Storm Inundates Northern California With Rain, Heavy Snow; Thousands Remain in the Dark in Seattle

HEALDSBURG, Calif.—Heavy rain from a major storm prompted evacuations from communities near a Northern California river that forecasters said could breach its banks Friday, as the system continued to dump heavy snow in mountainous areas where some ski resorts opened for the season.
The storm arrived in the Pacific Northwest earlier this week, killing two people and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands, mostly in the Seattle area, before moving through Northern California, where several roads were closed due to flooding and strong winds toppled trees.
Forecasters warned about the risk of flash flooding and rockslides in areas north of San Francisco from this season’s strongest atmospheric river—a long plume of moisture that forms over an ocean and flows through the sky over land.
Meanwhile on the East Coast, where rare wildfires have raged, New York and New Jersey welcomed much-needed rain that could ease the fire danger for the rest of the year.
In California’s Humboldt County, the sheriff’s office issued evacuation orders and warnings for people near the Eel River, which was forecast to break its banks later Friday. Officials urged residents to prepare for storm impacts throughout the week.
Flooding closed scenic Highway 1, also known as the Pacific Coast Highway, in neighboring Mendocino County north of Point Arena near the Garcia River, and there was no estimate for when it would reopen, according to the California Department of Transportation.
A small mudslide that threatened a home was reported in the community of Fitch Mountain, near Healdsburg in Sonoma County. Moderate rain was falling in the community, and officials said they were concerned the mudslide could grow and hit several homes downhill.
Tennis Wick, permits and resource director for Sonoma County, said the home has experienced landslides in the past and was currently perched atop a muddy slope.
“Our concern is while this property may be OK, the earth between it and the road below is slipping, and the mudslide is affecting downhill properties,” he said.
Dana Eaton, who lives in one of the downhill properties and was clad in a yellow rain slicker and hat, said she was worried, too. In 2019, mud cascaded into a neighbor’s garage and created a mess.
Asked what the last few days have been like, she laughed.
“Wet. Constant rain,” she said. “It’s like everywhere else in the county, but so far nothing major, just concerns.”
Healdsburg is a quaint city nestled in the hills along the Russian River in Northern California’s wine country.
In Washington state, more than 170,000 people were still without power Friday as crews worked to clear streets of electrical lines, fallen branches and debris. Utility officials said the outages, which began Tuesday, could last into Saturday.
Gale warnings were issued off Washington, Oregon and California, and high wind warnings were in effect across parts of Northern California and Oregon on Friday. There were winter storm warnings for parts of the California Cascades and Sierra Nevada.
The National Weather Service in Reno reported a 128 mph gust of wind in the morning at the top of Palisades Tahoe ski resort, about 10 miles northwest of Lake Tahoe, where some ski runs remained open. Gusts up to 86 mph were recorded at Mt. Rose ski resort, near Reno, which closed due to the weather.
Sugar Bowl, northwest of Lake Tahoe, opened three lifts Friday, which is the earliest the ski resort has opened in 20 years, marketing manager Maggie Eshbaugh said.
“With all the new snow coming in, we could get more terrain opening up next week,” she said.
The system roared ashore on the West Coast Tuesday as a “bomb cyclone,” which occurs when a cyclone intensifies rapidly. It unleashed fierce winds that toppled trees onto roads, vehicles and homes.
Communities in Washington opened warming centers offering free internet and device charging. Some medical clinics closed because of power outages.
“I’ve been here since the mid-’80s. I haven’t seen anything like this,” Trish Bloor, a city of Issaquah official, said while surveying damaged homes.
Flash flooding, rockslides and debris flows were possible, especially where hillsides were loosened by recent wildfires, officials warned. Scott Rowe, a hydrologist with the weather service in Sacramento, said so far the ground has been able to absorb the rain in areas where the Park Fire burned this summer.
“It’s not necessarily how much rain falls; it’s how fast the rain falls,” Rowe said.
Across the United States, the Northeast, meanwhile, got a much-needed shot of precipitation, providing a bit of respite in a region plagued by wildfires and dwindling water supplies. More than 2 inches was expected by Saturday morning north of New York City, with snow mixed in at higher elevations.
Heavy snow was falling Friday in northeastern Pennsylvania, including the Pocono Mountains, forcing a raft of school closures and delays. Higher elevations reported up to 17 inches, with lower amounts in valley cities like Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. More than 100,000 customers in 10 counties lost power, while the state transportation department imposed speed restrictions on some highways.
Despite the mess, the precipitation was expected to help ease drought conditions in a state that’s seen an exceptionally dry fall.
“It won’t end the drought, it’s not going to be a drought buster, but it’s definitely going to help when all this melts,” said Bryan Greenblatt, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Binghamton, New York.