Slippery roads, flooding possible as rain descends on Southern California heading into weekend
Storms predicted to drench Southern California this week will bring more precipitation to areas that already have received more than half of their annual rainfall totals this season, meteorologists said Monday.
A gradual cooling of temperatures in the beginning of the week will lead into a slight possibility of showers on Thursday in Los Angeles County, with a much higher chance of precipitation reported in Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties, according to forecasts from the National Weather Service. Highs are expected to fall from the mid 70’s on Tuesday to the low to mid 60’s in all four counties.
The Southland’s valleys and coasts can expect to see an average of between 0.5 and 0.75 inches of rain on Thursday, while higher elevations could get a full inch, according to NWS meteorologist Samantha Connolly.
She said the heaviest precipitation would come down between Friday evening and Saturday afternoon. Showers may persist through Sunday, according to NWS forecasts.
“That means drivers can expect slippery roads and possibly some street flooding this weekend,” said Connolly.
Preliminary Rainfall Totals for Wed eve thru Thu eve storm. Highest rainfall totals should be across L.A. County . A more significant storm system expected Fri/Sat. People in recent burn areas should start to monitor upcoming rain pattern thru early next week. #LArain #CAwx pic.twitter.com/OJEvlapFXi
— NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) January 28, 2019
She said a winter weather advisory is possible mountainous portions of San Bernardino County, which may receive 3 to 5 inches of snow this weekend. Freshly frozen powder may begin to form at elevations as low as 7,000 feet.
No warnings have yet been issued for the Holy fire burn scar area, but nearby residents were advised to monitor forecasts in a NWS tweet posted on Monday.
It’s a great time to live in Southern CA! There will be over a 100 degree temperature spread (wind chill) from MN to CA over the next few days. #cawx pic.twitter.com/q2FSFgazjf
— NWS San Diego (@NWSSanDiego) January 28, 2019
This latest round of showers further contributes to what has been an especially wet year so far, according to Connolly. She said that most parts of Southern California have gotten more than 50 percent of the rainfall that they would typically see in an entire year. That’s especially true in Orange County and cities like Santa Ana, which averages 13.6 inches of precipitation annually, but has had a total of 9.6 inches of rainfall since October. The abundant rainstorms at the start of the 2019 season is in sharp contrast to what had been a particularly dry 2018, said Connolly.
As Californians prepare for more wet weather, other parts of the country are bracing for punishingly cold temperatures. With readings expected to dip below -50 degrees on Wednesday morning in the Midwest, NWS has issued a windchill advisory effective in Chicago from Tuesday through Thursday.