What you need to know
California’s first major storm of the season brought rain and snow to Northern California. Flooding, rockslides and debris flows are possible as the storm moves slowly through Northern California, Oregon and Washington. The storm could bring rain to Southern California this weekend, and weekend temperatures will be well below normal in Los Angeles, with cloudy skies.
The powerful fall storm that brought rain and snow to Northern California this week will continue to batter the region and impact weather conditions this weekend as it slides toward Southern California.
Flood watches remained in place for areas in the northern Bay Area through Saturday due to the storm brought on by an atmospheric river. A long band of moisture over the Pacific Ocean is associated with some of California’s most destructive storms.
Flash flooding, rock flows and debris flows are possible in northern California as the storm moves slowly through California, Oregon and Washington.
The high pressure system keeping most of the rain to the north will begin to slide eastward, opening the door for wet weather to the south this weekend and into next week.
“The impacts we’re seeing here in Southern California are not as extreme as what we’re seeing in Northern California,” NBCLA meteorologist Belen de Leon said. “The reason we have this concern is because we have a very strong storm that has impacted atmospheric rivers. The storm is stationary, dumping rain and snow into Northern California. It continues.”
Here’s what you need to know about California’s first significant storm of the season.
A new study joins NASA and NOAA research showing a clear link between climate change and more intense atmospheric rivers. Storms flowing from the Pacific Ocean are becoming increasingly wetter, and as the planet warms, flooding will become more frequent. National climate reporter Chase Cain explains how climate change is making atmospheric rivers more dangerous.
When to expect rain in Los Angeles
The most significant rain and snow will remain in the north, but Southern California is expected to experience cool, cloudy weather and a chance of rain this weekend.
“The weather is really going to change this weekend,” de Leon said. “It’s going to be cooler and there’s a chance of rain.”
The first chance will come on Saturday. The rain will be light and there will be little impact. Rain is likely to increase from Saturday morning into the evening.
“If you’re going to travel, you want smooth roads,” De Leon said.
A second storm arrives Sunday with a chance of rain through Tuesday. On Sunday, temperatures will be well below average and the sky will be cloudy. Rain is likely from Sunday into Monday.
“There’s still some uncertainty around the storm system, but it looks like more heavy rain is possible,” de Leon said. “If that happens, minor flooding may occur.”
Northern California storm forecast
Up to 16 inches of rain is expected to fall in northern California and southwestern Oregon through Friday. By Wednesday evening, heavy rain had hit some parts of Northern California, with Santa Rosa receiving about 5 inches of rain in less than 24 hours.
Dangerous flash flooding, landslides, and debris flows were possible. About a dozen small landslides have been reported in Northern California in the past 24 hours, including one on Highway 281 on Wednesday morning.
A winter storm watch was in effect for the northern Sierra Nevada, which has elevations above 3,500 feet, with the potential for 15 inches of snow over two days. Wind gusts can reach 125 mph in mountainous areas. Due to the snow, only 50 vehicles per hour could pass through a stretch of northbound Interstate 5 from 16 miles north of Redding to 34 miles south of Yreka, according to the state Department of Transportation.
About 9,000 power outages were reported in California Thursday morning, down from more than 20,000 on Wednesday night.
About 150 flights were delayed and 20 more canceled at San Francisco International Airport early Thursday, after hundreds of flights were delayed and dozens canceled on Wednesday, according to tracking service FlightAware.
More than 320,000 power outages were reported in Washington Thursday morning due to strong winds and rain Tuesday night, according to poweroutage.us.
“We haven’t had a storm like this since January 2012,” said Mary Kipp, president of Puget Sound Energy, which serves more than 1.2 million electric customers in the state. She estimated Thursday that full recovery would take at least several days.
At least two people were killed in western Washington after falling trees littered homes and roads. A woman was killed in Lynnwood when a large tree fell on a homeless encampment, and another woman was killed in Bellevue when a tree fell on a home.
More than a dozen schools in the Seattle area were closed Wednesday, with some opting to extend their closures into Thursday.
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