Both the West Coast and the East were bracing Saturday for storms with different consequences: Heavy rain and possible flooding from Northern California to Washington state, freezing rain for New York City and more snow for battered New England, forecasters said.
In the West, Northern California got a break Saturday from a windy storm dubbed a "Pineapple Express" that knocked down trees, ripped through freeway and street signs, delayed hundreds of flights and knocked out power for thousands of people in California, but more rain was expected into Sunday morning.
In Carlotta in Northern California, the overflowing Fox Creek washed away part of a private road, stranding 15 families and leaving a nearly 20-foot gap where the road used to be, NBC station KIEM reported. By early Saturday morning the storm Friday dumped 1.38 inches on Sacramento International Airport, while 2 inches were seen in San Rafael north of San Francisco. San Francisco International Airport saw delays of up to 90 minutes and about 175 flights were canceled Friday as the rain swept through, The Associated Press reported.
In Brinnon, Washington, heavy rains caused flooding that swamped several homes, and a mudslide partially closed a road, NBC station KING 5 reported.
California’s Pacific Gas and Electricity Company reported that nearly 276,300 customers lost power during the storm, but by Saturday afternoon 86 percent of those customers had power restored, the utility said. The next rainfall was expected to hit Northern California Sunday, bringing between 2 to 5 inches of rain and wind gusts of up to 40 mph, forecasters at the Weather Channel said.
In the northeast, Boston could see up to a foot of snow from Sunday to Tuesday as a winter storm rolls through. New York could get freezing rain and up to 3 inches of snow, and Albany, Syracuse in New York and Hartford in Connecticut could see a foot of snow, according to the Weather Channel.
Parts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island may have seen record-breaking snowfalls over the last two weeks, the National Weather Service said Saturday. Boston has had 48.7 inches of snow over the last 14 days, Worcester, Massachusetts, saw a whopping 63.8 inches over the same period, and Providence, Rhode Island, has had 30.4 inches of snow over the last 14 days, the NWS said.
In the Rockies and parts of the Great Plains, it could be time to break out the summer wear: Temperatures are forecast for the 60s and 70s in some parts, the Weather Channel said.
IN-DEPTH
- Pineapple Express Lashes California With Rain and Floods
- Next Northeast Snowstorm Could Last Into Next Week
SOCIAL
— Phil Helsel
Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.
