Showers are currently drenching the central part of the country, leading to thunderstorms and localized heavy rainfall that is advancing through east Texas, southeast Oklahoma, and Arkansas. By Tuesday afternoon, over 2 inches of precipitation had already descended upon the area, resulting in the flooding of small creeks, low-lying areas, and certain underpasses in the Dallas vicinity. The rain is anticipated to cease or diminish in intensity. Concurrently, a storm system in the West is generating copious amounts of rain and snow in various regions of California, Oregon, and Washington. Coastal areas stretching from the Pacific Northwest to central California are projected to receive between 2 to 4 inches of rain, while the Sierra Nevada mountain range could accumulate up to a foot of snow. Alerts for winter weather conditions are still in place for the Sierra Nevada Mountains until Tuesday night.
Residents have been cautioned to steer clear of coastal areas due to the presence of “perilous and potentially life-threatening beach conditions,” including instances of coastal flooding, as reported by the Bay Area field office of the weather service. Notably, the Santa Cruz Wharf suffered a collapse on Monday due to intense storm surges, resulting in three individuals being swept into the ocean and sustaining minor injuries. Come Christmas Day, this weather system is expected to deliver snowfall to the Rocky Mountains as another storm system approaches the West Coast from the Pacific, ushering in additional bouts of heavy rain, gusty winds, and mountain snow from Wednesday night through Thursday.