A strong storm has introduced heavy rain and snowfall to a lot of California, inflicting site visitors jams and shutting main roads because the state prepares to usher in a brand new 12 months.

In the excessive Sierra Nevada, as a lot as 2ft of snow may accumulate into early on New Year’s Day.

The US National Weather Service in Sacramento warned about hazardous driving situations and posted images on Twitter displaying site visitors on snow-covered mountain passes, the place autos are required to have chains or four-wheel drive.

The so-called atmospheric river storm was pulling in a protracted and large plume of moisture from the Pacific Ocean. Flooding and rock slides closed parts of roads throughout Northern California.

The California Highway Patrol stated a piece of US 101 – one of many state’s essential site visitors arteries – was closed indefinitely south of San Francisco due to flooding.

Videos on Twitter confirmed muddy water streaming alongside San Francisco streets, and a staircase in Oakland become a veritable waterfall by heavy rains.

Weather service meteorologist Courtney Carpenter stated the storm may drop over an inch of rain within the Sacramento space earlier than shifting south.

One ski resort south of Lake Tahoe closed chair lifts due to flooding and operational issues, and posted a photograph on Twitter displaying one elevate tower and its empty chairs surrounded by water.

The Sacramento company launched a map of 24-hour precipitation via Saturday morning, displaying a variety of totals within the area, from lower than an inch in some areas to greater than 5in within the Sierra foothills.

The Mammoth Mountain Ski Area reported quite a few elevate closings, citing excessive winds, low visibility and ice.

The Stockton Police Department posted images of a flooded railroad underpass and a automobile that appeared stalled in additional than a foot of water.

The rain was welcomed in drought-parched California, however rather more precipitation is required to make a big distinction. The previous three years have been California’s driest on document.

A winter storm warning was in impact into Sunday for the higher elevations of the Sierra from south of Yosemite National Park to north of Lake Tahoe, the place as a lot as 5ft of snow is feasible atop the mountains, the National Weather Service stated in Reno, Nevada.

A flood watch was in impact throughout a lot of Northern California via New Year’s Eve. Officials warned that rivers and streams may overflow and urged residents to get sandbags prepared.

Some rainfall totals within the San Francisco Bay Area topped 4in.

The state transportation company reported quite a few street closures, together with Highway 70 east of Chico, which was partially closed by a slide, and the northbound facet of Highway 49, east of Sacramento, which was closed due to flooding. In El Dorado County, east of Sacramento, a stretch of Highway 50 was closed due to flooding.

Humboldt County, the place a 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck on December 20, additionally noticed roadways start to flood, in keeping with the National Weather Service’s Eureka workplace.

A bridge that was briefly closed final week as a consequence of earthquake injury could also be closed once more if the Eel River, which it crosses, will get too excessive, officers stated.

It was the primary of a number of storms anticipated to roll throughout California over the following week. Hannah Chandler-Cooley, a meteorologist on the National Weather Service in Sacramento, stated the present system is anticipated to be hotter and wetter, whereas subsequent week’s storms will probably be colder.

The Sacramento area may obtain a complete of 4 to five inches (10 to 13 centimeters) of rain over the span of the week, Ms Chandler-Cooley stated.