Four people died in California after major storms swept through the state this week, causing days of rain and flooding over the Christmas holiday — while a storm forecast to dump around a half-foot of snow has arrived in New York City.
While the “atmospheric river” that sent flooding rain over California was winding down Friday, parts of the Northeast got around 7 inches of snow by that evening and more was possible.
In California, a man was found dead Friday inside a sedan that was partially submerged in mud in Lancaster, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.
On Christmas Eve, Sacramento County sheriff’s deputy James Caravallo died in a single-vehicle crash on his way to work at a correctional center, the sheriff’s office said. NBC affiliate KCRA of Sacramento reported roads were wet and officials believe the crash was weather-related.
In San Diego, Roberto Ruiz died Wednesday after a large tree branch fell on him, causing him to go into cardiac arrest, NBC San Diego reported, citing San Diego Fire-Rescue.
And on Sunday, Richard Michael Wilsey, 74, died in Redding as a result of the severe flooding, the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office said.
Flood watches remained for the Los Angeles region through Saturday because of runoff fears, the National Weather Service said.
Wrightwood, California, a community in the mountains northeast of Los Angeles, got nearly a foot of rain. One resident who lives in the area said he was shocked to wake up to a “river running through our property.” The floods reached homes and buried cars in mud.
Air and boat crews spent the holiday rescuing California residents trapped in high floodwaters, pulling some off of roofs.
In San Bernardino County, fire crews “saw some very dire situations,” including, in some cases, those who were trapped in their homes by up to 5 feet of mud and water, county fire department spokesman Christopher Prater said.
On Christmas Day, there was a weak EF0 tornado with estimated peak winds of 80 mph in the Boyle Heights section of Los Angeles, the National Weather Service said.
Winter weather hits the Northeast
A section of the Northeast faced a winter storm early Saturday, with most of Pennsylvania and New York, as well as Connecticut and Massachusetts, under winter weather advisories or winter storm warnings.
The winter weather in the Northeast and the West Coast on Friday contributed to more than 8,900 delayed flights and 2,100 cancellations into or out of the U.S., according to flight tracking website FlightAware. A further 800 flights were canceled and 1,200 delayed as of early Saturday, as Newark Liberty International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport posted snow warnings.
Heavy snowfall
The Northeast just missed a white Christmas, but the snow forecast could be a doozy.
New York City was expected to get up 11 inches of snow by 1 p.m. Saturday, the city’s emergency management agency said.
The highest amounts were likely along the northern part of the New York City metro area, the National Weather Service said.
“Do not travel unless you absolutely have to,” NYC Emergency Management warned Friday evening.
As of Saturday morning, New York City had received just under 3 inches of snow — roughly half of what some forecasts had predicted.
