winds have really picked up in Northern California, in fact materialized every bit as strong as expected, with gust over 90 mph being recorded in hills and on the coast, with frequent gusts 55-75 mph at lower elevations, all the way from the SLO and western Santa Barbara County coast north to southern Mendocino into the Central Valley,” said Daniel Swain, a UCLA climate scientist.

The National Weather Service in Sacramento is cautioning that wind and rain will continue Sunday evening, with gusts of up to 25 mph continuing through around 6 a.m. Monday.

Strong wind gusts will continue overnight and slowly begin to lessen Monday morning. Widespread power outages and downed trees have been reported and continue to be possible tonight so please exercise caution if traveling in these conditions #Cawxpic.twitter.com/1ErbHtDGjI

— NWS Sacramento (@NWSSacramento) February 5, 2024

Powerful storm generating high winds and will likely produce heavy rains through the evening as bands of convective showers move inland. #cawxpic.twitter.com/NcB7LwwSkH

— NWS Sacramento (@NWSSacramento) February 5, 2024

Swain said that the western Sacramento Valley, especially in Yolo County from Dixon north through Woodland and as far as Colusa, could see some of the heaviest rain and wind this evening.

“This will probably be the last gasp but it’s a strong one and may be the strongest of the storm in total,” he said.

As of 8:30 p.m, 157,800 customers were without power in Sacramento County, with 7,800 out in Yolo, 39,000 in Placer and 9,600 in El Dorado, according to PowerOutage.us. Swain said every customer account is around two to three people, meaning around a half million people in the four-county region could be without power Sunday evening.

The SMUD website was down much of the day Sunday, with the utility asking customers to “please use the guest mode feature in the SMUD app” to track outages.

The California Independent System Operator, which operates the majority of the state’s power grid, declared a transmission emergency Sunday evening, but didn’t provide specific details.

Sacramento Regional Transit announced that light rail service is not expected to resume Monday morning, and that bus bridges will be in place on the Blue and Gold Lines.

Original story, 5:15 p.m.

A powerful atmospheric river hit Northern California Sunday, bringing rain and extreme winds to the Sacramento Valley and feet of snow to the Sierra.

As of 5:15 p.m., nearly 780,000 households throughout the state were without power, many in the Bay Area and along the central and Southern California coast, according to PowerOutage.us.

Around 200,000 have lost power in Sacramento, El Dorado, Placer and Yolo counties. More than 150,000 SMUD customers are without electricity as winds upwards of 60 mph downed trees and impacted utility poles, according to the utility’s outage map, which has itself been offline at times Sunday.

We're currently experiencing extensive weather-related outages across our service area due to high winds. All available crews are assessing damage, updating restoration times and restoring power safely and as quickly as possible.🧵 pic.twitter.com/FPxWTj4C0p

— SMUD (@SMUDUpdates) February 4, 2024

Stay safe and stay smart. 🌬️With wind and rain expected, please stay safe and be prepared.
👉 Call 311 to report storm-related issues
➡️ Call @mysmud for power outages
👉 Call 911 for emergencies
➡️ Call 211 for respite center information pic.twitter.com/5F3gVfvsdr

— City of Sacramento (@TheCityofSac) February 5, 2024

Sacramento Region Transit suspended all light rail service starting at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday. Riders can check the agency’s website for updates on service.

Winds could increase into the evening Sunday before losing strength into Monday. According to the National Weather Service, a high wind warning for the region remains in effect until 10 a.m. Monday, with sustained speeds of 30 to 45 mph and gusts of 50 to 60 mph. Some gusts could top 65 mph, weather service officials added.

A flood watch remains in effect through late Monday night and a more serious flood advisory through 8 p.m. Sunday. Western Yolo County experienced a number of high-intensity rain storms early in the day.

“This is a region that has seen four to five inches of rain today and there is widespread flooding,” said Daniel Swain, a UCLA climate scientist.

📡Radar Update 4:15 pm📡
Fast-moving isolated thunderstorms are moving towards the Stockton area this afternoon. These cells are producing lightning and heavy rain. If you see a FLASH, DASH inside. #Cawxpic.twitter.com/DozoLljj1p

— NWS Sacramento (@NWSSacramento) February 5, 2024

The storm is also bringing huge amounts of snow to the Sierra, which has also caused difficult to impossible travel conditions. Caltrans is advising residents to avoid travel if at all possible.

#TrafficAlert#AlpineCounty#CarsonPass SR-88, closing for avalanche control due to heavy snow. Travel is heavily discouraged over the weekend. Use https://t.co/sgfT02rMbM for current traffic and road closure info. #Quickmappic.twitter.com/RRvsmOclXE

— Caltrans District 10 (@CaltransDist10) February 4, 2024

The weather service on Sunday issued a rare “hurricane force wind warning” for the Central Coast, with wind gusts of up to 92 mph possible from the Monterey Peninsula to the northern section of San Luis Obispo County.

In Southern California, officials warned of potentially devastating flooding and ordered evacuations for canyons that burned in recent wildfires that are at high risk for mud and debris flows. Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for eight Southern California counties Sunday afternoon.

On Saturday, California Office of Emergency Services Director Nancy Ward warned people not to walk, swim or drive through flooded roadways or go around barriers.

“Remember, six inches of water can drown an adult,” she said. “Twelve inches of water can sweep away your vehicle. And two feet of water can move an SUV or a truck.”

Ward said it’s important to stay updated through what she called “trusted sources,” including for information about potential evacuations. She urged residents to sign up for alerts at calalerts.org.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.