California Storm With Feet Of Sierra Snow, Locally Flooding Rain Continues Through Thursday
- - California Storm With Feet Of Sierra Snow, Locally Flooding Rain Continues Through Thursday
Rob Shackelford February 17, 2026 at 4:20 AM
2
California's coldest storm of the season continues, and it will deliver feet of Sierra snow and locally flooding rain, but also much-needed replenishment to a western snowpack that is record low for this time of year from the Pacific Northwest to the Southern Rockies.
Storm Reports
The first round of rain and mountain snow hit the state Sunday into Monday. Parts of the coastal ranges of Northern and Central California as well as the Sierra foothills below snow level picked up 2 to 6 inches of rain, while parts of the L.A. Basin picked up 1 to 3 inches of rain.
That triggered flash flooding of some roads and stretches of freeways in Ventura and L.A. County, and debris flows, as well.
Rockslides and debris flows closed a stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway from south of Big Sur to north of San Simeon. A stretch of state route 27 in Topanga Canyon was also closed due to multiple slides. This included some areas burned by the catastrophic January 2025 wildfires. The city of L.A. issued evacuation warnings ahead of Monday's rain for areas in and near the burn areas.
Around midday Monday, several vehicles were stuck in floodwater at the McClure Tunnel to eastbound Interstate 10 in Santa Monica, and significant debris was reported on the 405 freeway in Long Beach near Cherry Avenue.
Severe thunderstorms Monday produced wind gusts to 81 mph in the Malibu Hills, significant wind damage in Ventura, and damaged the roof of a CalFire station in Tranquility, just west of Fresno.
Snow snarled traffic through the Sierra, including on Interstate 80 and U.S. 50, where traffic was held at times to allow crews to clear snow.
Happening Now
As the latest radar below shows, showers and mountain snow continue over much of the state, extending into parts of the Great Basin and Southwest.
Storm Timeline
- Tuesday: Another round of locally heavy rain and heavy mountain snow will spread from Northern California during the day to Southern California and the Sierra at night.
- Wednesday: There will be a bit of a lull, with just lingering showers and mainly lighter Sierra snow.
- Thursday: A similar scenario to Tuesday, with locally heavy rain and mountain snow quickly spreading south through the day, diminishing to showers late.
There should be a break Friday through Saturday, before another Pacific front arrives into Northern California Sunday into Monday.
(FORECAST: Bay Area | Los Angeles | San Diego)
Snow Alerts
Various winter alerts, including winter storm warnings, continue for much of California's high country, including the Sierra and Southern California mountains, as well as other parts of the Great Basin and Rockies, as shown below.
Feet, Not Just Inches
Feet of Sierra snow and some heavy snow in the Southern California mountains is likely this week. According to the National Weather Service, some Sierra snow totals could be as much as 5 to 8 feet.
Also, snow could fall at elevations as low as 750 feet in the Sierra foothills and other parts of Northern California.
Travel in this higher terrain will become increasingly challenging, if not impossible, with road closures likely at some point, including stretches of Interstate 80 over the Sierra and possibly the Grapevine (Interstate 5) connecting the L.A. Basin to the San Joaquin Valley.
Despite the travel challenge, this boost in Sierra snowpack is needed, as it's currently running only about 53% of average for this time of the year, according to the California Department of Water Resources.
Flood Threat Lingers
More locally heavy rain is likely through Thursday in coastal and Southern California, as well as the Sierra foothills below snow level, in the areas of the darker green and yellow contours in the map below.
This additional soaking rainfall will likely trigger more land and rock slides, especially across burn scars.
It will also lead to more flash flooding, particularly in urban areas from the Bay Area to the L.A. Basin.
Why The Change This Week?
Most of the winter has seen the jet stream riding well north into western Canada, then plunging southward into the East. This pattern leads to less rainfall and warmer temperatures out West.
The graphic below shows what's happening now. The jet stream is taking its sharp southward plunge into the West, leading to cooler temperatures and an influx of much-needed rain and snow.
Why Snowpack Matters
The snowpack across the West isn’t just for skiers and snowboarders. It also helps provide a freshwater source to the West in the drier months.
This is why the lack of snowfall has been so concerning. The West is dependent on snow, which they haven't been seeing.
USDA/NRCS
According to the National Resources Conservation Service, dozens of locations from Colorado and Utah to the Pacific Northwest have snowpack that is lowest at this time of year in at least a decade or more.
Colorado Snow Survey Products
Rob Shackelford is a meteorologist and climate scientist at weather.com. He received his undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of Georgia studying meteorology and experimenting with alternative hurricane forecasting tools.
Source: “AOL Breaking”
