.
Meteorologists with the Weather Service in Hanford, Calif., were keeping an eye on water levels on rivers, creeks and steams, which they said were “extremely high,” and that heavy rain below 4,000 feet could cause flooding. The heaviest rain was expected in the evening. The system was forecast to move across the Southwest and into the Rocky Mountains by early Thursday, though not before causing trouble in several California counties.
In the central part of the state, officials went to door to door starting on Sunday to urge residents in portions of Tulare County to evacuate. Tulare County has been flooded in previous storms this year and more rain was expected there this week. On Tuesday night in Northern California, rain showers were falling in a north-south band from Redding down to San Francisco, as forecasters warned of hail, lightning and gusty winds in some areas. The showers were expected to taper overnight.
“We’re going to every home that we anticipate would be impacted by the waters,” Sheriff Mike Boudreaux of Tulare County said at a news conference on Sunday. Earlier on Tuesday in the San Francisco Bay Area, Stanford University canceled final exams because of a widespread power outage, the school’s emergency information center said. One of the main transmission lines that feeds the campus was impacted by the storm.
It was not clear on Monday how many people had been encouraged to leave. Last week, the Sheriff’s Office shared images of ranches and crops that were still flooded from recent storms. The county said that it was working to assess the damage and that it was seeking federal reimbursement for those who lost crops. In Central California, where a flood watch was in effect until 11 p.m. local time on Tuesday, Weather Service meteorologists were keeping an eye on extremely high water levels in rivers, creeks and steams. They said heavy rain below 4,000 feet could cause flooding into Wednesday night.
Sheriff Boudreaux said that he wanted to quell fears that dams in the area would not hold up to more bad weather, and that he had consulted with the Army Corps of Engineers about its capabilities ahead of the storm. Officials were also tracking heavy thunderstorms moving across Tulare County, which has been flooded during previous storms this year. Officials had started going door to door there on Sunday to urge residents in portions of that county to evacuate.
“The stability of those dams is solid,” he said. “You will see lots of water coming through the spillways, but, rest assured, the dams are in good functioning position.” As the storm approached earlier in the week, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services had said that residents should be prepared to evacuate if needed. It also urged them to have emergency kits ready at home and vehicles full of fuel.
Ashton Robinson Cook, a meteorologist with the Storm Prediction Center, which is part of the National Weather Service, said that this week’s storm system was expected to have less moisture than the recent back-to-back storm systems called atmospheric rivers that brought heavy rain and flooding to Central California. But the system was expected to have less moisture than the recent back-to-back storm systems called atmospheric rivers that brought heavy rain and flooding to Central California, said Ashton Robinson Cook, a meteorologist with the Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center.
“We don’t think the rain totals will be as extreme,” Mr. Cook said on Monday. “We’re not expecting the impacts to be nearly anything like what we experienced, especially in Central California, last week.”“We don’t think the rain totals will be as extreme,” Mr. Cook said on Monday. “We’re not expecting the impacts to be nearly anything like what we experienced, especially in Central California, last week.”
The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services said that residents should be prepared to evacuate if needed. It also urged them to have emergency kits ready at home and vehicles full of fuel. About a dozen swift-water rescue teams were being positioned across the state, especially in regions where flooding was a greater concern, the department said.
The state is trying to recover from a series of storms that have brought heavy rain and snow, causing flooding in portions of the state. It is the second snowiest season in the Central Sierras since researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, began keeping records in 1946. This season, 677 inches of snow have fallen there, the researchers said, compared to a record 812 inches in 1952.The state is trying to recover from a series of storms that have brought heavy rain and snow, causing flooding in portions of the state. It is the second snowiest season in the Central Sierras since researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, began keeping records in 1946. This season, 677 inches of snow have fallen there, the researchers said, compared to a record 812 inches in 1952.
In January, an atmospheric river prompted evacuation orders for more than 40,000 Californians and left more than 220,000 utility customers without power. That storm was part of a three-week series of atmospheric rivers that inundated much of the state, damaging infrastructure and setting off flooding.In January, an atmospheric river prompted evacuation orders for more than 40,000 Californians and left more than 220,000 utility customers without power. That storm was part of a three-week series of atmospheric rivers that inundated much of the state, damaging infrastructure and setting off flooding.
The severe weather events in California continued into February, when storms brought heavy flooding to Los Angeles County and whiteouts at higher elevations, and into March, when Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in several counties affected by winter storms that dumped as much as 10 feet of snow in parts of Southern California, leaving some tourists and residents stranded for days.The severe weather events in California continued into February, when storms brought heavy flooding to Los Angeles County and whiteouts at higher elevations, and into March, when Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in several counties affected by winter storms that dumped as much as 10 feet of snow in parts of Southern California, leaving some tourists and residents stranded for days.
After that storm, yet another atmospheric river hit California. It washed out portions of roadways, prompted evacuations, caused power outages — particularly in the central region — and contributed to at least one death.After that storm, yet another atmospheric river hit California. It washed out portions of roadways, prompted evacuations, caused power outages — particularly in the central region — and contributed to at least one death.
Mike Ives, Livia Albeck-Ripka and April Rubin contributed reporting.Mike Ives, Livia Albeck-Ripka and April Rubin contributed reporting.