Excerpt:
Heavy snowfall is raising concerns about the impact of the spring melt
California was hit again by rain and snow Monday as the state moved toward what forecasters said would be the end of a series of storms that have battered it since Christmas.
The nine storms known as atmospheric rivers—flowing columns of condensed water vapor in the atmosphere that produce significant precipitation—have killed at least 19 people, flooded communities, shut down highways and cut power to tens of thousands of homes. The storms and accompanying damage have been more intense in the north and middle regions of the state than in the south.
Monday’s storm wasn’t expected to bring as much precipitation as previous ones, but residents were warned to remain vigilant as the combination of already saturated ground and storm water flowing downstream could still cause flooding and mudslides, forecasters said.
The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning until early Tuesday in the Sierra Nevada, a mountain range that runs along the eastern edge of California. An additional 1-3 feet of snow forecast for the area and wind gusts of as high as 60 miles an hour would make travel difficult if not impossible, officials said.
One smaller, fast-moving storm system is forecast to arrive late Wednesday through early Thursday…
