More Rain Aims for Flood-Ravaged California on Christmas
Flooding was widespread across Southern California Wednesday with streets being turned into raging rivers. Click on this video to see what happened in Laguna Beach.
After several feet of rain clobbered California over the past week, the last thing the flood-ravaged state needs right now is more rain. Unfortunately, another couple of rounds are on the way starting Christmas Day.
Many Californians are already being forced to spend their holiday cleaning up after muddy flood waters. The forecast for more rain is the last thing they want to hear, especially on Christmas.
While a repeat of what happened over the past week is not expected by any means, the rain coming this weekend could be enough to exacerbate flooding and mudslide problems in some areas.
Travel delays will also arise. However, the good news is that most people traveling to visit family or friends for Christmas will do so Friday or Saturday morning, if they have not already. Most of the rain will not arrive until Saturday afternoon or night.
Cars stuck in a flooded area of Silverado Canyon, Calif., Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2010. Storm runoff and mud prompted the evacuation of about 30 people in the area. After days of relentless rain, Southern California on Wednesday faced the most intense storm system yet, with hundreds of homes evacuated, roads covered with water and mud, and residents anxiously eyeing already saturated mountainsides denuded by wildfires. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)
This will be true for areas from San Francisco and Sacramento on south to Point Conception, where rain should hold off until the afternoon Saturday.
Areas farther south and east into Los Angeles, San Diego, Palm Springs and Fresno are expected to stay dry until Saturday night. For most of Southern California, this will be a relatively quick shot of rain with much of the region drying out Sunday.
Another storm could usher in more rain sometime Tuesday into Wednesday next week.
Both rounds this weekend and next week will bring snow to the mountains. As AccuWeather.com Western Expert Ken Clark mentioned in his blog Wednesday, another 8 to 16 inches or more of snow could pile up at ski resorts in the Sierra this weekend alone.
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Daily U.S. Extremes
past 24 hours
| Extreme | Location | |
|---|---|---|
| High | 107° | Death Valley, CA |
| Low | 28° | Daniel, WY |
| Precip | 2.39" | Alexandria, MN |
WeatherWhys®
People need to pay close attention to the UV index during this time of year. On a sunny day late in the spring and into the summer, the UV is usually at least an 8, which is very high. Readings over 11 are considered extreme values in which only 10 minutes of full exposure to the sun will produce a sunburn.
This Day In Weather History
New Hampshire (1814)
A tornado crossed Merrimac, Litchfield, Londonderry and North Chester. The same storm produced hailstones that had an 11-inch circumference and weighed 1/2 pound.
Northeast (1989)
More rain in an already wet month. Monthly totals topped 11 inches at New York City, 9 inches at Bridgeport, Conn., and 8 inches at Baltimore (all three totals set records for May).
Rough Weather
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