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SoCal braces for 4 days of rain from series of storm systems
Environment Jan 18, 2024
| Photo courtesy of PxHere (CC0)
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A series of storms is headed to the Southland, bringing several days of anticipated wet weather, with the heaviest rain expected Sunday into Monday.
Light rain is expected to begin falling Friday night and continuing through the weekend, according to the National Weather Service. However, the light rain is expected to be off-and-on.
“The system takes a little breather Saturday and Saturday night,” forecasters said. “There will still be plenty of moisture … but there will also be some significant dry intervals as well.”
Rainfall rates will be under a quarter-inch per hour, and rainfall totals for the Saturday morning to late Saturday night period will mostly be in the .20 to .30 inches range, according to the NWS.
“The most organized, most dynamic and most moisture fed storm will move into the area Sunday night and continue through Monday afternoon,” forecasters said.
Rainfall totals for the Sunday night through Monday period are in the 1- to 2-inch range, with upslope areas expected to get 2 to 4 inches, according to the NWS.
“There is still a chance that this storm could over produce,” forecasters cautioned, as a number of computer models show rain totals of 1 to 3 inches.
The system will likely bring some advisory-level flooding to much of the area, according to the weather agency. The forecast calls for a 5% to 15% chance of thunderstorms on Monday.
“The chance of rain will diminish Monday night with the highest chance of rain over L.A. County,” according to the NWS.
High temperatures will be a few degrees either side of 60 in the Los Angeles area, and snow levels will be over 7,000 feet, according to forecasters.
“Not expecting much in the way of snow impacts as snow levels are even higher,” forecasters said.
In Orange County, the chance for potentially more significant rainfall will be on Monday, with chances for one inch or more of rainfall in portions of the mountains nearly 80% and more than 50% for the rest of the county.
By Tuesday, all the rain should move away from Los Angeles and Orange counties, forecasters said. High pressure then builds in for the rest of the week, creating dry conditions and a warming trend, with above-normal temperatures slated for next Thursday, according to the NWS.
