Winter storms hit the Northeast with more expected for Thanksgiving week

HEALDSBURG, Calif. (AP) — A big storm more snow and record rain fell in California, causing small landslides and flooding of some streets, while on the opposite side of the country, blizzard or winter storm warnings were in effect Saturday for areas ranging from the Northeast to central Appalachia.

Another storm system is expected to arrive the week of Thanksgiving and linger into Tuesday in the Pacific Northwest, bringing both rain and snow to the higher elevations, according to Torry Dooley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

The Midwest and Great Lakes regions will also see rain and snow Monday, while the East Coast will be most affected by Thanksgiving and Black Friday weather.

A low pressure system will bring rain to the Southeast early Thursday before moving northeast, where areas from Boston to New York could see rain and strong winds. Parts of northern New Hampshire, northern Maine and the Adirondacks may get snow. If the system tracks further inland, the forecast will call for less snow for the mountains and more rain.

Deadly ‘bomb cyclone’ roared ashore on the west coast

The storm on the West Coast 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 its strong winds moved through Northern California. The system roared ashore on the West Coast on Tuesday as a “ bomb cyclone,” which occurs when a cyclone intensifies rapidly. The unleashed violent winds trees fell onto roads, vehicles and homes.

Santa Rosa, Calif., saw its wettest three-day period on record with about 12.5 inches (32 centimeters) of rain falling Friday night, according to the National Weather Service in the Bay Area.

Flooding closed a portion of Scenic Highway 1, also known as the Pacific Coast Highway, in Mendocino County, and there was no estimate of when it would reopen, according to the California Department of Transportation.

Meanwhile, on the East Coast, another storm brought much-needed rain to New York and New Jersey, where rare wildfires have raged in recent weeks, and heavy snow to northeastern Pennsylvania. Parts of West Virginia were under a blizzard warning through Saturday morning, with up to 2 feet (61 centimeters) of snow and high winds making travel treacherous.

Tens of thousands lose power in the Seattle area

As Seattle-area residents entered the weekend, more than 87,000 people were still without power from this season’s strongest atmospheric river — a long plume of moisture that forms over an ocean and flows through the sky over land. Crews worked to clear streets of downed lines, branches and other debris, while cities opened warming centers so people heading into their fourth day without power could get hot food and plug in their cellphones and other devices.

Gale warnings were issued for Washington, Oregon and California, and high wind warnings were in effect for parts of northern California and Oregon. Winter storm warnings were in place for parts of the California Cascades and Sierra Nevada.

Forecasters predicted that both coasts would begin to see a reprieve from the storms as the system in the northeast moves into eastern Canada and that in the west heads south.

Friday night already saw some relief in California, where the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office downgraded evacuation orders to warnings for people near the Eel River after forecasters said the waterway would see moderate but not major flooding.

The Northeast will receive much-needed rainfall

In the northeast, which has been affected by drought, more than 2 inches (5 centimeters) of rain was expected Saturday morning north of New York City, with snow mixed in at higher elevations.

Despite the mess, the rainfall was expected to help ease drought conditions in a state that has seen an unusually dry fall.

“It’s not going to be a drought-buster, but it will certainly help when all this melts,” said Bryan Greenblatt, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Binghamton, New York.

Heavy snow fell in northeastern Pennsylvania, including the Pocono Mountains, prompting a number of school closings. Higher elevations reported up to 17 inches (43 centimeters), with smaller accumulations in valley cities such as Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. Fewer than 80,000 customers in 10 counties lost power, and the state Department of Transportation imposed speed limits on some highways.

Parts of West Virginia also saw their first significant snowfall of the season Friday and overnight Saturday, with up to 10 inches (25.4 centimeters) accumulating in the higher elevations of the Allegheny Mountains. Some areas were under a blizzard warning as gusts made travel conditions dangerous.

The rainfall helped put a dent in the state’s worst drought in at least two decades. It was also a boost for West Virginia ski resorts preparing to open their slopes in the coming weeks.

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Rodriguez reported from San Francisco. Associated Press writers Hallie Golden in Seattle, Janie Har in San Francisco, Manuel Valdes in Issaquah, Washington, Sarah Brumfield in Washington, DC, Michael Rubinkam in Pennsylvania, John Raby in West Virginia and Lea Skene in Baltimore contributed.