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An updated forecast map on Monday shows which areas of California are predicted to receive the most rainfall early this week, as the state continues to deal with flooding caused by a recent barrage in heavy rainstorms.
California, known for its dry climate, kicked off 2023 with rare rainstorms amid a years-long drought. The intense precipitation led to widespread damage across the state, causing substantial flooding, at least 12 deaths, and leaving hundreds of thousands of residents without power.
Skies across California are not looking much clearer on Monday, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which released a map showing that several areas of California are set to receive even more rain Monday into Tuesday morning.
Want to know why heavy rainfall isn't enough to solve California's drought crisis? Check out Newsweek's in-depth explainer
Northern California, meanwhile, is poised to receive the most amount of rain in the next 24 hours, according to NOAA. Some areas near San Francisco and San Jose, also known as the heavily-populated Bay area, could receive several inches of rain by Tuesday morning.
Ben Lomond, located just south of San Jose, is set to receive more than 4 inches of rain, according to NOAA. Meanwhile, other areas including Santa Rosa and Vacaville could see upwards of 2 inches of precipitation.
Southern California is forecasted to receive less rain overall than the northern part of the state, according to NOAA.
Los Angeles will likely receive less than 1 inch of rain, though some more remote mountainous areas could receive a few inches. In addition, coastal areas including San Luis Obispo could receive nearly 2 inches of rain. Areas south of Los Angeles and the interior of Southern California are projected to receive no precipitation.
Dave Houk, senior meteorologist for AccuWeather, told Newsweek on Monday that it has been years since California last experienced this type of storm, which is caused by a "plume of moisture" from the Southwest.
"This is the wet season, so this is the time of year that this would be most prone to happen. However, there hasn't been an atmospheric event like this probably going back to like 2010," he said.
The state has seen 20 inches of rain from December 26 to January 6. These storms have caused substantial flooding, leaving some reservoirs well above their historical averages—sparking concerns of more flooding in the coming days.
Despite the storms, California remains in a drought due to last year's particularly dry conditions. Although the rain has alleviated the dryness, the state would need to see a lot more rain to end the decades-long megadrought.
In addition to intense flooding, the storm also brought strong winds, leading to power outages across the state, Houk said. Furthermore, the rainfall loosened soil in some areas, leading to downed trees.
"These systems, while they're beneficial, they are also catastrophic in some ways because of the amount of rain and wind," he said.
Flood warnings remained in place for several counties across the state Monday morning, as more than 100,000 customers remained without power. Some residents in Monterey County were ordered to evacuate from low-lying areas due to the threat of flooding.
California Likely to See More Storms Later in the Week
Even after Monday's system subsides, California could see more storms later in the week, Houk said.
"As we head into midweek period, it looks like jet steam is going to pull back to the north a little bit more," he said.
A Wednesday storm will likely bring more rain to areas north of San Francisco and has the potential to be "problematic," but will likely get a break on Thursday, according to Houk. However, these regions could see a potentially stronger storm on Friday and Saturday, which could bring measurable rain to Northern California, though the exact timing of the storm is not yet known.
Biden, Newsom Issue Emergency Declarations for California Storms
President Joe Biden and California Governor Gavin Newsom issued emergency declarations to expedite the response to these storms.
Biden authorized the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to "identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency," the White House wrote in a statement.
Last week, Newsom declared a state of emergency in anticipation of the storms.
"The emergency proclamation supports emergency relief efforts including authorizing the mobilization of the California National Guard to support disaster response, directing Caltrans to request immediate assistance through the Federal Highway Administration's Emergency Relief Program to support highway repairs and other support for local response and recovery efforts," the governor's office wrote in a press release.
When reached by Newsweek on Monday, Newsom's office referred to the governor's previous request for Biden to make an emergency declaration.
About the writer
Andrew Stanton is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in Maine. His role is reporting on U.S. politics and social issues. ... Read more