(Image source from: www.sfgate.com)

On Wednesday, parts of California and SouthWest experienced snow, hail, rain, lightning, and mudslides. The traffic was bad and people were asked to leave the beaches.

In Colorado, there were crashes and spinouts that were a hindrance on roadways and both directions of interstate 70 were closed. The eastbound lanes were closed throughout and the westbound lanes opened later on.

The Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management tweeted "Time to make alternate plans if you are using I-70 through Vail Pass today".

                       (Image source from: weather.com)

In California, the KNSD-TV reported, San Diego Fire Department rescued two people from a car that could save itself from floodwaters.

While dumping letters and packages into the street, United States Postal Service truck slid on a roadway in Escondido, the network reported.

People were asked to leave Santa Monica pier and Los Angeles area beaches because of the lightning. The Associated Press and flood watches and warnings were given to people across those regions.

On Tuesday, the residents in the Trabuco Canyon area of Orange County in California were asked to leave forecasting a landslide. They suspected this landslide as there was a widfire that burned in this area last year and this could possibly result in sliding debris.

The road conditions in California and at the Arizona border were at stake, the motorist reported, Portions of U.S. Highway 95 and State Route 62 were closed and there was flooding in State Route 177.

In Arizona, a portion of southbound I-17 in the north of Phoenix was closed due to a semi rollover.

Photos posted by the Arizona Department of Public Safety showed wet roads, however, they didn’t mention that the condition of wet roads was due to the weather condition.

                       (Image source from: weather.com)

In areas like Phoenix, Prescott, and Tuscon, the flash flood watch is in effect from 1 p.m. Tuesday until 11 p.m. Wednesday.

                       (Image source from: www.12news.com)

On Wednesday morning, the Utah Highway Patrol reported, due to the wet and slippery roads 5 semi trucks rolled over.

At interstate 15 between Cedar and St. George there were two rollovers. Another semi sun out and rolled over on Interstate 80 in Salt Lake City. This caused another truck to roll over to avoid the crash. Then, in Summit Colony over an I-80 another truck rolled over.

                       (Image source from: weather.com)

National Weather Service Reports

1. The National Weather Service issued the Flash Flood Watch for the next few days in parts of Southern California, Phoenix, Tuscon, Utah and in pockets of Nevada. Besides, the CNN report says, more than 13 million people are estimated to be under the flood.

2. Additionally, the NWS stated, "A strong weather system will bring snow to the mountains and rain in lower elevations across the western U.S. over the next couple days. Flooding is possible today [Wednesday], particularly in Arizona and Southern California".

3. “Heavy rainfall will continue over the Desert Southwest, particularly Arizona into Thursday. There continues to be the potential for locally significant flash flooding”.

4. The weather systems heading into the Desert Southwest are remnants of Tropical Storm Raymond and are "poised to bring heavy rain and potential flash flooding to the area starting tonight and lasting into early Thursday morning for some”.

5. The areas under a Flash Flood Watch include the San Bernardino County-Upper Colorado River Valley of southeast California, Lake Mead National Recreation Area and Northeast Clark County in southern Nevada, as well as parts of northwest Arizona including Lake Havasu and Fort Mohave, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Northwest Deserts, and Northwest Plateau.

Wet weather has been there in Southern California from Tuesday and this is one of its most significant rainfall in the region. Last week California experienced “abnormally dry” conditions.

By Neha Makhija