A brief stretch of dry weather across California has ended as the FOX Forecast Center tracks another series of strong storms expected to bring more heavy rain and mountain snow to the West, including the waterlogged Golden State.
At least two storm systems will impact the region through the middle of the week ahead.
The first storm is already impacting millions of people in the West from California to portions of southwestern Oregon.
As the system continues to push into the region, rain and mountain snow will move into areas such as northern Oregon and Washington in the Pacific Northwest later Sunday and into Sunday night.
The FOX Forecast Center said after this first storm exits the region Monday, a second storm will be aiming for California by Tuesday with more chances of heavy rain in the lower elevations while the Sierra Nevada – which has already seen more than 50 feet of snow this winter – can expect to see additional snowfall accumulations.
According to the FOX Forecast Center, between 1 and 2 inches of rain is expected across portions of California with this first storm system through Sunday night.
More rain is then expected from late Monday into Tuesday with the second storm, which could bring an additional 1 to 2 inches in many areas.
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The highest rain totals are expected closer to the coast in Southern California, including areas from Monterey to Santa Barbara, parts of the Los Angeles basin and the San Diego metro area.
In the north, San Francisco can expect to see about 1 to 2 inches of rain, with higher totals in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. However, that rain will transition to snow as you increase in elevation.
Because of the heavy rain expected, the flash flood threat will increase this week for millions in Southern California, as well as portions of central Arizona.
The areas expected to see a higher risk of flash flooding include Santa Barbara, Palm Springs, Los Angeles and San Diego.
Various winter weather alerts are in effect across the West because of the heavy snow expected in the Sierra Nevada in California, the Wasatch in Utah and the western Colorado Rockies.
In California, Winter Storm Warnings are in effect across the Sierra Nevada from Susanville in Northern California to the Lake Isabella area in south-central California.
The Winter Storm Warnings are also in effect for Yosemite National Park, which was closed for weeks due to the relentless snow. Park officials were having trouble keeping up with snow removal and deemed the beloved park unsafe for visitors. It finally reopened last week.
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Between 1 and 3 feet of additional snow is expected across the Sierra Nevada through Monday, with 2 to 4 more feet possible from late Monday night through Wednesday afternoon.
Gusty winds over 30 mph will also be an issue, and blowing snow will reduce visibility on the roads. Travel is discouraged as these conditions will make driving dangerous.
If anyone does need to travel during the storms, it’s essential to keep items such as flashlights, blankets, food and water inside cars in case of an emergency.
According to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor update released on March 14, only 36% of California remained in drought. That’s now the lowest drought coverage in the Golden State in nearly three years, since April 2020.
Relentless atmospheric river storms have been slamming the West, including California. In December, 98% of the Golden State was experiencing drought conditions. But as storm after storm brought rain and snow to the region, conditions have drastically improved.
The rain has also been incredibly beneficial for the state’s reservoirs, which were running dry until the onslaught of storms that started in December.