A powerful atmospheric river storm was set to wallop California on Wednesday evening, drenching large swaths of the state with rain and bringing several feet of snow to the mountains – the latest in a wave of intense storms that new research shows are getting worse.
Much of northern California was under a winter storm warning because of the gusty winds and heavy snow in the forecast that the National Weather Service (NWS) said would lead to “difficult to impossible travel conditions”. Severe thunderstorms and high winds were predicted across the San Francisco Bay area, according to reports.
The NWS issued a flood watch in much of southern California through Thursday afternoon. The region was also anticipating dangerous driving conditions as well as road flooding and debris flows in areas affected by recent wildfires. Los Angeles placed several areas under evacuation warnings and orders due to the risk of debris flows from heavy rain, and announced the closure of several roads, including a portion of the Pacific Coast Highway.
Meanwhile, the state’s office of emergency services announced it had sent more than 400 workers, including swift-water rescue teams and urban search-and-rescue personnel, across the state in preparation for the storm. Authorities advised residents to have a go-bag ready and prepare for power outages.