On New Year’s Day, California was drying out and digging out after a powerful storm dumped drenching rain or heavy snowfall across much of the state, clogging traffic and closing major highways.
The California Department of Transportation reported that dozens of drivers were rescued on New Year’s Eve along Interstate 80 near Lake Tahoe after their cars spun out in the snow during the blizzard. The main route to the mountains from the San Francisco Bay Area reopened to passenger vehicles with chains early Sunday.
“The roads are extremely slick so let’s all work together and slow down so we can keep I-80 open,” the California Highway Patrol tweeted. Several other highways were also reopened, including State Route 50.
In the high Sierra Nevada, more than 4 feet of snow had accumulated, and the Mammoth Mountain Ski Area warned that heavy, wet snow would cause significant delays in chairlift openings. The resort reported numerous lift closures on Saturday, citing high winds, low visibility, and ice.
Crews cleared downed trees from roads and sidewalks in the state capital as at least 40,000 customers remained without power early Sunday, down from more than 150,000 a day earlier, according to a Sacramento Municipal Utility District online map.
A long and wide plume of moisture from the Pacific Ocean was drawn in by an atmospheric river storm. Flooding and rock slides caused road closures across the state.
The National Weather Service reported 5.46 inches of rain in downtown San Francisco on New Year’s Eve, making it the second-wettest day on record, trailing only a November 1994 deluge. Videos on Twitter showed mud-colored water streaming down San Francisco streets, and heavy rains turned a staircase in Oakland into a veritable waterfall.
Several people were rescued in Southern California after floodwaters inundated cars in San Bernardino and Orange counties. There were no serious injuries reported.
With no rain expected during Monday’s Rose Parade in Pasadena and the region drying out on New Year’s Day, spectators began staking out their spots for the annual floral spectacle.
The rain came as a welcome relief in drought-stricken California. The state has experienced its driest three years on record, but much more precipitation is required to make a significant difference.
It was the first of several storms expected to hit the state in the next week. According to Hannah Chandler-Cooley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sacramento, Saturday’s system was warmer and wetter, while storms this week will be colder.
Chandler-Cooley predicts that the Sacramento area will receive 4 to 5 inches of rain this week.
Another round of heavy rain is expected for Southern California on Tuesday or Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service’s Los Angeles-area office.
