Atmospheric river lashes California with heavy rain and wind

While rain pounds Southern California, heavy snow is burying some of the state's mountains. Winter storm alerts are in effect through Tuesday afternoon for portions of the Sierra Nevada and Southern California’s mountain ranges.  

Parts of the Sierras have already recorded more than two feet of snow this week with several more inches to come into Tuesday.  

In Southern California, the heaviest snow will target the highest elevations of the San Gabriel, Ventura County and San Bernardino mountains through Tuesday. Several feet of snow may bury these ranges by the storm’s end, mainly above pass level.

Heavy, wet snow will still reach pass level for some travelers and pose “very difficult-to-impossible” conditions, according to the National Weather Service. 

The snow is necessary for California’s snowpack, which has been beleaguered by warmth and storms that have brought more rain than snow. This winter’s snowpack was just 52% of average for this time of year as of Tuesday, according to the latest survey conducted by the state’s Department of Water Resources.

Snowpack is a vital water source, and the survey helps California to forecast how much water will be available for the rest of the year. 

A deluge of rain from a long-lasting atmospheric river has caused “significant” flooding on canyon roads in Malibu resulting in road closures, Mayor Steve Uhring said in an email to CNN, adding the city is also bracing itself for "significant" beach erosion.

"Rain in Malibu all day. All north south Canyon routes from Malibu are closed or listed as hazardous," he wrote. 

Malibu has been identified as a high-risk flash flood zone, according to Uhring, and residents are being advised to "stay home and avoid the hazardous roads – rock and mud slides, flooding and dark traffic signals."

All Malibu schools were closed on Monday due to the road closures in place and the inability for some staff to get to school. Pepperdine University in Malibu also canceled in-person classes and events Monday, they announced on X.

This post has been updated with Pepperdine's cancelations.

A powerful atmospheric river-fueled storm is moving at an agonizingly slow pace across Southern California, directing a firehose of moisture at deluged cities for hours at a time. 

Downtown Los Angeles has picked up 5.96 inches of rain since Sunday — well above what it typically receives in the entire month of February.

The worst of the storm’s rainfall will slowly shift south throughout the day. Los Angeles will bear the brunt of the storm early Monday, but the threat will shift to the San Diego area by the evening.  

Here's what to know:

Many victims of the massive storms now battering Southern California about are to be hit with another heartbreak — discovering their insurance won’t cover the damage.

The typical homeowners’ policy won’t cover loss from flood damage. That is covered by the National Flood Insurance Program, a part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. But in California, where drought, not flooding, had been the more common problem until recently, homeowners are about as prepared for flood damage as hurricane-prone Florida residents are for earthquakes.

A look at the numbers: Data from NFIP shows only 52,400 homes and businesses are covered by flood insurance in the eight Southern California counties declared a disaster area because of this storm.

That’s less than 1% of 7.7 million households in the affected area with coverage. Those counties have a combined population of more than 22.6 million people, according to the latest estimates from the Census Bureau.

Los Angeles County, with more than 10 million residents, has only 14,600 flood insurance policies in force. That’s roughly the same number as Lee County, Florida, which includes Fort Myers, and has fewer than 1 million residents.

Commuters trying to move around downtown Los Angeles on Monday morning might need their rain boots.

Sandy Eckel said she was glad she had hers, and took this photo after getting off the A Line train at Union Station at 6:34 a.m. local time (9:34 a.m. EST).

Eckel said she saw a large team of people bailing out the water from the station.

In numerous posts on X, LA Metro Rider Alerts also warned commuters to leave extra time for their travel, as numerous bus lines were making detours Monday morning because of downed trees and flooding.

Rainfall fueled by a powerful atmospheric river is drenching Southern California, sending totals skyrocketing.

Here's a look at the highest rainfall totals in the state since Sunday morning:

Downtown Los Angeles has picked up 5.96 inches of rain since Sunday — well above what it typically receives in the entire month of February.

All Malibu schools are closed Monday due to road closures from the severe weather and the inability for some staff to get to schools, the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District announced on X.

The district noted its Santa Monica schools remain open. The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District serves 8,700 students between the two coastal communities.

A powerful atmospheric river-fueled storm is moving at an agonizingly slow pace across Southern California, directing a firehose of moisture at deluged cities for hours at a time.  

Storms normally track across the US from west to east at a steady pace, but a feature in the atmosphere well above the surface is standing in this storm's way, causing it to get stuck over Southern California. With nowhere to go, the storm continues to tap into the tropical moisture in the atmospheric river, increasing the heavy rain and flood threat.

The storm’s slow pace is very bad news for the region, as the longer rain lingers, the worse the flooding will likely become. 

Some Southern California cities may see rain for 48 consecutive hours. It’s been raining in Los Angeles nonstop since early Sunday afternoon, with rain likely to continue at varying intensities through Tuesday before becoming showery in nature.

Continuous rainfall — even if it isn’t heavy – increases the risk of flooding by overwhelming soaked soils and causing rivers and streams to rise with almost no opportunity to recede.

A considerable flood threat is unfolding across Southern California as gushing rainfall from an atmospheric river-fueled storm targets the region. The storm unloaded record rainfall Sunday over the Los Angeles area and slammed the state’s coast with violent, damaging winds. 

But while the worst of the storm’s winds have ended, its torrential rainfall remains a considerable threat into Tuesday.

Here's a rundown of what to expect today: