The latest in a series of atmospheric rivers is wrapping up this morning in Southern California following record-breaking rainfall and extreme flooding earlier in the week for Christmas Eve.
A level 2 risk of excessive rainfall is still in place for parts of Southern California including Los Angeles as any lingering showers will fall on already flooded regions and saturated soils.
How Much Rain Fell
Daily rainfall records were broken across much of Southern California on Christmas Eve, including in Los Angeles (1.88 inches of rain, breaking the previous record of 1.60 inches set in 1971) and Burbank (3.42 inches of rain, breaking the previous record of 2.29 inches set in 1971).
Preliminary event totals neared 12 inches across much of California's Tranverse Mountains, including Ortega Hill (11.86 inches) and Matilija Canyon (11.22 inches).
(MORE:Latest California News)
The heavy rain has triggered flash flooding and landslides, particularly in hilly and mountainous terrain and areas recently burned by wildfires.
Be prepared to evacuateimmediatelyif urged to do so by local authorities. Never drive through a flooded area.
Timing
Happening Now:The latest band of heavy rain is moving eastward through California. You can see where rain and snow are occurring on the radar map below.
Through Friday:Active weather is continuing to push through California late this week, and locally heavy showers are also possible in parts of the Desert Southwest through Friday.
Weekend:While a few showers may linger in the Four Corners Saturday, California and the rest of the Desert Southwest will dry out once again.
How Much More Rain, Snow
- Rain:The heaviest rain has fallen, though much of California could pick up an additional inch or two on Friday.
- Mountain snow:The Sierras can expect an additional several inches of snow through Friday, potentially up to 8 feet in places, adding to the several feet of snow that has already fallen. The California snowpack had been running significantly behind schedule, so this snowfall is very needed.
Much Of California Under At Least One Weather Alert
Conditions are starting to calm down across California, but much of the state is still under at least one weather alert. Flood watches for the valleys will last until Friday afternoon and the winter storm warnings in the mountains are in effect until Friday night.
Recap
The most recentatmospheric riverdumped anywhere from 3 to 14 inches of rain in Northern California's coastal ranges and Sierra foothills from last Saturday night through Monday.
That led to 69 reports of flooding, 31 reports of landslides and another 22 reports of wind damage in the state from Saturday night through Monday. Among the most serious flash flooding occurred in and near Redding, in far Northern California, where water rescues occurred.
(MORE:Impacts In California)
Jonathan Belleshas been a digital meteorologist forweather.comfor 9 years. His favorite weather is tropical weather, but also enjoys covering high-impact weather and news stories and winter storms. He's a two-time graduate of Florida State University and a proud graduate of St. Petersburg College.
