LAHera2024
Northern California is being slammed hard by the season’s first significant atmospheric river storm, with rain totals likely to surpass 12 inches in some regions, increasing the risk of flooding and mudslides.
The consequences of the so-called bomb cyclone storm in Southern California, which refers to how quickly the storm strengthened in the Pacific before moving onshore, will be less dramatic, but forecasts predict some rain by the weekend, though the amount is unknown.
Forecast
The chances of rain in Southern California have progressively increased as the system moves forward, with forecasters now optimistic that the region will experience measurable quantities starting this weekend and continuing into early next week.
Friday: Rain starts in San Luis Obispo County.
Saturday: Rain fell in Los Angeles and Ventura counties throughout the morning and evening.
Next week: Rain is expected Sunday through Wednesday, although the prediction is still in flux.
Truckers bunker up along the side of I-5 to wait for the storm to pass before the roadway reopens in Weed, Calif., on Wednesday, November 20, 2024. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez / San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
CALIFORNIA
The rainy season in California starts with a bang: a bomb cyclone. Are we in for a third record-breaking wet winter?
2024
Conditions
On Saturday, Los Angeles and Ventura counties may receive anything from a tenth to a third of an inch of rain. San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties may receive up to an inch of rain in certain locations.
Fire Risk
The storm arrives barely two weeks after the Mountain fire destroyed or damaged over 350 homes in Ventura County. The fire was fueled by dry weather and strong Santa Ana winds.
«We’re thinking it’s going to be more of a beneficial rain,» said Bryan Lewis, an Oxnard National Weather Service meteorologist. He warned that while this weekend’s rain may alleviate some fire fears, it is unlikely to completely eliminate them.
