Another atmospheric river will wash across California early next week, forecasters said Saturday, as residents braced for more flooding rainfall, snow and strong winds.
Many eyes are on the main powerhouse of energy that will drive into the West Coast late Monday into Tuesday. Still, even in the days leading up to this event, conditions will be anything but dry in parts of California.
Two quick bursts of energy from Saturday to Monday will produce rounds of heavy snow across the Klamath Mountains, southern Cascades and the Sierra Nevada. The heaviest snow is expected to impact areas above 6,500 feet. Forecasters say that above this elevation, snowfall amounts can range on the order of several feet, resulting in road closures and enhancing the risk of avalanches in the area.
Strong southerly winds will spread across Northern California on Sunday and Monday, with gusts up to 45 mph possible across the terrain. In locations where blowing winds and steady snowfall overlap, meteorologists warn that visibility can be drastically reduced and travel impacted.
"Frequent showers will track into Northern and Central California through Monday, thunderstorms prowling around the central valleys and foothills on Saturday," explained AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham.