Weekend Storm Leaves California, Causes Flooding in Areas of Arizona

A Pineapple Express weather system brought rains to Southern California on Halloween, then moved to Arizona on Sunday, where between 2 inches to 6 inches of rain caused some flooding.

AccuWeather meteorologists say another system is on its way to the northern and central part of California, likely bringing mild rainfall to those areas.

The rain on Saturday left areas like Fresno with reports of .25 in. of rain, including smaller accumulations in the Bay Area. Mammoth Mountain ski resort in the Sierra Nevadas saw 9 inches of snow from the storm, forecasters say.

The atmospheric river moved out of the region, heading east, where flood watches were announced for Arizona, and parts of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico.

Heavy rainfall caused flash flooding and mandatory evacuations in several areas of the Southwest on Sunday. In Sedona, Arizona, residents in some areas were ordered to evacuate as flood waters rose and multiple people were trapped in their homes.

Forecasters say the next storm should be largely isolated to the northern portion of California.

“Coming up on the horizon we do have another storm that’s going to push into central and Northern California on Tuesday and that’ll bring some rain to the Bay Area,” said Chad Merrill, senior meteorologist for AccuWeather. “Then that storm clears out quickly and we’re looking at an extended period of dry weather until we get to Friday, when we have some rain that’s going to move into the Pacific Northwest, maybe some snow in the higher elevations of the Cascades.”

By Thursday and Friday, temperatures are expected to warm up in central and Southern California with some slight Santa Ana winds. The breeze will help the temperatures warm up into the lower 80s in downtown Los Angeles, according to Merrill.

The outlook for the month of November calls for drier conditions in the northern part of the country, with wetter conditions in the south.

Topics California Flood Windstorm