California braces for incoming bomb cyclone

Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm

by Alejandra O’Connell-Domenech | Jan. 04, 2023

Three vehicles are submerged on Dillard Road west of Highway 99 in south Sacramento County in Wilton, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023, after heavy rains on New Year’s Eve produced levee breaks. Saturday’s system was warmer and wetter, while storms this week will be colder, said Hannah Chandler-Cooley, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Sacramento. The Sacramento region could receive a total of 4 to 5 inches (10 to 13 centimeters) of rain over the week, Chandler-Cooley said. (Hector Amezcua/The Sacramento Bee via AP)

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Californians are preparing for yet another deluge of heavy rainfall after downpours on New Year’s Eve flooded roads and knocked out power in large swaths of the state.

The incoming storm is expected to drop the most rain in northern California on Wednesday and Thursday.

The messy winter storm will be brought by an atmospheric river which will meet with a front of rapidly decreasing air pressure to create a “bomb cyclone.”

Millions of Californias are preparing for more devastating flooding caused by heavy rain and snowfall this week.

A weather phenomenon called an atmospheric river will send a stream of moisture from the Pacific Ocean to the West Coast fueling heavy rain.

The atmospheric river will meet a front of low pressure that will in turn transform the storm into a “bomb cyclone.”

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The storm is expected to hit the California coast late Wednesday and Thursday, bringing with it the risk of flash flooding, mudslides, as well as snow in some parts, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

The heaviest rainfall is expected to hit northern California, most of which is under a flash flood watch.

Forecasters predict anywhere between 2 to 10 inches of rain to fall in the area between Wednesday and early Friday morning.

Forecasters also expect damaging wind gusts as fast as 60 miles per hour to affect large swaths of the northern part of the state.

Residual flash flooding from the storm could continue into the weekend, the agency said.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) declared a state of emergency ahead of the winter storm on Wednesday, authorizing the mobilization of the California National Guard.

“California is mobilizing to keep people safe from the impacts of the incoming storm,” said Newsom in a statement. “This state of emergency will allow the state to respond quickly as the storm develops and support local officials in their ongoing response.”

The storm comes shortly after heavy rain storms knocked out power and sparked flash flooding in northern California on New Year’s Eve.

On Saturday, 5.46 inches of rain fell in San Francisco making it the city’s second wettest day in more than 170 years, according to the NWS