"Powerful Storms Sweep Across California and Midwest, Bringing Heavy Rain and Snow"

A strong late-season Pacific storm brought damaging winds and more rain and snow to saturated California on Tuesday as the first full day of spring showed little change from the state's extraordinary winter. The storm focused most of its energy on central and southern parts of the state, bringing threats of heavy runoff and mountain snowfall that forecasters said will be measured in feet. Trees and power lines were reported downed in the San Francisco Bay Area, and hundreds of thousands of customers were without electricity throughout the state, mostly in the region south of San Francisco.