The Latest: California dries off after storms batter state
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Latest on California storms (all times local):
10:51 a.m.
California is drying out and cleaning up in the aftermath of Pacific storms that dumped heavy rain and snow.
The storms deepened the Sierra Nevada snowpack that is a key part of California's water supply, but officials warned that avalanche danger would be high through Friday afternoon in the eastern Sierra backcountry.
The drought-plagued state received rainfall totals that meteorologists termed "impressive" but the deluge also left muddy messes that kept some roads closed due to flooding and the danger of rock falls in canyons.
The state, however, avoided a repeat of the kind of disaster that hit the community of Montecito a little over a year ago when a downpour on a wildfire burn scar unleashed a devastating and deadly debris flow.
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10:16 p.m.
Californians are cleaning up and drying off after a series of storms dumped heavy rain and snow throughout the state.
Road crews will be working Friday to clear mud, debris and trees that blocked some roads from Malibu to San Francisco.
In Ventura County, residents are being urged to avoid coming into contact with storm runoff or ocean water for several days after flooding at an RV park sent 4,500 gallons (17,000 liters) of sewage into a river.
The three-day drenching put a dent in California's drought, dumping as much as 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain in parts of Southern California, and as much as 4 feet (1.2 meters) of snow in the Sierra Nevada.
The weather caused at least six deaths.
