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A storm leaves heavy rain and snowfall in California

2023-01-01T16:34:00.832Z


They issue warnings in various areas for dangerous driving conditions, road closures, and possible flooding. In cities like San Francisco, streets were covered in mud-colored water.


By The Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, California — A powerful storm brought torrential rain or heavy snow to much of California on Saturday, causing traffic disruptions and road closures as the state braced for the start of a new year.

In the high Sierra Nevada, up to 2 feet of snow is forecast to accumulate by early Sunday.

The National Weather Service in Sacramento

warned of dangerous driving conditions

and posted photos on Twitter showing traffic in snow-covered mountain passes, where vehicles were forced to drive on chains or using four-wheel drive.

The so-called atmospheric river storm was dragging a long, wide column of moisture from the Pacific Ocean.

And in Northern California, flooding and rockfalls shut down much of the road. 

“We have already lost count of the number of road closures we have at this point,” the weather agency in Sacramento said in an afternoon tweet.

Sacramento County

urged residents in the unincorporated community of Wilton to evacuate

, warning that flooded roads could "cut off access to get out of the area."

Rainfall in downtown San Francisco on Saturday topped 5 inches by midafternoon, making it the second-wettest day on record, behind a November 1994 deluge. If the rain continues to fall, it could hit a record not seen in nearly three decades.

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The California Highway Patrol said a section of Highway 101 - one of the state's main traffic arteries - was closed indefinitely south of San Francisco due to flooding.

Videos on Twitter

showed mud-colored water running down the streets of San Francisco

, and a stairway in Oakland turned into a veritable waterfall by heavy rain.

Traffic moves through flooded lanes on the 101 Freeway in south San Francisco, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022. Jeff Chiu / AP

Meteorologist Courtney Carpenter said the storm could bring more than an inch of rain to the Sacramento area before moving south.

A ski resort south of Lake Tahoe closed lifts due to flooding and operational problems, and posted a photo on Twitter showing a lift tower and its empty chairs surrounded by water.

"

We're seeing a lot of flooding

," Carpenter said.

The Sacramento agency released a 24-hour rainfall map through Saturday morning, showing a wide range of totals in the region, from less than an inch in some areas to more than 5 inches in the Sierra foothills.

The Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort reported the closure of numerous lifts due to high winds, poor visibility and ice.

The Stockton Police Department posted photos of a flooded railroad underpass and a car that appeared to be stopped in more than a foot of water.

The rain was welcome in drought-stricken California, but it takes a lot more rain to make a significant difference.

The last three years have been the driest on record in the state.

A winter storm warning was in effect through Sunday for the upper elevations of the Sierra from Yosemite National Park south to Lake Tahoe north, where

up to 5 feet (1.5 meters) of snow is possible on top of the mountains

, said the National Weather Service in Reno, Nevada.

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A flood watch was in effect for much of Northern California through New Year's Eve.

Authorities warned that rivers and streams could overflow their banks and urged residents to prepare sandbags.

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Rainfall of more than 10 centimeters was recorded in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The state transportation agency reported numerous road closures, including Highway 70 east of Chico, which was partially closed by a landslide, and the north side of Highway 49, east of Sacramento, which was closed due to flooding. .

In El Dorado County, east of Sacramento, a section of Highway 50 was closed due to flooding.

In Humboldt County, where a magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck on December 20, roads also began to flood, according to the Eureka office of the National Weather Service.

A bridge that was temporarily closed last week due to quake damage could be closed again if the River Eel, which flows below, rises too high, according to authorities.

It was the first of several storms expected to move across California over the next week.

The current system is expected to be warmer and wetter, while

next week's storms are expected to be cooler

, said Hannah Chandler-Cooley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sacramento.

The Sacramento region could receive a total of 4 to 5 inches of rain over the course of the week, Chandler-Cooley said.

“Strong winds could damage trees and cause power outages, and high waves on Lake Tahoe could capsize small boats,” the weather service in Reno said.

CalTrans workers clear a downed tree blocking traffic on both lanes of State Highway 68 in Monterey, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022. Nic Coury / AP

Avalanche watches were issued

for rural areas

around Lake Tahoe and Mammoth Lakes, south of Yosemite.

On the eastern front of the Sierra, flood watches and warnings were issued over the weekend north and south of Reno, Nevada, where light to moderate flooding was forecast along some rivers and streams.

In southern California, moderate to heavy rain fell on Saturday.

The region will begin to dry out on New Year's Day, and no precipitation is expected during Monday's Rose Parade in Pasadena.

Another round of heavy rain is forecast for Tuesday or Wednesday, the National Weather Service in Oxnard reported.

Source: telemundo

All news articles on 2023-01-01

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