Powerful storm system to hit California this week: Weather updates

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Another strong storm system is brewing that will bring flood watches, powerful winds and heavy snow to California this week.

The Golden State was slammed by a “bomb cyclone” last week, which killed two people and resulted in a tornado that damaged buildings and injuring people in Southern California.

Two storms joined forces over the northeastern Pacific Ocean and were set to arrive in the state by Monday night, AccuWeather said. The dangerous weather will begin in the northwestern part of the state late Monday, and then advance south through the central and southern areas into Tuesday and Wednesday.

The storm will the roll into the western and southwestern U.S. amid colder temperatures, spreading snow well inland across portions of the Intermountain West, AccuWeather said.

Here’s what to know about the national weather forecast for Monday:

WHAT IS A BOMB CYCLONE?:A winter hurricane, explained

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More heavy rain, snow in California

“A powerful Pacific storm system will begin to approach the West Coast on Monday. Moisture spreading inland will significantly increase precipitation chances across northern California and the Pacific Northwest,” the National Weather Service said.

The weather service said the storm will result in moderate to heavy rainfall along the coast. Heavy snow is possible in the northern coastal ranges of the state and the southern half of the Cascade Mountains.

AccuWeather said the heaviest rainfall will be on Tuesday, and lighter rainfall could linger into Thursday for Southern California. Small hail is also possible later in the week.

Strong winds could knock out power

Northern California, specifically the Bay Area, will again be susceptible to strong winds, which could leave many residents and businesses in the dark. The Pacific Gas and Electric Company said roughly 610,000 customers were affected during last week’s “bomb cyclone.”

Wind gusts as high as 100 miles per hour are possible in the mountains, which could lead to “dangerous blizzard conditions,” AccuWeather says. The Bay Area could have wind gusts around 50 to 60 mps.

“With an already saturated ground due to recent heavy rain, downed trees and power outages are a real concern,” said AccuWeather meteorologist Andrew Johnson-Levine.

Storms in the Southeast

In the Southeast, more severe weather was expected as the region recovers from a flurry of tornadoes that hit the Mississippi Delta region, thrashing rural areas and leaving more than two dozen people dead. Flood and tornado watches and warnings were in effect Monday across much of Mississippi and Georgia.