Atmospheric river storm drenches California, snow piles high
Read full article: Atmospheric river storm drenches California, snow piles highAn atmospheric river storm pumped drenching rains into the heart of California on Thursday as blizzard conditions buried the Sierra Nevada in snow. (Andy Richard/Caltrans District 9 via AP)LOS ANGELES – Evacuations were ordered Thursday in wildfire burn areas prone to mudslides as an atmospheric river storm pumped drenching rain into Southern California while blizzard conditions buried the Sierra Nevada in snow. The system then dropped into Southern California, bringing threats of flash floods and debris flows to areas scorched by recent blazes. Scenic Highway 1 was closed near Big Sur after a section of the roadway collapsed when the cliffside below gave way amid torrential rain. The atmospheric river is part of a major change in weather for California, which had significant drought conditions for months.