It's hard to believe that after five years of record drought, many Californians are hoping that this winter's weekly deluges will come to a swift conclusion. The latest storm, which struck over the weekend and ended on Tuesday, has forced thousands to evacuate, including urban residents in San Jose, as floodwaters continue to rise and levees are strained. This winter demonstrates how too much of a good thing -- in this case, rain and mountain snow -- can lead to severe problems. SEE ALSO: Insane drone footage shows massive damage and flooding at California's Oroville Dam This is increasingly important, since human-caused global warming is already causing both ends of the weather extremes spectrum -- too little water and too much -- to occur more frequently and with greater intensity. So, what is it about these California storms that separates them from ordinary low pressure systems that affect other parts of the country?

A series of powerful storms are dumping potentially damaging amounts of rain and snow in California. By tapping into subtropical moisture like a needle tapping into a vein, the storm systems are transporting huge amounts of water vapor, which is being converted to low elevation downpours and mountain snow. While forecast uncertainties remain, it's possible that some areas will receive up to a foot or more of rain before the skies clear early next week. In addition, the higher peaks of the Cascades and Sierra Nevada Mountains stand to get blitzed with up to 10 feet of snow. The storms, one of which is currently hitting the state, leading to flash flood warnings and several feet of mountain snow, have the potential to cause widespread flooding the likes of which California has not seen since 1997.