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LOS ANGELES, Jan. 15 (AP) More rain and snow arrived in storm-battered California over the weekend, making travel dangerous and prompting new evacuation orders in response to a swollen river near Sacramento flood problem.
A band of thunderstorms with gusty winds started in the north and spread south Saturday, followed by another atmospheric river storm on Sunday, the National Weather Service said.
Up to two inches (5 centimeters) of rain was expected in the saturated Sacramento Valley, where about 5,000 semi-rural Wilton residents were ordered to evacuate as the Cosumnes River continued to rise.
Two feet (61 centimeters) of snow and strong winds are also expected in the Sierra Nevada. Interstate 80, the main highway from the San Francisco Bay Area to the ski resorts of Lake Tahoe, reopened after being closed for most of Saturday due to slick roads, snow and white conditions.
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The UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab tweeted Sunday morning that it had received 21.5 inches (54 centimeters) of snow in 24 hours. Its snowpack of about 10 feet (3 meters) is expected to increase by several feet by Monday.
A backcountry avalanche warning was issued Monday for the central Sierra region, which includes the Greater Lake Tahoe area.
California Highway Patrol rescued three people on Friday after their car slid off a rain-slicked road and ended up teetering on the edge of a cliff in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The Highway Patrol said in a statement that the occupants “were fearful and in disbelief for their lives” as they were safely pulled out of the car as the front end of the car dangled precariously over the edge of the cliff. “.
“We cannot stress this enough. Please drive only when necessary,” the statement said.
Just south of Santa Cruz County, the small community of Felton Grove along the San Lorenzo River is under evacuation advisories.
The swollen Salinas River flooded farmland in Monterey County. In the east, flood warnings have been issued for Merced County in the agricultural Central Valley, and Gov. Gavin Newsom visited the county Saturday to assess the problem and warn of possible more danger.
“We’re not done yet,” Newsom said. He urged people to be vigilant about safety over the next few days, when the last of nine atmospheric rivers will pass.
The series of storms has brought rain and snow to California since late December, knocking out power for thousands, flooding roads, unleashing mudslides and triggering landslides.
President Joe Biden declared a major disaster in the state and ordered federal assistance to supplement local recovery efforts in the affected areas.
In San Luis Obispo County, at least 19 people were killed by the storm, with a 5-year-old boy missing after being swept from his mother’s car by floodwaters.
Dry weather is forecast for California this week starting Tuesday. (Associated Press)
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)
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