California is bracing for three more storms after a weather bomb cyclone hit the state — as more flash floods could hit Los Angeles and San Francisco in inches of torrential rain.
Currently, 461,960 people are without power as California is rocked by the aftermath of the power outage. But the lull is expected to be short-lived — with Pacific storms set to wreak more havoc.
Trees have been downed, roads have been flooded and coastlines have been invaded by the devastating weather front that continues its relentless deluge in California.
The National Weather Service said: “A very active weather pattern over the Pacific Ocean will continue to push energetic and fast-moving low-pressure systems toward the west coast.
“California continues to bear the brunt of the heavy rainfall and high winds associated with these systems as we head into the first full weekend of 2023.”
Trees have been uprooted from their roots during California’s torrential weather – but more is on the way
Currently, 461,960 people are without power as California is rocked by the aftermath of the power outage
Forecasters warned that northern and central California were still on the path to a “relentless parade of hurricanes” on Sunday, promising little relief for the region.
An atmospheric flow of dense moisture in the sky will move to central California today – but new storms will bring more flows to northern California this week.
Light rain was forecast for the weekend in the Los Angeles area, with blustery conditions expected Monday with a potential for up to 8 inches of rain in the foothills.
Two overlapping phenomena — an immense airflow of dense moisture from the ocean known as atmospheric flow, and an expanding, hurricane-force low-pressure system known as a bomb cyclone — have caused devastating flooding and record snowfalls over the past week.
The recent storms are intended to illustrate the consequences of warmer sea and air temperatures caused by climate change, meteorologists say.
At least six people have died from weather-related incidents since the New Year’s weekend in California, including a toddler who was killed by a fallen sequoia that crushed an RV in Northern California.
Since Dec. 26, San Francisco has received more than 10 inches of rain, while Mammoth Mountain, a popular ski resort in the eastern Sierra, received nearly 10 feet of snow, the National Weather Service reported.
Light rain was forecast for the weekend in the Los Angeles area, with blustery conditions expected Monday with a potential for up to 8 inches of rain in the foothills
A drone view of a tree that has fallen during a high wind winter storm in West Sacramento
And the city had its wettest 10-day period since 1871, with more than a foot of rain since December 1st. Between 4 and 6 inches of rain is expected to fall in the coming days.
“Snow totals are expected to be 1 to 2 feet, with some of the higher elevations seeing 3 feet or more, causing significant travel impact,” the Sacramento Weather Service Office said in reference to the next batch of storms.
Flooding is expected to be a widespread problem due to the numerous atmospheric flow events and record rainfall already recorded in the state.
Over 15 million people in California are under flood protections this weekend, and much of northern and central California is at mild to moderate risk of excessive rain, rising to a more widespread moderate risk through Monday.
All of the storms won’t be enough to officially end California’s ongoing drought, but they’re helping.
A semi truck lies on its side after being overturned by high winds during a winter storm along Interstate 5 in Woodland, California
Residents look at a tree that was downed in high winds during a winter storm in West Sacramento, California
“We expect an even stronger storm to hit the state Sunday night through Tuesday than what we’ll see early weekend,” weather forecaster Matt Solum told CNN. “We encourage everyone to take the time over the weekend to make any necessary preparations for the next storm.”
“Additional rain on already saturated soil will contribute to additional flooding problems across much of the state. There will continue to be an increased risk of rockfalls and mudslides across much of the state,” Solum added.
Storms last week brought violent gusts of wind that toppled semi-trucks, flooded the streets of small towns along the Northern California coast and stirred up a storm surge that destroyed a pier in the beach town of Santa Cruz.
Heavy rain and snow have already caused significant flooding and soil saturation, meaning the next storm that would pass through earlier this week would bring an additional risk of flooding, the NWS said.
Five feet of snow could fall on the Sierra Nevada mountains by Tuesday.
Drone photos provided by Gerry Jensen show the aftermath of a bomb cyclone that hit Santa Cruz, California earlier this week on January 4th
Debris piles up outside a restaurant following a massive storm that battered the area January 6 in Capitola, California
Damage is visible on Capitola Wharf after a strong winter storm where part of the pier appeared to have broken apart
Damage from a strong storm is visible in Capitola, California