SAN FRANCISCO – While Southern California’s famous sunshine was finally making a return appearance Wednesday, the region’s counterparts to the north were not as fortunate as rain continued to pelt large swaths of water-logged terrain.
“The atmospheric river has refocused over northern and central California,” the National Weather Service said. “Heavy rain on saturated soils and gusty winds may lead to flooding and damaged or downed trees and power outages.”
The service warned of hazardous weather conditions for the San Francisco Bay Area and the Monterey peninsula to its south. There was a wind advisory in place until Wednesday evening and a high-surf advisory going into effect Thursday.
It all added up to further misery for a region that has endured a relentless string of atmospheric rivers since the final week of 2022. The 12.37 inches of rain San Francisco received from Dec. 26 through Monday represent more than half its typical yearly total and the city’s third-highest amount ever over 15 days, meteorologist Jan Null tweeted.
WHAT IS AN ATMOSPHERIC RIVER?These rivers of water vapor can extend thousands of miles.
At least 17 people have died in the wave of ferocious storms. Damage could exceed $1 billion, experts say. And yes, more of the same is coming.
“We’re not out of the woods,” Gov. Gavin Newsom warned.
MORE STORMS ON THE WAY:4 more storms heading toward California in next 10 days, Newsom warns
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Other developments:
►Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, both northwest of Los Angeles, combined for 13 locales that registered two-day rain totals of at least 13.2 inches as of Tuesday at 3 p.m. according to the National Weather Service’s LA office.
►Snow will remain in the forecast for the northern California mountains and parts of the Sierra, the weather service said. Some areas already have received more than 10 feet of snow in the last two weeks.
►The previous storm that walloped California was making its way east, and severe thunderstorms were possible in the Southeast on Thursday, forecasters said. Rain and some thunderstorms may expand up the East Coast into Thursday night; heavy snow is possible over northern New England by early Friday.
DISASTER COSTS:18 billion-dollar disasters killed nearly 500 people last year, NOAA says
Forecast: 4 more storms to hit Oregon, Washington and California
Officials urged California residents to remain vigilant as more rain and storms are in the forecast. The National Weather Service’s Bay Area office tweeted rain would continue Wednesday evening and new flooding was possible in North Bay.
“The weather is going to remain active over the next week, with chances for more thunderstorms Friday into the weekend,” the weather service’s Bay Area office said. Rain is also forecast to return to the Los Angeles area Saturday.
Four more atmospheric rivers are heading toward the state in the next nine to 10 days, Gov. Gavin Newsom warned, before an expected dry stretch starting around Jan. 20. Newsom said more than half of the state’s 58 counties have been declared disaster areas.
The first of those storms is expected to start in the Northwest, according to AccuWeather meteorologists. Parts of Oregon, Washington and Northern California will see some of the heaviest rain and snow through the end of this week.
The second, according to AccuWeather, may have impacts throughout California into the weekend, and will bring risks of flooding and gusty winds.
“Megadroughts. Wildfires. Historic floods and atmospheric rivers. This whiplash weather is not an anomaly,” Newsom tweeted. “California is proof that the climate crisis is real and we have to take it seriously.”
Positive signs amid the gloom
Amid all the gloomy weather in much of California, there was some good news Wednesday: Power outages were down sharply across the state. About 62,000 homes and businesses were in the dark. About four times that many were without power Tuesday.
And Santa Barbara County canceled all evacuation and shelter-in-place orders. That includes Montecito, home to Prince Harry, Oprah Winfrey and other celebrities, where 23 people died and more than 100 homes were destroyed in a mudslide five years ago.
In addition, forecasters finally see the day when the state gets to dry out, at the end of next week.
“A sustained break is coming, but we still have a solid 7-10 days to go first,” University of California, Los Angeles climate scientist Daniel Swain tweeted.
Thousands of Californians remain displaced
Thousands of people across the state living near rain-swollen creeks and rivers remained under evacuation orders. In the San Joaquin Valley, Bear Creek flooded parts of the city of Merced and neighboring Planada along a highway to Yosemite National Park. All 4,000 residents of Planada were ordered to leave Tuesday. Neighborhoods were under water with cars submerged up to their roofs, and some residents carried away whatever they could salvage.
Other evacuations were ordered prompted by a levee breach in parts of Monterey County. Repairs were underway.
“We understand people are eager to get home but appreciate your patience while we keep these areas free for contractors,” Monterey County Sheriff Tina Nieto said.
GRAPHIC VIEW OF EPIC STORMS:Graphics show how the coastal state has been drenched
Is the drought over? Not yet
The six atmospheric rivers that have soaked California in recent weeks, along with the three or four more to come, will ease concerns about a drought that has entered a fourth year. But the parade of storms won’t by itself end the state’s extended stretch of below-average rainfall.
For one, California’s water reservoirs reached extremely low levels during the drought and are only now starting to recover. The biggest such cistern, Lake Shasta, was at 55% of its historical average on Christmas before rising to 70% by Tuesday, still considerably below its typical level for the date.
In addition, an impressive first part of the rainy season hardly guarantees continued precipitation. State residents got such a reminder last year when major October and December storms appeared to signal the drought was over, only for California to experience the driest January-to-March stretch in recorded history.
When the Sierra snowpack – which serves as a natural water storage until the spring melt-off – was measured at its traditional peak in early April, it registered only 38% of the historic average.
“We are not out of the drought yet,” said Laura Feinstein, who leads work on climate resilience and environment at SPUR, a public policy nonprofit.
Sacramento’s ‘City of Trees’ causes damage amid storms
California’s capital city is known for the many trees that fill up its parks and line its streets. But persistent storms in Sacramento that have hit the so-called “City of Trees” and other parts of the state have damaged homes, vehicles and power lines with uprooted trees toppling over.
More than 1,000 trees have fallen in Sacramento since the New Year’s Eve storm, said Gabby Miller, a spokesperson for the city’s Department of Public Works. The city’s trees help to cool down temperatures during sweltering hot summers, but also to help control flooding.
Two trees outside Niki Goffard and her boyfriend’s house fell early Sunday morning, one on their roof. Part of the roof above their bedroom caved in and fell on top of Goffard’s boyfriend, causing some minor scrapes and bruises.
“You never think something like this is going to happen to you,” Goffard said. “It’s been quite shocking and traumatizing.”
Contributing: The Associated Press
