Update, Feb. 5, 6:15 a.m.
The latest atmospheric river storm that struck Northern California Sunday has caused extensive damage throughout the Sacramento region.
Winds that gusted up to 65 miles an hour downed trees and knocked out power to more than 200,000 SMUD customers, according to the utility. This morning, around 40,000 households are still waiting for electricity to be restored, and a high wind warning remains in effect until 10 a.m.
PG&E reports more than a million of its customers lost power across its entire service area, which covers most of Northern and Central California. Around 36,000 customers in Placer County remain without power, as well as 6,000 in El Dorado and 3,000 in Yolo.
Sacramento International Airport reports flights are departing and arriving on time this morning after cancellations yesterday. But Sacramento Regional Transit has suspended light rail service Monday morning due to what it calls "significant damage" to its system and "continued power outages." SacRT will operate buses along the Gold and Blue lines until light rail service is restored.
In Rocklin, Sierra College has announced all classes and activities will be canceled Monday “due to weather and power outages.”
There are numerous reports of blocked or flooded roads and traffic collisions as people begin their Monday commute. Officials ask drivers to check traffic conditions before leaving and avoid driving through any standing water.
Update, 8:23 p.m.
Nearly 900,000 California households, including more than 150,000 in Sacramento County, remain without power Sunday evening as further wind, rain and snow are expected into Monday morning.
“The winds have really picked up in Northern California, in fact materialized every bit as strong as expected, with gust over 90 mph being recorded in hills and on the coast, with frequent gusts 55-75 mph at lower elevations, all the way from the SLO and western Santa Barbara County coast north to southern Mendocino into the Central Valley,” said Daniel Swain, a UCLA climate scientist.
The National Weather Service in Sacramento is cautioning that wind and rain will continue Sunday evening, with gusts of up to 25 mph continuing through around 6 a.m. Monday.
Swain said that the western Sacramento Valley, especially in Yolo County from Dixon north through Woodland and as far as Colusa, could see some of the heaviest rain and wind this evening.
“This will probably be the last gasp but it’s a strong one and may be the strongest of the storm in total,” he said.
As of 8:30 p.m, 157,800 customers were without power in Sacramento County, with 7,800 out in Yolo, 39,000 in Placer and 9,600 in El Dorado, according to PowerOutage.us. Swain said every customer account is around two to three people, meaning around a half million people in the four-county region could be without power Sunday evening.
The SMUD website was down much of the day Sunday, with the utility asking customers to “please use the guest mode feature in the SMUD app” to track outages.
The California Independent System Operator, which operates the majority of the state’s power grid, declared a transmission emergency Sunday evening, but didn’t provide specific details.
Sacramento Regional Transit announced that light rail service is not expected to resume Monday morning, and that bus bridges will be in place on the Blue and Gold Lines.
Original story, 5:15 p.m.
A tree blocks traffic on 15th Street between N and Q streets in downtown Sacramento.Courtesy City Council member Katie Valenzuela on XA powerful atmospheric river hit Northern California Sunday, bringing rain and extreme winds to the Sacramento Valley and feet of snow to the Sierra.
As of 5:15 p.m., nearly 780,000 households throughout the state were without power, many in the Bay Area and along the central and Southern California coast, according to PowerOutage.us.
Around 200,000 have lost power in Sacramento, El Dorado, Placer and Yolo counties. More than 150,000 SMUD customers are without electricity as winds upwards of 60 mph downed trees and impacted utility poles, according to the utility’s outage map, which has itself been offline at times Sunday.
Sacramento Region Transit suspended all light rail service starting at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday. Riders can check the agency’s website for updates on service.
Winds could increase into the evening Sunday before losing strength into Monday. According to the National Weather Service, a high wind warning for the region remains in effect until 10 a.m. Monday, with sustained speeds of 30 to 45 mph and gusts of 50 to 60 mph. Some gusts could top 65 mph, weather service officials added.
A flood watch remains in effect through late Monday night and a more serious flood advisory through 8 p.m. Sunday. Western Yolo County experienced a number of high-intensity rain storms early in the day.
“This is a region that has seen four to five inches of rain today and there is widespread flooding,” said Daniel Swain, a UCLA climate scientist.
The storm is also bringing huge amounts of snow to the Sierra, which has also caused difficult to impossible travel conditions. Caltrans is advising residents to avoid travel if at all possible.
The weather service on Sunday issued a rare “hurricane force wind warning” for the Central Coast, with wind gusts of up to 92 mph possible from the Monterey Peninsula to the northern section of San Luis Obispo County.
In Southern California, officials warned of potentially devastating flooding and ordered evacuations for canyons that burned in recent wildfires that are at high risk for mud and debris flows. Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for eight Southern California counties Sunday afternoon.
On Saturday, California Office of Emergency Services Director Nancy Ward warned people not to walk, swim or drive through flooded roadways or go around barriers.
“Remember, six inches of water can drown an adult,” she said. “Twelve inches of water can sweep away your vehicle. And two feet of water can move an SUV or a truck.”
Ward said it’s important to stay updated through what she called “trusted sources,” including for information about potential evacuations. She urged residents to sign up for alerts at calalerts.org.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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