Extreme Weather in California Causes Flooding and Landslides - The New York Times

U.S.|Extreme Weather successful California Causes Flooding and Landslides

Heavy rainfall and snowfall caused landslides and flooding successful Northern California connected Saturday, shutting down 2 large highways arsenic different “atmospheric river” strategy pounded the West Coast.

The rainfall is expected to fto up successful Northern California by Saturday evening, but immoderate rivers and streams are already reaching flood signifier levels. Mud and rockslides person occurred successful immoderate parts.

An hourslong torrent of rainfall forced Highway 101 to adjacent southbound of San Francisco due to the fact that of flooding, cutting disconnected a large way betwixt the metropolis and the Silicon Valley. Flooding besides has forced the closure of Highway 50 successful the Sierra Nevada, perchance stopping New Year’s revelers and skiers from reaching South Lake Tahoe for the vacation weekend.

The Cosumnes River successful Northern California exceeded flood signifier and was expected to crest astatine 15.5 feet by Saturday night. Parts of the authorities person already had up to 7 inches of rainfall from Friday to Saturday.

In Southern California, airy to mean rainfall volition autumn successful the Los Angeles country connected Saturday accompanied by beardown upwind gusts done the evening, forecasters said. A high-wind informing is successful spot for astir of the area’s mountains and the Antelope Valley.

While the aggravated tempest has made for a chaotic Saturday greeting connected the roads, it has brought alleviation to a authorities enduring different prolonged drought.

An atmospheric river, a upwind signifier that causes utmost rainfall and winds, volition renew the imaginable for flooding successful Northern California Wednesday into Thursday, forecasters said.

An unusually beardown and long-lasting atmospheric stream connected the West Coast conscionable aft Christmas led to the deaths of 5 radical aft trees fell connected vehicles successful 3 abstracted episodes, the authorities successful Oregon said. Tens of thousands successful the Pacific Northwest mislaid power.

Significant flooding is expected successful the Sacramento country until 10 p.m. connected Saturday, and dense snowfall astatine higher altitudes, National Weather Service forecasters said. The Bay Area is nether a flood advisory until 11:45 a.m. section time, and upwind advisories for the country stay successful effect passim the day.

Up to 2 inches of rainfall are expected southbound of the country astir Chico, different 2 to 3 inches to the eastbound of the vale and 3 to 5 inches on the bluish Sierra occidental slopes.

“Significant runoff from this rainfall is expected to rapidly pb to much wide watercourse and nuisance municipality flooding this morning,” forecasters said. “Mainstem rivers and tributaries volition spot rises associated with runoff and/or dam releases.”

Highway 92 from Skyline Boulevard to Main Street successful Half Moon Bay was closed due to the fact that of flooding. A portion of Alameda State Road 84 successful the Bay Area was reopened Friday aft having been closed for respective hours arsenic workers cleared a landslide.

The top hazard of the utmost upwind earlier this week was successful antecedently burned areas on the coast, William Churchill, a forecaster and meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center successful College Park, Md., said this week. Rapid, prolonged rainfall could origin mudslides oregon debris flows, helium said.