Extreme Weather In US: Floods Impact 15 Million Californians, Northeast Expects Snowstorm

An atmospheric river is expected to hit California on Monday threatening more flooding and heavy rainfall as the Northeast prepares to get hit by a brutal nor'easter.

The forecast predicts rain will begin Monday evening across central and Northern California down to San Francisco. Los Angeles can expect to get hit will heavy rain starting Tuesday morning and by the evening, the entire state will have a chance of seeing rainfall.

Meanwhile, the mountains could experience up to two feet of snow, specifically in the Mammoth Lakes region.

The Weather Prediction Center has issued a moderate risk of excessive rainfall over parts of Northern California and southwestern Oregon through Tuesday morning. The outlook was also issued for central and Southern California through Wednesday morning.

Atmospheric rivers are long, narrow bands of moisture in the atmosphere that can transport saturated air thousands of miles. News of the atmospheric river comes as around 15 million people remain under flood watches in California and Nevada.

On the other side of the country, the National Weather Service expects a late winter nor'easter to hit the Northeast beginning Monday night, with snowfall totals greater than 12 inches in some areas.

A nor'easter occurs when a storm develops over the Atlantic nearly parallel to the East Coast. The storm is usually accompanied by heavy snow and strong winds.

Forecasters predict the storm will strengthen over the Northeast on Monday and deliver the heaviest snowfall across inland areas of the region. Wind gusts could reach up to 50 miles per hour by Tuesday night in eastern Long Island.

New York's Catskills and southern Adirondacks, the Berkshires and Worcester Hills in Massachusetts, Monadnocks and White Mountains in New Hampshire, and southern Green Mountains in Vermont can expect the greatest snowfalls.

The weather service predicts snow rates of two inches or more per hour with localized maximum totals of 24 to 30 inches. Minor coastal flooding and beach erosion may be possible through Wednesday as low-pressure stalls and deepens off the coast of New England.

The heavy snow rates combined with strong winds may result in dangerous to impossible travel conditions. The Weather Prediction Center said the Northeast could experience widespread power outages and tree damage.