California braces for further extreme weather and storms: Live updates

As Californians brace themselves for the next one, here’s a look at the phenomenon:

See the below updated National Weath Service (NWS) forecast for the Los Angeles County area:

Today (Saturday) is the start of several days of wet weather for the region.

A 521 dam low pressure system currently about 1000 miles west of Seattle will continue to funnel high clouds over the region, making for a partly to mostly cloudy day today.

The cold front associated with this system will move across the area today, with a slight chance of rain starting as early as dawn this morning for the Central Coast. This system will move through the area this afternoon through tonight, with the rain tapering off as it moves through Ventura and into L.A.

Counties. Rainfall totals will be around 0.25 to 0.50 inches for western San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties with amounts nearing 1 to 1.5 inches for the Santa Lucias and other south facing slopes.

Across Ventura and L.A. Counties, rainfall totals through Sunday morning are expected to be less than 0.10 inches, with a majority of L.A. County having the potential for no rain whatsoever for this first front.

In terms of winds with this front, models seem to be less than enthused with the speeds, with sub-advisory southerly winds at best.

Forecasters warned that there was a slight risk of excessive rainfall that could lead to flash flooding on Saturday from Humboldt to Sonoma counties, the heart of California wine country.

A rate of 1-2 inches of rainfall per hour was possible, the National Weather said in its latest briefing.

The region was struck by torrential downpours during an atmospheric river-driven event which led to flooding earlier this month.

And in January, about 13,000 residents of a flood-prone area of Sonoma County were evacuated after the swollen Russian River threatened to burst its banks.

California was previously battered by similar weather systems, during which nine people were killed, and billions of dollars worth of damage was incurred.

US safety investigators are looking into what caused last week’s helicopter crash that killed the CEO of one of Nigeria’s largest banks and five others.

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Forecasters from the National Weather Service (NWS) expect Saturday’s system to be lighter but to act as a “primer” for the next storm.

Any rain that falls will make it harder for the ground to absorb rain during the next one, increasing the risk of flooding, they said.

Community organisers say that contact with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) has been difficult, exacerbated by the fact that many seeking shelter do not have phones or internet access.

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More heavy snow is on the way for the Sierra Nevada, Shasta and Trinity mountains on Saturday night as the atmospheric river system moves inland, the National Weather Service said.

A total of 1-2 feet of snow are possible over the Sierra this weekendm while 1-3 feet is likely over the Trinity and Shasta Mountains.

A winter weather advisory is in place for the region around Lake Tahoe in northern California.