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(CNN) A powerful Pacific storm moving inland on Tuesday is set to bring more rain, snow and destructive winds to California, which has brought a barrage of rain and snow in recent months. It is already flooded from at least a dozen atmospheric rivers.
The Central California coast will see several inches of precipitation, which will turn to snow as the moisture moves to the higher elevations in the state, according to the Weather Prediction Center. Up to 1 to 3 feet of snow could fall in northern coastal areas and Sierras by Wednesday.
More than 8 million people along the central coast are at risk of Level 2 of 4 mild excessive rainfall, creating an emerging threat of flash floods.
At this time of the year, this type of atmospheric river storm brings beneficial precipitation to the region. But given that California has already received unprecedented amounts of rain and snow for an extended period of time, the storms will exacerbate flooding problems, topple weakened trees, and add even more snow to already record levels. add.
The outlook for excessive rainfall in California on Tuesday puts more than 8 million people along its coast at a 2 out of 4 level of risk.
Cities like Oakland and Monterey are expected to see record rainfall in March by the end of this week.
National Weather Service meteorologist Roger Gass told CNN, “The storms so far have saturated the soil, causing trees to fall and more power outages.”
“Because of the impact of so many storm systems, roads are still closed in mountainous areas due to so many landslides and rockslides,” Gass said.
The effects of this storm are further complicated by high winds.
More than 10 million people were receiving wind alerts in California and Oregon as gusts of 45 to 55 mph are expected on Tuesday.
Due to high winds, parts of Northern California near Mt. Shasta can get 1-3 feet of snow, which can lead to near-whiteout conditions. A winter storm warning is in effect for the region and the rest of California through Wednesday.
A section of Interstate 5 from California to Oregon was closed Tuesday due to “severe winter conditions.” according to the tweet From the Oregon Department of Transportation.
Interstate 5 is closed from Redding, California to the border, ODOT said. Southbound traffic from Ashland, Oregon to the border is closed.
“This could be a long shutdown until conditions improve in California,” the agency said.
Amid rain and snow, much of California will hit highs in the 50s on Tuesday, with some areas likely to match or break single-day records.
Statewide, snow cover in California’s Sierra mountains is currently 228% of its normal amount for this time of year, and this storm will only increase that margin. The Southern Sierra especially reached record levels, while the Central Sierra could hit record levels by the end of winter.
Correction: An earlier version of this article misspelled the surname of NWS meteorologist Roger Gass.
CNN’s Andi Babineau contributed to this report.
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