New storms raise risk of flash flooding in California wine country before moving south: Live

A new system came ashore on Wednesday from the Pacific, though with moderate impact. By Thursday, officials say they expect this latest storm to have moved well inland, bringing heavy snow to the Cascades, Sierra Nevada, and also the northern Rockies.

However the National Weather Service (NWS) Los Angeles says that by next week – Sunday through to Tuesday – harsher conditions will return again.

Ryan Kittell, meteorologist for NWS Los Angeles told The Independent that details of the coming storm and its severity were still uncertain.

“We are looking at another slow moving storm system to impact our area mainly Sunday through Tuesday of next week,” he said. “It is an atmospheric river with a potential for moderate to heavy rainfall, but there’s a lot of details that are uncertain at this point.”

Community organisers have accused Los Angeles authorities of “bold-faced lies” and said the city’s response to its unhoused population during the recent catastrophic storms has been “abysmal”.

Despite promises that extra aid would be available, contact with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) has reportedly been difficult, exacerbated by the fact that many seeking shelter do not have phones or internet access.

Mike Bedigan reports

UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Laboratory reported that it had already received 13 inches of snow in the last 24 hours, with more expected.

The lab, located in Soda Springs in northern California, said its storm total of snowfall was now up to 14.2 inches on Thursday.

“We are now at 85% of median snowfall and 83% of median snow water equivalent to date. More on the way!” the lab wrote on X.

A plume of moisture from the Pacific is set to surge over the west coast on Saturday bringing more rain and the threat of flash flooding.

The downpours will start across southern Oregon and northern California on Friday night before spreading south into central and southern California on Saturday, the National Weather Service said in its latest briefing.

Two aviation experts who reviewed newly released photos and video of Friday’s helicopter crash that killed a prominent Nigerian banker and five others said the flight likely should have been canceled because of poor nighttime weather conditions in Southern California‘s Mojave Desert.

The National Transportation Safety Board released photos and video of the mangled wreckage this week as its investigators continue to look into what caused the crash. The agency’s preliminary investigation report will be released in the coming weeks.

Weather reports from the time show a mix of rain and snow, and the aircraft flew over a remote area of the desert that likely would have had few lights for the pilot to navigate by, other than cars’ headlights and taillights along the interstate.

As Californians brace themselves for another, here’s a look at the phenomenon:

Heavy rain is forecast across parts of northern and central California on Saturday along with snow in mountainous areas, according to forecasters.

There will be a “slight risk” of excessive rainfall over parts of northern California from Saturday into Sunday morning, the National Weather Service update said on Friday.

The heavy rain will create localized areas of flash flooding, with urban areas, roads, small streams, and burn scars the most vulnerable.

On Sunday, the plume of moisture will shift south, bringing heavy rain to southern California too, and similar risks of flooding.

A building westerly swell on Saturday will result in large breaking waves and dangerous beach conditions through Sunday, forecasters said.

Breaking waves of 18 to 22 feet (locally up to 28 ft) are possible. The warning stretched from around the Sea Ranch area to the north of San Francisco to Gorda, south of Big Sur.