An atmospheric river was set to begin pummeling Southern California with heavy rain on Thursday, prompting evacuations and school closures as officials warned about life-threatening flooding and mudslides in areas charred by the wildfires that broke out across the region last month.
The evacuation warnings and orders were active in Los Angeles, Ventura and Orange counties, as well as in several communities along the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains in San Bernardino County. In Santa Barbara, people living in at-risk areas were told to leave by 3 p.m. Wednesday.
Torrential downpours were not the only weather threat. Up to 6 feet of snow is expected to blanket California’s mountains, while high winds have begun to knock out power and pile up disruptions at airports…