Millions of Christmas travelers across California are bracing for a series of powerful winter storms, threatening the state with relentless rains, heavy winds, and significant mountain snow.
Forecasters have warned of hazardous, if not impossible, travel conditions as multiple atmospheric rivers are set to sweep through the region.
The National Weather Service has indicated that Southern California could experience its wettest Christmas in years, raising concerns about potential mudslides and debris flows, particularly in areas previously ravaged by wildfires last January.
“There’s going to be a lot water on the roadways, and it’s going be very dangerous traveling for the next couple days,” warned National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Wofford.
Scattered showers began on Tuesday morning, with the system expected to intensify into Christmas Eve. While some areas may see a brief respite on Wednesday, another storm front is predicted to move in shortly after.
A flood watch and high wind warning are in effect through Friday for much of the Sacramento Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area. Parts of the Sierra Nevada are also under severe weather alerts, with heavy snow and gusty winds forecast from Tuesday, creating “near white-out conditions” and rendering mountain pass travel “nearly impossible.” The northern coast faces an additional risk of severe thunderstorms and a slight chance of tornadoes.
The impending storms follow a period of heavy rain and flash flooding in Northern California that began on Saturday, which has already led to water rescues and, tragically, at least one fatality, according to local officials.
Southern California, which typically receives between 1.3 to 2.5 centimetres of rain at this time of year, could see between 10 to 20 centimetres this week, with even higher totals in mountainous regions, Mr Wofford stated. The widespread flooding, rockslides, and mudslides are highly probable, especially in areas affected by last January’s deadly Palisades fire. In response, parts of Los Angeles were placed under evacuation warnings from Tuesday, with police officers reportedly knocking on doors of vulnerable households to advise them to leave, as confirmed by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’s office.
Authorities have urged residents to stay home or make alternative travel arrangements. Local and state officials are mobilising resources and first responders across coastal and Southern California counties in anticipation of emergencies. The California National Guard remains on standby to provide assistance.
“When severe weather threatens our communities, we don’t wait to react. We get ahead of it,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement.
An atmospheric river is defined as a long, narrow band of water vapour that forms over an ocean, transporting moisture from tropical regions to higher latitudes. Earlier this month, similar stubborn atmospheric rivers deluged Washington state with nearly 19 trillion litres of rain in a single week, threatening record flood levels.
