Yet another round of rain and gusty winds is expected Wednesday and Thursday, when heavy rain is forecast for the Santa Cruz and Santa Lucia mountain ranges.
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A series of three El Niño-related rainstorms are expected to bring 4 to 6 inches of rain to the Central Coast this week.
The first in a series of storms will douse the Southland today ahead of a much stronger system, which will arrive Tuesday and threaten to unleash torrents of mud and debris over slopes denuded by wildfire, forecasters said.
The first and weakest system was making its way across the Bay Area on Monday morning, Benjamin said.
In the Modesto area, heavy rain is expected Tuesday, with forecasters predicting a quarter to half an inch during the day.
It’s actually not surprising that El Niño has triggered such changes in weather patterns: events of this kind occurring between 1982 and 1983, as well as between 1997 and 1998 have also doubled the amount of rainfall, which eventually resulted in high breaking waves, flooding and mudflows. Highs are expected to be in the mid- to upper 50s with lows in the low 40s through the week. In strong El Nio years like this one, warmer storms line up across the mid-latitudes of the Pacific, flowing one after another along the sub-tropical jet stream from Japan, across the north of Hawaii, to California.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti warned people to clear gutters and anything in their yard that might clog storm drains; assemble an emergency kit; and stockpile sandbags if their home is susceptible to flooding. They’re trying to get homeless people off the streets before the storms hit.
“Residents… especially those living in or below recent burn areas, should prepare now for the impending heavier rainfall this week”, an NWS statement said.
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“We want as little damage and destruction and as little death as possible”, Garcetti said at a news conference Sunday night. With two to four inches of rain predicted tomorrow for foothill and mountain areas, and the possibility of brief heavy showers and scattered thunderstorms later in the week, this map is likely going to come in handy.
