SAN FRANCISCO — A violent winter storm fueled by a raging atmospheric river pummeled Californians Sunday with torrential rains, threatening treacherous flooding and hurricane-force winds — even in major metropolitan areas.
AccuWeather meteorologists warned that up to 37 million people, about 94% of the state's population, were at risk of life-threatening flooding due to the storm. This atmospheric river – like a river in the sky – is the second river to hit the state in recent days, but meteorologists said this storm will be the strongest of the season, especially in Southern California.
The National Weather Service has issued a rare hurricane-force wind warning for the Central Coast: Winds likely to reach 92 mph from the Monterey Peninsula to the northern section of San Luis Obispo County.
Officials in San Francisco sent out alerts about flooded streets, downed trees — including a large tree that toppled wires — and a landslide on a hillside. About 100 miles down the coast in Monterey County, the final round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am golf tournament has been postponed until Monday, when weather conditions don't look as favorable either.
The storm is expected to move south and hit the Los Angeles area with heavy rain, flooding and high-altitude mountain snow Sunday afternoon into the evening, then hit Orange County and San Diego on Monday and Tuesday.
“It's all systems go for one of the most dramatic weather days in recent memory,” the National Weather Service said Sunday.
The latest developments:
∎ More than 320,000 California homes and businesses were without power by 2:40 p.m. PT, mostly in the northern half of the state, according to poweroutage.us.
∎ Wind speeds exceeded 60 mph in some parts of the San Francisco Bay Area, with gusts exceeding 80 mph in the mountains, strong enough to qualify as a Category 1 hurricane.
Heavy rains can lead to floods and mudslides
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Prediction Center said heavy rain was expected from the San Francisco Bay Area and Central Coast across Southern California Sunday into Monday. The forecast center said 2 to 5 inches of rain and up to 6 to 10 inches are likely in some areas. “This will cause major flooding in urban and small areas with debris flows and mudslides,” the forecast center said.
The National Weather Service in Los Angeles on Sunday warned of heavy rain for the area: 3 to 6 inches expected on the coasts and valleys and up to 6 to 12 inches in the mountains.
“Because of the many mountains and hills, even just a few inches of rain can cause major flooding,” said Dan DeBaudouin, senior director of forecast operations at AccuWeather. “The greatest risk…is expected across the valleys and hills of Southern California, especially in Ventura, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles counties.”
Evacuation warnings and orders were in effect in Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Ventura and Monterey counties. Classes were canceled Monday for schools across Santa Barbara County.
“This storm is expected to be one of the largest and most significant storms in our county’s history, and our goal is to weather it without fatalities or serious injuries,” Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said.
Three children “in the eye of the storm” more than 400 miles away
Doug and Pam Barry were among more than 100,000 Californians without power when a power outage hit San Francisco's Miraloma Park neighborhood Sunday morning.
But that wasn't their biggest worry. Their two sons attend college in Los Angeles and San Diego, respectively, and their daughter, Jessica, was visiting the younger son in San Diego when the storm hit. Now she hopes her plans to return Sunday to her home in Scottsdale, Arizona, won't be disrupted.
“We have our three kids in the eye of the storm in Southern California,” Doug Barry said. “We texted them yesterday to be careful with the storm approaching. We'll get a good storm, but they'll be worse. We rarely share the same weather concerns with our kids in California who are more than 400 miles away from us.”
Will extreme weather prevent stars from arriving at the Grammys?
Those stylish sports clothes and elaborate hairstyles in The Grammy Awards need not fear wet and windy weather on Sunday in Los Angeles, although rain of biblical proportions is expected for the early evening.
Los Angeles' notorious traffic? That might be another story.
The traditional red carpet walk is being held under a roof and tarp outside Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles, where about 5 inches of rain is expected through Tuesday. National Weather Service Los Angeles office warns “Dangerous system with significant risk to life and property. Major flooding.”
This would make traffic even more of a nightmare than usual, even for the stars. Last year, headliners like Beyoncé and Bad Bunny arrived late after getting stuck in traffic, and it wasn't raining.
Although heavy rain is not expected until 6 p.m. local time, an hour after the Grammys start, the forecast is for moderate rain from noon on, as well as 30-50 mph winds in Los County Angeles.
Heavy snow and strong winds can lead to whiteout conditions
Heavy, wet snow is expected to spread across the Sierra Nevada Sunday into Tuesday morning, with snow falling at a rate of 2-3 inches per hour, the forecast center said. Forecasters said wind gusts of up to 60 mph could lead to whiteout conditions in the mountains of Southern California.
Thunderstorms, water cannons and tornadoes are possible
Meteorologists said strong onshore winds will also hit the northern, central and southern coasts until Monday, creating devastating waves. Thunderstorms, water cannons and even tornadoes with hail are possible, Weather.com said.
Why is this storm so dangerous?
The first “Pineapple Express” storm drenched the state with 1-6 inches of rain on Wednesday and Thursday. Forecasters said the new storm is carrying more moisture, creating dangerous and deadly conditions in already saturated areas. Some of the wettest areas could get a foot or more of rain in just 48 hours, Accuweather said.
What is Pineapple Express?
A Pineapple Express is the most well-known nickname for an atmospheric river, which occurs when the source of moisture is near Hawaii. When the Pineapple Express hits the ground in the western United States and Canada, it dumps heavy rain and snow. In California, it can result in several inches of rain per day.
Contributing: Doyle Rice, USA TODAY; Associated Press
