Heavy rain, flooding and snow to inundate California over the holidays

By Karina Tsui, CNN

(CNN) — A dangerous sequence of storms from the Pacific Ocean is sweeping through Northern California and the Sierra Nevada Mountains –– prompting heavy flooding and road closures across parts of the region during the busy holiday travel season.

At least one person is dead after flash floods inundated Redding, roughly 150 miles north of Sacramento, according to Redding Mayor Mike Littau, who said police and fire crews carried out water rescues Sunday.

The mayor did not give further details on the fatality, and officials have not said how many water rescues were carried out.

Shasta County, where Redding is located, was hit particularly hard Sunday evening, with heavy rain flooding multiple roadways, including parts of Interstate 5, according to officials. A flash flood warning was in effect for Redding and other parts of the county Sunday night, according to the National Weather Service.

Redding police said they were responding to “numerous calls for stranded motorists” and urged drivers to avoid flooded streets.

Several lanes of Interstate 5 in one part of Redding were submerged Sunday, according to a photo shared by the California Highway Patrol on Facebook. Redding police also posted a photo on Instagram that showed cars driving on a road that was covered with water.

One man in Shasta County posted video of his son standing in the middle of a road flooded by a nearby creek. The man, Paul Mast, said they were on their way to a family Christmas gathering but had to turn around because floodwaters had washed out part of the road.

Shasta County and other parts of Northern California remain under a flood warning until midday Monday, while much of Central California is under a flood watch until Friday, according to the NWS.

Northern California will see its heaviest rainfall Monday and Tuesday – when up to 5 inches are expected across the Northern Sierra and 3 inches along the coastal regions, the NWS said Sunday. The region is under a level 3 of 4 risk of excessive rainfall through Tuesday morning, the NWS added in an update.

Flash flooding may also become a concern on the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains through Tuesday, the NWS warned, with landslides, rockfalls and mudslides possible.

Heavy snow is also forecast over the Sierras, where an additional 2 to 4 feet is expected – a stark contrast from the snow drought the Sierras are currently experiencing.

As of late Sunday, more than 1,000 customers were without power in California’s Sierra County – nearly a third of its customers, according to PowerOutage.US.

By late Tuesday, the threat of floods will move southward into central to southern California as another storm system begins to strengthen off the coast. Northern California faces “another surge of heavy precipitation” at that same time, with more expected later in the week, according to the NWS.

“This wet weather pattern shows no signs of letting up, with another round of heavy precipitation possible Christmas day into Friday for much of California,” the NWS said.

This story has been updated.

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CNN’s Sarah Dewberry, Danya Gainor and Meteorologist Allison Chinchar contributed to this report