A rare tornado warning was issued for Shelter Cove as high winds downed trees and power lines, leaving nearly 2,000 people without power, and prompted road closures in Humboldt County on Saturday, January 3, 2026.
Record-breaking King Tides struck the San Francisco Bay Area and parts of the Northern California coast on Friday and Saturday, January 2-3, 2026, causing widespread coastal flooding across multiple counties. Tide gauges across the region recorded water levels up to 0.76 m (2.5 feet) above normal, breaking multiple records and prompting road closures, flood warnings, and emergency advisories.
An atmospheric river made landfall over California during the afternoon of January 2, 2026. Heavy precipitation and mountain snow are forecast through early next week across central and northern California.
A surge of Arctic air, reinforced lake-effect snowfall, and an atmospheric river are forecast to affect large portions of the United States from December 31, 2025, into January 2, 2026. Heavy snow is expected downwind of the Great Lakes and across parts of the Northeast, while southern California faces a flash flood risk as an atmospheric river moves onshore around New Year’s Day.
Heavy rain and snow are forecast across California and Sierra Nevada through January 4, 2026. The first wave will target southern California with subtropical moisture, followed by a stronger system forecast to bring heavy rain and snowfall across central and northern regions of the state.
Evacuation warnings were issued for Los Angeles County, California for multiple burn scars across the region as an atmospheric river brings in the threat of flash floods and debris flows through New Year’s Day.
A surge of subtropical moisture is forecast to bring moderate to heavy rain to southern and central California on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, with rain spreading north on Thursday, January 1, 2026. A stronger system with a re-intensified atmospheric river is expected to make landfall early Friday, January 2, bringing heavier precipitation along the northern and central California coast.
A high-pressure natural gas transmission pipeline ruptured near Ridge Route Road and Pine Crest Place in Castaic, Los Angeles County, at about 16:20 LT on December 27, 2025 (00:20 UTC on December 28), prompting a shelter-in-place advisory and a full closure of Interstate 5 until about 21:00 LT. SoCalGas confirmed its crews isolated the damaged section, stopped the leak, and reported no ignition or explosion.
The NWS Weather Prediction Center has issued a rare High Risk (level 4/4) for excessive rainfall across Southern California from Wednesday, December 24, through the morning of Thursday, December 25. 2025.
Extremely dangerous marine conditions are developing across Northern and Central California waters this week, the National Weather Service (NWS) San Francisco Bay Area warned on Tuesday, December 23, 2025. Storm Force winds are forecast across the coastal waters with Gale Force winds extending into San Francisco and Monterey bays beginning Tuesday morning. Seas are expected to build to near 6 m (20 feet) under the strongest winds, posing life-threatening conditions for mariners.
