Sierra locations above 5,000 feet received up to 45 inches of snow Saturday through early Sunday morning, and more snow is expected to fall across the Rockies, northern Plains, and eventually into parts of the Midwest.
The storm system has already caused multiple water rescues, road closures, and power outages, and resulted in the deaths of at least two people.
In Sacramento County, emergency crews spent the weekend rescuing multiple flood victims by boats and helicopter and responding to fallen trees and disabled vehicles in the flood waters.
Residents of low-lying communities south of the capital were warned of possible flash flooding due to three breaches of a levee adjacent to the Cosumnes River.
Widespread snowfall of 4 to 8 inches is forecast but higher elevations in the mountains could see 1 to 2 feet of snow.
US Highway 101 – one of California’s most famous routes – was also temporarily closed in both directions in South San Francisco Saturday due to flooding and high tides.
In Breckenridge, Colorado, on Sunday afternoon, a man and his adult son hiking and skiing in a backcountry area outside Breckenridge Ski Resort boundaries were felled by an avalanche, with the son found deceased.
Experts said the new year’s first week will bring more wet weather to the West via storms brewing in the Gulf of Alaska and fed by tropical Pacific precipitation.
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