California Faces Twin Storm Threats
There is a lot of heavy snow and strong winds in California from an atmospheric river. This is the first of two storms, and it is causing problems in many cities like Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland. Over 20 million people are under flood alerts, which means there might be sudden floods in some places. This problem will continue until Friday morning in central and Southern California.
After the first storm on Thursday, there might be a short break, but another, even stronger, atmospheric river is expected on Sunday. Rainy weather will continue until February because of El Niño, a natural happening in the Pacific that affects the weather all over the world.
The first atmospheric river hit Northern California on Wednesday and moved south, bringing steady rain to central California. On Thursday, the rain will continue in central California, and the heavy rain will move to Southern California. It will be rainy with strong winds until early Friday, and the air will get cooler.
Water Rescue tonight on Mark West Station Rd. at Starr Rd. Person successfully rescued from vehicle that was taking on water, they were unable to get out on their own.
Don’t risk it, if water is flowing over the road #TurnAroundDontDrown. #sonomacounty pic.twitter.com/v1ol0Scszv— Sonoma County Fire District (@SoCoFireDist) February 1, 2024
Southern California might get 1 to 4 inches of rain, falling very fast, up to 1 inch per hour. There is a Level 2 out of 4 risk of too much rain in Southern California on Thursday. Roads and low areas are at the highest risk of flooding, and some rivers might rise.
Central California has flood watches until Thursday night. Another inch of rain is possible, and coastal areas got 2 to 4 inches of rain until Wednesday night.
The western part of California might see thunderstorms with heavy rain. San Diego is warned about possible floods, and officials are ready to evacuate people if needed.
In the north, there will be more snow in Northern California and the Sierra Nevada. The highest mountains might get up to 4 feet of snow, and lower mountain roads might get at least 6 inches of snow. This is good for California’s snowpack, which is needed for water. The snowpack is currently 52% of the average for this time of year.
On Friday, there will be scattered showers in California, and on Sunday, another strong atmospheric river will hit Southern California. This could be the biggest storm of the season, lasting for 2 to 3 days. There might be more widespread flooding, and it could bring rain and snow for a few more days across the state. The second storm might have cooler temperatures and more snow, even at lower elevations.
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