- Northern California will see more rain, wind and mountain snow this weekend.
- A strong storm fed by an atmospheric river will likely impact the state Sunday night through Tuesday.
- This pattern will cause more flooding, debris flows, high winds, high surf and pile on feet of Sierra snow.
California is facing threats of more flooding rain, debris flows, high winds and heavy Sierra snow as its stormy pattern persists and is potentially punctuated by a major system early next week.
Three storms since have hit the state since late December while tapping into atmospheric rivers.
(MORE: Atmospheric Rivers Explained)
As a result, more than a foot of rain has fallen in portions of Northern California since Dec. 26, and the Sierra Nevada high country has measured snowfall by the foot.
The latest major storm rolled into California late Wednesday into Thursday and contributed to flooding, debris flows, downed trees, power outages and pounding high surf. See this link for more details on the impacts from that storm.
Below we have a look at what the state is facing next.
More Storms To Come
Much of California will see a break from the stormy onslaught on Friday, but there are more storms in the pipeline, including a potentially major system early in the new week ahead.
Here’s a general look at the timing for what’s to come.
-Friday: Much of the state should be dry, but a system could approach far northwest California with heavy rain later in the day. Flooding will remain possible as runoff continues.
-Saturday-Sunday: Mulitple disturbances carrying another atmospheric river will hit the northern half of California.
-Monday-Tuesday: A major, long-lasting storm is likely to hit the entire state.
Forecast Impacts
Widespread rainfall totals through Tuesday will likely be 3 inches or more in lower elevations across coastal and Northern California. Up to 10 inches of rain are possible in localized and terrain-enhanced areas.
Flooding is expected in urban and poor-drainage areas, as well as on streams, creeks and rivers. Debris flows are also likely, especially in areas of steep terrain and in recent burn areas.
Flood watches have been posted by the National Weather Service across much of Northern and Central California into early next week. Additional flood watches could be issued in the coming days.
The Sierra Nevada, of course, will add multiple feet of additional snow to its already hefty snowpack. This should snarl travel at times, including along Interstate 80 through Donner Pass.
High winds could down more trees and knock out power. The threat of downed trees is higher than usual because of already saturated soils making them more prone to falling.
Check back to weather.com for more details over the next few days.
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