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The second bomb cyclone to hit California in a week is buffeting the state after two rapidly intensifying storms combined off the West Coast on Monday.

Threat level: This "dynamic" storm combo that's set to continue through Wednesday includes a low pressure area rotating south from the Gulf of Alaska and subtropical moisture moving east.

Unlike last week's damaging and deadly storm, this one is reaching its peak intensity over the ocean, rather than making landfall in the Bay Area. The low will gradually weaken as it slides south through midweek. 

State of play: Winter storm warnings were in effect in the mountains as the latest bomb cyclone associated with an atmospheric river is bringing additional rounds of heavy rain, mountain snow of 1 to 5 feet, and high winds to California from Tuesday morning through Wednesday — particularly in Northern and Central California.

Officials in Placer County, which includes the Greater Sacramento metropolitan area, reported Tuesday that "heavy winds have brought down trees and power lines throughout the county and caused multiple power outages."

The National Weather Service's Bay Area office, located in a region that got slammed in last week's deadly storm, began issuing flood advisories as rain moved in Tuesday morning. 

Wind gusts of up to 55 mph were possible in the San Francisco Bay Area, and officials warned it's likely to bring more tree damage and power outages.

Photo: NOAA's Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies via Twitter

"Very heavy snow is forecast for higher elevations of the northern coastal ranges and Sierra through Tuesday," per the NWS, with the possibility of 1 to 3 inches of snowfall per hour.

The weather service's Sacramento office noted Monday evening that precipitation was spreading inland and "will continue through Wednesday," with the heaviest rain and snow amount expected overnight through Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Southern California was not projected to have rain until Wednesday.

"This upcoming storm is looking to be generally weaker than past storms of this winter, except for a slight chance of thunderstorms late Wednesday-Thursday," per the NWS' Los Angeles office.

About 4-8 inches of snow are expected at elevations above 5,000 feet, and about 8-14 inches are forecast for the San Gabriel Mountains.

By the numbers: More than 22,000 customers in the state were without power on Tuesday night, mostly in Monterey County, according to poweroutage.us.

What we're watching: With a record snowpack already in the central and southern Sierras, the state is headed for an all-time record on April 1, the typical seasonal peak.

A screenshot of an NWS Sacramento tweet saying: 'Significant snow impacts tonight - Wed with snow rates of 1-3 inches/hour at times on Tue.   🚧 Expect disruptions to daily life including dangerous/impossible driving conditions with road closures and near whiteout conditions at times. AVOID TRAVEL DURING THIS TIME!"

Photo: National Weather Service Sacramento/Twitter

Go deeper: California's looming snowmelt to resurrect lost Tulare Lake

Editor's note: This article has been updated with additional details throughout.

California's looming snowmelt to resurrect lost Tulare Lake

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Bomb cyclone brings more heavy rains and snow to California

The "dynamic" storm is lashing parts of the state.

People ski past a snowbank along a roadway as snow falls in the Sierra Nevada mountains from yet another storm in Mammoth Lakes, California, on Tuesday. Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed legislation Tuesday that's designed to stop gasoline price gouging, which his office hailed as "the strongest state-level oversight and accountability measures on Big Oil in the nation."

The big picture: The bill that passed in the state Assembly on Monday comes months after Newsom signed sweeping legislation to combat climate change that included new reporting requirements for oil refiners and measures to protect neighborhoods and schools from oil drilling.

Details: This latest legislation would create "a dedicated, day-in and day-out, independent watchdog to root out price gouging by oil companies and authorizes the California Energy Commission (CEC) to create a penalty to hold the industry accountable," according to a statement from the California governor's office.

Of note: Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains, whose district includes the oil-producing area Kern County, was the only Democrat to vote against the measure to cap oil companies' profits, per AP.

What they're saying: "We proved we can actually beat big oil," Newsom said during a signing ceremony at the state Capitol in Sacramento.

"With this legislation, we're ending the oil industry’s days of operating in the shadows. California took on Big Oil and won. We're not only protecting families, we’re also loosening the vice grip Big Oil has had on our politics for the last 100 years."

The other side: Kevin Slagle, a spokesperson for the Western States Petroleum Association, the main lobbyist for the industry in Sacramento, said in a statement to Politico that "the governor has put this industry in the crosshairs" for several years.

"With a supermajority and the ability of governors to pull levers with legislators, it’s a tough policy environment for us for sure," Slagle added.

What's next: The law is due to go into effect on June 26.

California takes aim at Big Oil with new price gouging law

"We proved we can actually beat big oil," Newsom said during a signing ceremony in the state Capitol today.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom after signing legislation to implement the strongest state-level oversight and accountability measures on Big Oil in the nation.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom during a signing ceremony on legislation that implements state-level measures to hold the oil industry accountable at the state Capitol in Sacramento on Tuesday. Photo: Office of the Governor of California

Big Oil

President Biden has made the COVID-19 crisis and a post-Trump return to national unity and traditional democratic ideals his top priorities. From vaccinations to stimulus to schools, Biden is seeking bipartisan compromise while showing a willingness to use executive authority and bare Democratic majorities in the U.S. House and Senate to implement his policies. Republican leaders are navigating deep party divisions over if and how to move beyond former President Trump.

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California's blockbuster wet season, with another powerful bomb cyclone currently swirling off the coast, has built up a near-record-large Sierra Nevada mountain snowpack.

Why it matters: While this snow has many benefits, including replenishing depleted reservoirs, it is creating damaging floods that are sure to worsen.

An area of significant concern for the melt season is associated with the southern Sierra snowpack, which drains into the San Joaquin Valley.

It is there that county officials and landowners are already being forced to make agonizing decisions about which lands to flood and which to keep dry — and disputes are breaking out between landowners.

The big picture: When the state's formal snow survey takes place on April 1, typically the peak for the season, California is likely to set an all-time record for the largest snowpack. This is measured by how much water it contains, known as snow water equivalent.

As of Monday, the state's snowpack had an average snow water equivalent of 58.2 inches, official data shows. This was 227% of the April 1 average.

The departure from average is highest throughout the Southern Sierra, which had an average snow water equivalent of 60.5 inches. That was 283% of the April 1 average.

This is a red flag: farmers, ranchers and residents living downstream are at serious risk of flooding once snowmelt begins in earnest.

This is especially the case if there is a rapid melt due to a mild storm that brings more rain than snow, or a heat wave occurs that speeds up melt rates.

2022-2023 Southern Sierra Nevada average snow water equivalent

Data: California Department of Water Resources; Note: Linear interpolation used for Feb. 29 in non-leap years; Chart: Madison Dong/Axios Visuals

Zoom in: Already, Mother Nature has moved to reclaim what once was hers: Tulare Lake. At one time, this was the largest body of freshwater west of the Mississippi River.

Human intervention in the form of levees and dams diverted its source waters, including the Kings, St. John's and Tule Rivers.

The last time the lake re-established itself was in 1982-83, which is also the previous snowpack record-holder.

The lake covered 82,000 acres that year, per the L.A. Times.

Threat level: Already this year, thousands of acres have flooded — inundating farmlands producing tomatoes, cotton, alfalfa, pistachios and more — and threatening livelihoods.

Depending on how extensive they are, the floods could affect food prices given California’s role as the country's top agricultural-producing state.

How rapidly the snow melts will be a key determinant of how severe the flooding gets.

Regardless of the rate of snowmelt, this region is likely to see a long-lasting battle with water, completing the area’s dizzying lurch from drought to flood.

Towns including Tulare, Alpaugh, Allensworth and Corcoran, are among those most at risk.

What they're saying: Daniel Swain, a UCLA climate scientist, said in a YouTube storm briefing Monday that the nature of landownership in the Joaquin River Basin makes the area more vulnerable to flooding.

"There's some very powerful agricultural interests who essentially because of the nature of the land ownership, have a certain amount of power in terms of engaging in unilateral actions that might actually harm adjacent communities," he said, noting that some are trying to influence who floods first.

"Unfortunately, the reality is all of these areas are likely going to flood eventually this spring as the flooding continues to worsen."

Swain said it is the low-income and farm-worker communities that are most at risk from floods, though floodwaters could eventually spread into larger population centers.

"There is more and more water pouring into the Tulare Lake Basin and that water is not going to be leaving the basin for the foreseeable future."

Context: Studies, including work that Swain has been involved in, show that climate change raises the odds of California weather whiplash events, from drought to flooding and back again.

This is noteworthy, since the state was already known for its feast or famine precipitation regime.

Climate change is also worsening extreme precipitation events.

Tulare Lake, once the largest freshwater body west of the Mississippi, is making a comeback.

Image of floodwaters in California that are flooding agricultural land at sunset.

In an aerial view, farms near the Tule River near Corcoran, Calif., are submerged on March 23. Photo: David McNew/Getty Images

Flooding

With residents of Mississippi and portions of Alabama reeling from the damage sustained during Friday night's deadly tornado outbreak, more severe weather is occurring across the Southeast. 

The big picture: The National Weather Service issued a rare high-risk outlook for excessive rainfall in Alabama and Georgia through Monday morning, including parts of Atlanta, and warned of potentially catastrophic flooding in these areas. Parts of Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana also faced the threat of tornadoes overnight.

There's a moderate risk of severe weather from central Louisiana east through south-central Mississippi and central Alabama, "where supercell thunderstorms may produce a few strong tornadoes and very large hail," the NWS said in a weather discussion on Monday morning.

This is a level 4 out of 5 on the storm threat scale.

By the numbers: More than 2.7 million people live in the excessive rainfall high-risk area, including parts of metro Atlanta.

Threat level: The SPC said on Monday morning that the severe threat of tornadoes in the region had "diminished somewhat." 

A screenshot of an NWS tweet warning of potentially "catastrophic" localized flooding in Alabama and Georgia.

Photo: National Weather Service Atlanta/NWS Weather Prediction Center/Twitter

State of play: At least one tornado caused damage in Georgia on Sunday morning, per a storm report to the SPC. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) declared a state of emergency.

Hail larger than two inches was reported in the Jackson-area of Mississippi Sunday evening.

Forecasters warned wind shear, which refers to winds blowing in different directions and/or speed with height, would  be maximized as storms moved into Mississippi and Alabama later on Sunday. This is a key ingredient for tornado formation that was in abundance on Friday night. 

Yes, but: The key difference from this storm threat is the affected region is farther south than some of the hardest-hit communities from Friday's deadly event.

Communities in the region with the highest risk for tornadoes Sunday included Jackson and Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Auburn, Alabama, and Alexandria, Louisiana.

Of note: The long-lived, devastating tornado that caused extreme damage in communities such as Rolling Fork and Silver City, Mississippi, on Friday night has received a preliminary intensity rating of EF-4, with winds of between 166 mph to 200 mph. 

That tornado had a path length of at least 59 miles, lasting for 1 hour and 10 minutes, according to the NWS. It was three-quarters of a mile wide, based on the preliminary storm damage survey conducted Saturday. 

More surveys were under way Sunday, but the full path length of the supercell thunderstorm that spawned the single or multiple tornadoes appears to have traveled at least 100 miles.

Zoom out: President Biden approved a federal disaster declaration on Saturday for Mississippi, which speeds the release of government aid to the state.

"There's still a lot of damage out there. There's a lot of work to be done at this point," Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) said of recovery efforts at a press briefing Sunday, noting that federal, state, and local officials were presenting a "united front" to address the situation.

Reeves said while the state was prepared for more severe weather Sunday, several areas faced "significant risks."

Rolling Fork Mayor Eldridge Walker at the briefing thanked volunteers for their work, observing that some came from as far away as Arkansas, Tennessee and Louisiana, as he vowed the city would come back "bigger and better than ever before."

A screenshot of a Tweet by Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, stating "The devastation here in Rolling Fork is heartbreaking.  Thankful to our federal partners for being here on the ground to see the impact of this tornado.  The character and generosity of Mississippians is on full display with the countless volunteers and donations being offered."

Photo: Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves/Twitter

Context: Tornadoes are more common in the South and Southeast during March than in the Plains states, known informally as "Dixie Alley." 

Warmer than average ocean temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico and any lingering atmospheric effects from a recently diminished La Niña event could be aggravating factors in increasing storm risks.

La Niña is known to bring more weather disturbances to the region during spring. The landmark tornado outbreaks in April 2011 occurred during a La Niña spring. 

Milder than average ocean temperatures add to the atmospheric moisture, and therefore energy, available for severe thunderstorms in the South and Southeast. 

Editor's note: This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

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Southeast faces severe flooding risk as more tornadoes threaten Mississippi

Additional "strong tornadoes" are possible Sunday in a region hit hard Friday night.

A man sits among damage from an EF-4 tornado in Rolling Fork, Miss., on March 25. Photo: Will Newton/Getty Images

Tornadoes

Dozens of people were killed and homes were destroyed as tornadoes spiraled through parts of Mississippi and Alabama on Friday night.

The big picture: More tornados are expected to hit Mississippi, Alabama and other Southern states Sunday, Axios' Andrew Freedman reports.

Zoom in: In Mississippi, the rural towns of Silver City and Rolling Fork in the southwest and Amory in the northeast all sustained significant tornado damage Friday.

The NWS preliminary damage survey found the tornadoes that struck Rolling Fork and Silver City were about 3/4 a mile wide and lasted for over an hour. It was given a rating of EF-4 — the second highest.

In Amory, businesses and infrastructure were significantly damaged or destroyed.

Aerial view of Rolling Fork, Mississippi before tornado damage. 

An aerial view of Rolling Fork, Miss., from July 13, 2020. Photo: Planet Labs PBC; National Agriculture Imagery Program imagery courtesy of the USDA Farm Service Agency

Aerial view of Rolling Fork, Mississippi after tornado damage.

An aerial view of Rolling Fork, Miss., after tornado damage on March 25. Photo: Planet Labs PBC; National Agriculture Imagery Program imagery courtesy of the USDA Farm Service Agency

Aerial view of homes in Rolling Fork, Mississippi before a tornado. 

Satellite image of homes in Rolling Fork, Mississippi after a tornado. 

Satellite image of homes and businesses in Rolling Fork, Mississippi. 

Satellite image of homes in Rolling Fork, Mississippi after tornado. 

An aerial view showing the damage from a series of powerful storms and at least one tornado is seen on March 25 in Rolling Fork, Miss. Photo: Will Newton/Getty Images

Tornado damage to infrastructure and people walking.

Workers and community members assess and clear damage on March 25 in Rolling Fork, Miss. Photo: Will Newton/Getty Images

Workers clear damage from a series of powerful storms and a tornado in Rolling Fork, Mississippi.

Workers clear the damage on March 25 in Rolling Fork, Miss. Photo: Will Newton/Getty Images

Woman look at the storm and tornado damage and debris. 

Kenterica Sardin on March 25 looks on from her damaged home after the storms and tornado in Rolling Fork, Miss. Photo: Will Newton/Getty Images

A man repairs a window on his home in Rolling Fork, Mississippi after storms and a tornado.

Eddie Jones repairs a window on his damaged house in Rolling Fork, Miss., after a tornado touched down in the area on March 25. Photo: Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images

The remains of crushed house and cars are seen in Rolling Fork, Mississippi after a tornado touched down in the area.

The remains of a crushed house and cars are seen in Rolling Fork, Miss., on March 25. Photo: Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images

Aerial view of a destroyed neighborhood in Rolling Fork, Miss., after a tornado touched down in the area March 25. Photo: Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images

Aerial view of tornado damage to homes in Rolling Fork, Mississippi. 

Aerial view of a destroyed neighborhood in Rolling Fork, Miss. Photo: Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images

Community members work to distribute water after damage from a series of powerful storms and at least one tornado in Rolling Fork, Mississippi. 

Community members work to distribute water after damage from a series of powerful storms and a tornado on March 25, in Rolling Fork, Miss. Photo: Will Newton/Getty Images

A man fist bumps a person sheltering inside a makeshift clinic and relief center in Rolling Fork, Mississippi after a tornado.

A man fist bumps a person inside a makeshift clinic and relief center in Rolling Fork, Miss., on March 25. Photo: Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images

tornadoes spiraled through parts of Mississippi and Alabama

In photos: Mississippi town destroyed by deadly tornado

The rural towns of Silver City and Rolling Fork in the southwest and Amory in the northeast all sustained significant tornado damage.

A man on March 25 sits among debris and damage caused by a tornado that tore through Mississippi. Photo: Fatih Aktas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Deadly and destructive tornadoes spiraled through parts of Mississippi and Alabama overnight Friday, killing at least 26 people, injuring dozens, and destroying homes and towns.

The latest: The National Weather Service said Saturday that the deadly tornado which struck the small towns of Rolling Fork and Silver City in southwest Mississippi has been given a preliminary rating of EF-4 -- the second highest. 

An EF-4 rating comes from the Enhanced Fujita scale, which categorizes tornados from 0 to 5, with 5 being the most catastrophic damage. EF-4 tornados have wind speeds between 166 to 200 mph.

In a tweet, the agency added that the tornado traveled 59 miles, beginning in Issaquena County and moving northeast toward Holmes County. 

The tornado was approximately 3/4 a mile wide and lasted for over an hour. 

Four other tornadoes that hit rural areas across northern Mississippi were given preliminary ratings of EF-1. A rating has not been given to the tornado which struck Amory, Mississippi.

Details: The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) confirmed 25 deaths and dozens of injuries Saturday afternoon. Four people previously missing have been accounted for, though there was no information given on their conditions. 

Deaths were reported across multiple counties, including Humphreys, Carroll, Monroe, and Sharkey, according to local news reports. Sharkey County Coroner Angelia Easton told ABC News that 13 people were killed in the storm. Rolling Fork is located in Sharkey County.

In Morgan County, Alabama, a man died after his mobile home overturned during a tornado, the sheriff's office said in a tweet. 

Video footage and photos captured the damage. One video showed extensive damage to Silver City, Mississippi, from the "large and extremely dangerous" tornado.

A view of the damage after a tornado tore through Mississippi on March 25, 2023. (Photo by Fatih Aktas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Zoom in:  Silver City and Rolling Fork, both rural towns in the southwest, and Amory in the northeast, all sustained significant tornado damage.

After striking Rolling Fork, radar imagery showed tornado debris carried to 25,000 feet, raining down on towns miles ahead of the storm in an indication of the tornado’s intensity.

"Looking to my left and looking to my right, all I see is devastated buildings, flat grounds where physical buildings used to stand," Walker Eldridge, mayor of Rolling Fork, a town in southwest Mississippi decimated by a wedge tornado, told Fox News. "It's a terrible situation here."

In northeast Mississippi, WTVA meteorologist Matt Laubhan uttered a prayer, "Dear Jesus, please help them. Amen," during a live broadcast after a radar update showed a significant debris ball as the storm moved toward Amory.

Shortly after the storm hit, several storm spotters who tracked the tornado took to Twitter to appeal for people to hurry to Rolling Fork and Silver City to help with rescue efforts.

In Amory, the National Guard Armory, an Exxon gas station, and several other businesses were significantly damaged or destroyed. Damage was also reported at the local high school, and to homes throughout the town of around 6,500. 

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) declared a state of emergency in the counties impacted by the tornadoes, saying the state will "marshal every available resource on behalf of our neighbors in need. We’re here for the long haul."

Reeves said Saturday afternoon "the scale of the damage and loss is evident everywhere affected today. Homes, businesses … entire communities."

President Biden also issued a major disaster declaration for the impacted areas on Saturday, allowing residents and business owners access to federal aid.

What they're saying: Biden issued a statement Saturday expressing his condolences and called images from Mississippi "heartbreaking."

"While we are still assessing the full extent of the damage, we know that many of our fellow Americans are not only grieving for family and friends, they’ve lost their homes and businesses."

Reeves confirmed he spoke with Biden, adding that "the flood of support from governors, businesses, charities, and federal admin has been tremendous—matches the community here on the ground."

Of note: Multiple tornado emergencies were issued last night, the most dire tornado alert issued by the NWS. A tornado emergency alert indicates a confirmed, ongoing tornado is hitting, or will soon hit, a populated area.

Nighttime tornadoes are deadlier than those that strike during the day, in part because people are less attuned to sources for tornado warnings. 

Multiple risk factors scientists have been warning about for years combined last night to create this unfolding disaster.

Rural Mississippi has a high concentration of mobile homes, which can sustain serious damage even during weak tornadoes. 

A view of damage after a tornado tore through Mississippi on March 25, 2023. (Photo by Fatih Aktas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Editor's note: This story has been updated throughout to include new details and photos.

"Terrible situation" unfolds in Mississippi after violent tornado outbreak

At least 25 people died in Mississippi and 1 in Alabama as a result of the storms, with the small towns of Rolling Fork, Silver City, and Amory sustaining the most damage.

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