Another storm slams California on Christmas Day with flooding rain, high winds and mountain snow

(CNN) — After a harrowing and deadly Christmas Eve in California with rescues and evacuations amid widespread flooding and debris flow threats, another storm is battering the state Christmas Day, with more expected into Friday.

Already, early on Christmas morning, a line of severe thunderstorms moved into Northern California with wind gusts in excess of 70 mph, setting off flash flooding in the San Francisco metro.

A “moderate” Level 3 of 4 risk of excessive rainfall is in effect for much of Southern California, including Los Angeles, as several more inches of rain are expected in the mountains north of the city and another 2 to 4 inches of rain in the city. Urban areas could see flooding during Christmas Day and into the evening.

Wednesday’s potent storm brought 5 to more than 10 inches of rain to Southern California’s mountains and 2 to 5 inches in lower elevations. While rainfall Thursday and Friday will be less than what fell on Christmas Eve, any new rain could result in flooding because the ground is already saturated.

Mudslides, rock slides and debris flows are again a threat on Christmas Day, particularly in areas where burn scars are present from recent wildfires. The scorched ground of these scars repels water instead of absorbing it, quickly turning rain into a surge of floodwater that pulls mud and debris with it.

“Any rainfall that occurs will immediately turn to runoff,” said the National Weather Service forecast office in Los Angeles in a forecast discussion early Thursday morning.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Shasta counties Wednesday to mobilize resources. The city of Los Angeles also declared a local emergency Wednesday evening to ensure departments “have the required resources in the days ahead,” Mayor Karen Bass said.

Here’s the latest:

• Flooding rain risk continues: About 15 million people in portions of Southern California are in the moderate-risk zone on Christmas Day, according to the Weather Prediction Center. This includes Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. The center termed this a “high-end” moderate risk outlook, indicating the significant threat of further flooding from heavy rainfall. More than a dozen flash flood warnings were issued Wednesday in Southern California, and flood warnings remain in effect for parts of the region through early Christmas Day.
• Severe thunderstorms slam San Francisco: Flash flood warnings were issued Thursday morning in the San Francisco Bay region as unusually potent thunderstorms packing damaging winds and torrential rainfall moved through the region. San Francisco International Airport recorded a wind gust of 72 mph, and numerous gusts to 80 and 90 mph occurred in higher elevations in this region, according to the NWS. San Francisco emergency officials are “monitoring impacts across the city,” Jackie Thornhill, a spokesperson for the Department of Emergency Management, told CNN. They have received reports of downed trees and flooding “with significant impacts to roadways and potential impacts to homes,” she said. More thunderstorms are forecast to affect this region later Christmas Day and any storms that turn severe could produce damaging wind gusts or a brief tornado.
• Two dead in weather-related incidents: A motorist crashed and died on a wet roadway in South Sacramento, the state highway patrol told CNN. “While the crash is still under investigation, it appears that the vehicle was traveling at an unsafe speed on the wet roadway and lost control,” hitting a metal power pole, the agency said. Heavy rainfall had occurred at 5 a.m. and light rain was in the area during the time of the crash. In San Diego, a 61-year-old man died Wednesday when a large portion of a tree fell on him. High winds were blowing in the area at the time, according to San Diego Fire-Rescue Department Capt. Jason Shanley.
• Rescues in mountain resort community: Emergency crews pulled people from flooded cars and homes in Wrightwood, a community in the San Gabriel Mountains about 80 miles northeast of Los Angeles, amid dangerous flooding and debris flows. Some residents had to be rescued from rooftops by helicopter, according to fire officials, who told CNN they don’t yet have a tally of rescues, citing the “very dynamic” situation. Roughly 120 emergency personnel were working through the night to continue assisting residents, San Bernardino County Fire said.
• Widespread power outages: More than 165,000 homes and businesses were in the dark early Christmas morning, according to poweroutage.us.
• Chain controls in effect for I-80: The snowy side of this storm is in high gear in the Sierra Nevada, where several feet are expected to pile up. Chain controls are in effect for Interstate 80, which means chains or traction devices are required on all vehicles except those with four-wheel or all-wheel drive that also have snow-tread tires.

Risk stretches into Friday

All told, rainfall totals in Southern California through the end of the week could be as much as 4 to 7 inches in coastal and valley locations, while foothills and mountains see 6 to 14 inches.

To put those totals into perspective, a city like Los Angeles could see anywhere from two months’ worth of rain to nearly half a year’s worth in just a week.

Los Angeles has already seen a typical December’s amount of rain following Wednesday’s storm.

Impossible travel conditions in the mountains

Feet of snow falling in the Sierra Nevada are making travel there difficult or impossible at times, and these conditions will continue through Friday. That includes Interstate 80 through Donner Pass.

The heavy snow is causing weather whiplash for the region, which has had much less snow than usual to start the season.

Some relief from this nonstop stormy pattern looks to finally arrive for the upcoming weekend.

 

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