Heavy rain, snow and high winds headed for Los Angeles
FOX Weather continues to track a dangerous river-fed weather storm. Northern California removes fallen trees while Southern California prepares for the worst.
Angels A dangerous weather storm is hitting California with widespread impacts from heavy rain, damaging winds and potentially life-threatening flash flooding.
Forecasters highlighted Southern California, including downtown Los Angeles, as having a rare “high risk” of flash flooding, with the storm already dumping several inches of rain across the region on Sunday, with more set to come on Monday. . California Governor Gavin Newsom even declared a state of emergency for several counties in Southern California to support storm response and recovery efforts.
“High risk” is the highest score on NOAA's flash flood threat scale and is only issued under the most severe flood forecasts. “Life-threatening flash flooding and urban flash flooding are likely in the high-risk area,” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Weather Prediction Center (WPC) said.
Flash flood warnings covered nearly 11 million people in the greater Los Angeles area as of Sunday night.
The storm did not spare the northern and central parts of the state either, with heavy rains and wind gusts exceeding 70 miles per hour. Nearly 900,000 customers were without power across California as of late Sunday evening.
The WPC warned that this river is a Category 5 atmospheric river, the highest category.
Why rare 'high risk' flood days should be taken seriously
The Golden State has mobilized a record 8,500 emergency responders and prepared them in advance for floods, landslides and travel emergencies, according to the governor's office. The state of emergency included Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties.
In Santa Barbara, swollen Mission Creek waters forced police to evacuate residents along streets near the downtown corridor.
The National Weather Service's Los Angeles office continues to use strong language in its forecast, indicating a high threat of widespread and dangerous flash flooding through Monday. Forecasters warned that flooding issues will not be limited to normally exposed areas in the foothills, mountains and burned areas, and numerous mudslides and debris flows are expected.
What is an atmospheric river?
A car attempts to drive through a flooded street in Santa Cruz County, California, due to heavy overnight rain and rain on Sunday. (CHP Santa Cruz/Fox Weather)
The NWS in Los Angeles reported that rainfall rates could reach 1.5 inches per hour in a thunderstorm. Los Angeles typically sees only 3.38 inches of rain throughout the entire month of January.
“Extreme” rainfall totals are possible across Southern California
A low pressure area is targeting another atmospheric river on the California coast through Monday and bringing a mass of moisture straight from the tropics, according to the FOX Forecast Center.
Unlike the last regime, this storm will be in no hurry to leave. This will keep the atmospheric moisture river headed toward California for about three days with rain continuing into Tuesday.
Already saturated soil, more rain and strong winds continue to knock trees into power lines, and the number of Californians without power continues to rise.
Several televised and sporting events that were supposed to take place in Southern California on Sunday were postponed due to the severe threat.
Will the Grammy stars be affected by the river storm? Other events in Southern California have already been rescheduled
While the entire state of California will receive rain, the areas of greatest concern will be along the southern coastal ranges across the Los Angeles Basin. Heavy rain is expected to fall between Sunday and Monday, and rainfall rates are expected to reach their peak on Sunday night.
On Monday, a Level 4 flood risk remains centered directly over the Los Angeles metro area, while a Level 3 risk extends from north of Los Angeles southward into the San Diego area.
“It shows you confidence that we know this is going to be a bigger storm,” Merwin said. “It's got a lot of moisture. There's a much greater threat of flooding in Southern California.”
The Los Angeles metro area could see 5 inches or more by midweek. Los Angeles averages just over 14 inches of rainfall per year. As mentioned earlier, the surrounding mountains and foothills could see 10 to 12 inches of rain. Favored mountains and foothills could see rainfall of 8 to 15 inches or more.
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Several feet of snow is likely in the Sierra Nevada
The moisture plume will generate a major winter storm in the Sierra Nevada, with 4 to 6 feet of snow possible above 5,000 to 6,000 feet, the Fox Forecast Center said. Expect disruptions to daily life, including difficult to impossible travel conditions.
In the mountains of Southern California, snow levels are expected to reach about 7,000 feet, but 2-4 feet above that level is possible.
Winds are devastating to San Francisco and the central and northern California coast
In addition to the threat of heavy rain, damaging winds are hitting the central California coast southward toward Santa Barbara. This includes parts of the San Francisco Bay Area.
High Wind Warnings Wind gusts up to 70 mph will reach the coast during the evening and overnight hours.
Already, Funt Ranch saw an 88 mph gust, while San Francisco International Airport recorded two 70-plus mph gusts, including a 77 mph gust Sunday afternoon. Pebble Beach saw a 65 mph gust and Oakland had a 62 mph gust.
About 50 miles north of San Francisco in Santa Rosa, a driver was injured after a tree fell on his car on northbound Highway 101 Sunday morning, Bloomberg News reported. Sonoma County Fire District.
A large tree fell on a car on northbound Highway 101 in Santa Rosa, California, on Sunday, February 4, 2024. (Sonoma County Fire District/Fox Weather)
Elsewhere in Sonoma County, homes in Bodega Bay were damaged after a tree fell on them Sunday morning. Officials said No injuries were reported In this incident.
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Stronger winds are likely in the mountains surrounding Southern California, reaching speeds of 70-80 mph.
In southern Santa Barbara County, strong winds toppled a massive 70-foot tree onto an apartment complex in Goleta early Sunday morning, according to the British Daily Mail. Santa Barbara County Fire Department Public Information Officer Scott Safechuck. At least four adults and one dog were displaced from the complex.
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On the coast, these winds will also send the Pacific Ocean into a frenzy with waves between 10 and 20 feet high likely to hit beaches up and down the state.
Moisture flowing behind the storm will keep spells of rain in the forecast through most of this week, although there will be longer dry spells between rain showers to shake them off.
The first-ever hurricane-force wind warning has been issued off the coast of central California
The NWS office in the Bay Area issued the first-ever hurricane force wind warning for waters off parts of the Central California coast, where mariners could encounter wind gusts exceeding hurricane force (74 mph). Point Conception Lighthouse recorded a 74 mph gust Sunday afternoon.
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“Extremely strong winds will cause dangerous waves that will likely capsize or damage ships and severely reduce visibility,” meteorologists wrote in the warning.
