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Mincing no words, forecasters say rain will pummel Southern California on Saturday

by in News

National Weather Service forecasters, who typically describe approaching weather in technical terms such as “long wave trough” and “orographic wind component,” have mostly ditched the scientific phrases and taken a  direct approach with a potentially damaging storm expected to move into Southern California overnight Friday and into Saturday.

“Skies will turn ugly Saturday as a powerful Pacific storm moves into the region. A band of heavy rain will accompany the front, pummeling the region between about noon and 5 p.m.,” the weather service wrote Friday.

Scattered showers are forecast for early Saturday, with the main front moving into Los Angeles County by 1 p.m., Orange County by 2 p.m. and the Inland Empire by 3 p.m., meteorologist Bruno Rodriguez said.

Most urban areas are expected to receive 2 inches of rain, with foothills and south-facing mountain slopes forecasted to get as much as 6 inches.

The snow level is expected to drop to 5,000 feet later in the day as a cold front moves into Southern California. Big Bear and Wrightwood could get 4-8 inches, with a foot of snow falling at the ski resorts at higher elevations, Rodriguez said.

What’s more, gusty winds — 30-40 mph in Orange County, 60 mph in the mountains — will accompany the storm, Rodriguez said.

A flash-flood watch is in effect through early Sunday for the Thomas, Hill, Woolsey, South, Stone, Creek, and La Tuna burn scars in Los Angeles County. Coastal flooding, high surf and wind advisories have been issued as well.

In Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, a flash-flood watch is in effect, particularly for the Holy, Canyon 1 and Cranston burn scars; and a wind advisory is in effect as well. Voluntary evacuation warnings were issued for the Holy fire area near Lake Elsinore late Friday afternoon.

Most areas of Southern California were already ahead of last year’s rainfall totals, Rodriguez said. A third storm is expected Sunday, with no discernible gap between that and Saturday’s system. The rain should continue through late Tuesday or early Wednesday.

24-hour precipitation totals

Through 8 p.m. Thursday (through 4 p.m. in LA County)

Riverside Municipal Airport 0.34

Cal State San Bernardino 0.55

San Clemente Pier 0.61

Fullerton Airport 1.08

Northridge 0.90

Hawthorne 0.90

Long Beach Airport 1.24

Pasadena 1.26