The second and stronger storm of a one-two punch will blast California with torrential rain, flooding and feet of snow.
By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Feb 2, 2024 11:43 AM
"Hot on the heels of a drenching storm and a low-end #AtmosphericRiver that affected California from Wednesday to Thursday, a more potent storm and high-end atmospheric river will roll ashore Saturday night and Sunday with major impacts that will threaten lives, property and travel into next week, AccuWeather meteorologists continue to warn.
"Public awareness and storm readiness are strongly encouraged as life-threatening conditions may evolve in some communities.
"'Roughly 94% of California's population, up to 37 million people, is at risk for flooding, some of which can be life-threatening. Due to the numerous mountains and hills, even just a few inches of rain can cause significant flooding,' AccuWeather Senior Director of Forecasting Operations Dan DePodwin stated.
"'The greatest risk of a widespread flooding disaster is expected across the canyons and hills of Southern California, especially in Ventura, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles counties,' DePodwin added.
Blockbuster rainstorm, major flooding to unfold
"Because the new storm, packing much more moisture, will hit only a couple of days after the first storm soaked and #saturated much of the state, runoff will be rapid and potentially dangerous and destructive, especially in portions of Southern and Central California, where most of the new rain is likely to fall.
"The first storm brought a general 1-6 inches of rain from Wednesday to Thursday. However, starting as early as Saturday night, more than double the amount of rain may fall from the new storm, with some of the rainiest spots picking up a foot or more of rain in only 48 hours."