California has been hit by the third storm in a week after rain and strong winds were present across Northern California and snow in the Sierra Nevada, according to The Guardian. Sunday's storm followed showers and thunderstorms throughout the day, with officials warning residents to take care while driving, as there is debris and flooding on the freeways, according to ABC News.
Pacific Gas and Electric. Co. reported power outages for hundreds of customers in the San Francisco Bay Area as a result of the storms, but that it was restored within hours, according to The Guardian. California Highway Patrol have reported one person injured after an accident near San Rafael and are dealing with several other collisions in the San Francisco Bay Area, according to ABC News.
A lull in the weather on Saturday preceded strong winds, lightning, hail and heavy rain, as the system moved into California overnight. This storm is expected to yield less rain than those in previous systems, with National Weather Service meteorologist Nathan Owen predicting around half an inch for the San Francisco Bay Area and the San Joaquin Valley, according to the Miami Herald.
The National Weather Service issued a strong wind advisory for the San Francisco Bay Area that stayed in effect through until Sunday night. Flights at the nearby Oakland and San Francisco International airports were affected by the winds, leading to delays in arrivals and departures, according to ABC News.
The National Weather Service warned that dry trees could bring down power lines and that "driving may be difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles", according to NBC News. They also predicted more snowfall before Monday, with a potential two feet of snow in the Sierra Nevada.
Forecasters have claimed that Caifornia could be drenched by a strong El Niño weather system over the coming months, as could much of the West. However some meteorologists doubt the connection between the recent storms and El Niño, the warming in the Pacific Ocean that is capable of affecting weather across the world, according to NBC News.
