Overview
- An offshore low rapidly strengthening near the Central Coast is sending new bands of heavy rain and gusty winds across the state after a wet Sunday delivered up to 5.5 inches in the Big Sur highlands and significant Bay Area totals.
- Southern California faces a volatile setup with a Monday squall line, rainfall rates over an inch per hour, a flood watch for Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, and isolated waterspouts or brief tornadoes alongside gusts near 60 mph.
- Snow is ramping up in the Sierra with 3 to 5 feet expected above 7,000 feet by Wednesday and worst‑case totals of 6 to 8 feet in the southern Sierra, ridgetop gusts potentially topping 100 mph, and warnings that non‑emergency travel could be impossible at times.
- Bay Area impacts include an additional 0.5 to 1 inch of rain Monday, widespread gusts of 25 to 40 mph with higher ridge gusts near 50 mph, a coastal flood advisory through Tuesday, and flight delays at SFO after Sunday’s heaviest rain since early January.
- A second wave late Tuesday into Wednesday will renew widespread rain, mountain snow and stronger winds in Southern California, with desert‑slope gusts reaching 60 to 70 mph and snow levels dropping to around 3,000–4,500 feet, including a Grapevine hazard with several inches possible.