Heavy rain and flash flooding already led to water rescues and at least one death in Northern California, local officials said. Shasta County Sheriff Michael L. Johnson on Monday declared a state of emergency to prepare for more rain and allow the state to help with hazard mitigation and search and rescue operations.

Another round of heavy snow and scattered showers is expected Friday in Northern California as tens of thousands of people across the state remain without power.

At the Pacoima Wash in San Fernando, a person called 911 to report seeing a woman in the fast-moving waters, the Los Angeles Fire Department said. Crews were using markers to try to find the woman, who was wearing all black and traveling at 25 miles per hour in three feet of water. They did not find her.

An emphasis has been placed on burn scar areas that are more susceptible to flooding, mudslides and debris flows.

Forecasters measured 4.52 inches of rain at the Santa Barbara Airport on Christmas, beating the previous record of 2.17 inches set in 1955.

On Friday at 11:44 a.m. the NWS Sacramento CA issued a winter storm warning in effect until 10 p.m. The warning is for Shasta Lake and Mountains Southwestern Shasta County to Western Colusa County as well as Shasta County.

The potential for flooding remains high because parts of the ground remain heavily saturated. Weather officials warn that rainfall will quickly turn into runoff.

A powerful atmospheric river batters California with floods, mudslides, and outages as Gov. Newsom declares emergency in multiple counties.

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued "life-threatening" flash flood warnings for parts of Southern California. Newsweek's live blog is closed.

The the region's latest atmospheric storm dumped 6 inches of rain in the Los Angeles area with up to 18 inches of rain in the mountains.

Police and animal services in California came to the rescue of a horse that escaped home and went running through a road during a winter storm.

Chain controls have been in effect on both Highway 50 and Interstate 80 in the Sierra since Wednesday and remain up as of Friday morning. Drivers were urged to avoid traveling up the mountain for the time being.