Southern California is in for more wet weather this week as yet another atmospheric river — the latest of several to soak the region with rain and snow since December — was headed south and poised to strike Tuesday.
The unseasonably cold weather front was expected to arrive late Monday — the first day of spring — with strong winds from the Northwest. It was likely to grow stronger and peak sometime on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.
Along with accumulations of rain and snow across much of the already saturated region, forecasters warned of strong winds, hazardous seas and heavy surf along the coast. Officials also urged motorists to be careful driving on wet roads and wary of street flooding in some areas; driving conditions in some mountain areas would be “dangerous to impossible,” the weather service said.
While it’s not unusual for Southern California to see lots of moisture in the winter, the sheer number of atmospheric river systems over the past several weeks is uncommon.
“We at the Weather Service don’t keep a formal count of these atmospheric rivers,” said National Weather Service forecaster Samantha Connolly, “I would probably ballpark this around to the 8th or 10th since the end of December.”
She added: “We’ve been in a weather pattern that has basically allowed these atmospheric rivers to move down to Southern California …They happen in the winter, but they don’t often come this far south.”
Nearly everywhere in Southern California can expect some rain or snow. Coastal and valley regions can expect around one to three inches of rain, with the foothills and the mountains potentially receiving even more.
Beginning early Tuesday morning, an estimated 0.50 to 0.60 inches of rain per hour is expected in lower elevation areas across the Orange County and Inland Empire area. Widespread moderate to heavy rainfall will continue through Wednesday, with flood watches in effect for much of Los Angeles, Orange, and San Bernardino counties.
Throughout Tuesday and Wednesday, possible thunderstorms and high southwest winds of up to 35 miles per hour are expected in Orange County and the Inland Empire, with winds gusting up to 55 miles per hour. The strongest winds are expected in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo.
Snow can also be expected, with regions above 6,000 feet expected to receive up to four feet, and the lower elevations receiving between 10 and 20 inches.
In San Bernardino, which was hit hard by the most recent snowstorm, local authorities have pre-positioned staff to help out. In Yucaipa, police issued an evacuation warning for the communities of Oak Glen, Forest Falls, Mountain Home Village, Angelus Oaks, as well as Northeast Yucaipa, due to potential mud and debris flow.
The storm will be mostly gone by the weekend, with partly cloudy skies and dry conditions. Another system is expected to arrive on March 27.
The recommendations from local authorities are similar to those for the previous storms — stock up on essential goods, charge your electronics, and heed warnings. Sandbags are recommended for homes in high-risk flood zones.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and Southern California Edison announced on Tuesday that crews will be scheduled around the clock in case of outages due to the storm.