What to know about a storm bringing high winds, heavy rain, snow to California and Pacific Northwest
One of the strongest storms on the West Coast in decades knocked out power for thousands of people and unleashed strong winds that toppled trees and left two dead in Washington before making its way through Oregon to Northern California
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — One of the strongest storms on the West Coast in decades knocked out power for thousands of people, unleashed strong winds that toppled trees and left two dead in Washington before making its way through Oregon to Northern California where on Thursday it dropped heavy snow and record amounts of rain.
The National Weather Service extended a flood watch into Saturday for areas north of San Francisco as the region was inundated by the strongest atmospheric river — a long and wide plume of moisture that forms over an ocean and flows over land — so far this season.
The storm system roared ashore Tuesday as a “bomb cyclone,” which occurs when a cyclone intensifies rapidly, and it's expected to bring moderate to heavy rain through Saturday, increasing the risk of flash flooding and rockslides, forecasters said.
Here are some things to know about the storm: