As the powerful winter system that had earlier caused record rainfall, heavy snowfall, and flooding in the Golden State was threatening the Plains with strong winds and tornadoes Sunday night, California is currently seeing additional extreme weather.
The big picture: The National Weather Service tweeted Sunday night that the first of two new storm systems bringing rain and snow to northern California was causing “dangerous travel conditions” and that blizzard warnings would go into effect early Monday in the Sierra Nevada, where 4 to 7 feet of snow was expected to fall this week.
Danger level: According to NWS Sacramento, travel will be “very risky to impossible with extended road closures anticipated” and will last until 4am on Wednesday.
Due to strong winds and heavy, blowing snow, power outages, felled trees, and white-out conditions were anticipated. According to the local NWS office, “extremely high snow rates” of 2 to 4 inches per hour were forecast for Monday through Tuesday.
According to the NWS Los Angeles office, the region will experience more rain and snow from Sunday night through Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the NWS Storm Prediction Center warned parts of the southern Plains of a dangerous, fast-moving thunderstorm system known as a derecho event.
Tornado and wind warnings were issued for Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma over Sunday night.
There were reports of damage to buildings and power outages in Norman after a confirmed tornado struck the Oklahoma city on Sunday night. A suspected tornado was also reported near Amarillo, Texas, earlier in the evening.
Thought bubble: Research shows climate change is increasing the likelihood and intensity of extreme precipitation events in the U.S. and across the world, including heavy snow when temperatures are cold enough.
The other side of extreme precipitation, drought, is also becoming more extreme in certain areas.
California is still in the midst of its worst drought in at least 1200 years and the first to be attributed to human-caused climate change, though the heavy rain and snow this year will help.
