Rain will continue to hit the Redding and Shasta Cascade areas through Christmas, necessitating a flood watch through at least Friday, Dec. 26, according to the National Weather Service.
Katrina Hand of the weather service’s Sacramento division said Redding will also see 7.5 inches of snow this week, and colder storms could lower snow levels in the mountains on Christmas Eve.
Previously, a warm winter storm brought up to 8 inches of rain to Shasta County in a 48-hour period from Friday, December 19, to Sunday, December 21.
Even the driest areas of Shasta County received at least 2 inches of rain during that 48-hour period, Hand said. As of Sunday night, a total of 8 inches had fallen in Whiskeytown, 3.8 inches in Shasta Lake, 5.7 inches in Oak Mountain near Big Bend, and 4.5 inches in Sims on Interstate 5 (north of Redding).
Flash flooding occurred after a winter storm dropped 3-6 inches of rain on Sunday, December 21, 2025, in the Redding area. Reading police said they received calls for help from motorists who were stranded after trying to drive on flooded downtown streets. Police reported flooding in other areas of the city and on Interstate 5 and Highway 299.
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A flood warning is in effect until Friday, December 26, and a flash flood warning and wind warning are in effect until at least late Sunday, December 21, both issued by the Meteorological Service.
“A series of atmospheric rivers” are hitting the Pacific Northwest, she said, “so there will be more in the Redding area.”
Will it rain in Reading at Christmas? When will the rain end?
Hand said warm storms will continue to increase flooding risks and bring another three inches of rain to the North State from Sunday night into Tuesday.
Temperatures in Redding will rise into the 50s Monday afternoon and stay in the 40s overnight.
By Wednesday, the storm was getting colder, Hand said. Snowfall levels in Shasta and surrounding counties could drop as low as 4,500 feet, bringing a white Christmas to mountain communities.
She said it was going to be a wet Christmas for Reading. These colder storms will dump an additional 4.5 inches of rain on the city Wednesday through Friday.
According to weather service forecasts, temperatures will not exceed 40 degrees on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.
Hand said skies will finally clear by the weekend, Dec. 27-28, as the storm moves north.
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What is a flash flood?
Flash flooding typically begins within six hours of heavy rain or large amounts of water accumulating in an area, but usually occurs within three hours, according to the National Weather Service.
This type of flooding usually occurs very quickly, catching people by surprise. It can be caused by a variety of reasons, but is usually caused by extremely heavy rainfall from thunderstorms.
“Rainfall intensity, rainfall location and distribution, land use and topography, vegetation type and growth/density, soil type and soil moisture content all determine the speed and location of flash flooding,” the National Weather Service wrote.
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Flood Watch vs Flood Warning: What’s the Difference?
Flood watches and flood warnings are two different things. That’s the difference.
A flood watch indicates that conditions within the watch area are favorable for flooding. These flood warnings are often issued hours or even days before a weather event that could cause flooding occurs.
A flood warning means harmful flooding is expected and poses a serious threat to property and people. This can also be released hours and days in advance based on forecasts.
Flooding is a risk at any time and people should exercise caution. During periods of heavy rainfall, water levels can change rapidly.
Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for Record Searchlight/USA TODAY Network. She covers science, art, social issues and news coverage. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and on Facebook. Join Jessica’s Record Searchlight Facebook Group Get Out! NorCal, in Shasta County today and shaping the future of Redding. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thanks.
This article originally appeared in the Reading Record Searchlight: Redding’s rainfall totals from atmospheric river as new storm hits
