Storm Could Arrive as Early as Tonight

An Alaskan storm front expected to hit the area as early as tonight will bring cooler temperatures and could carry up to three-quarters of an inch of rain to dry mountainous areas of the county, meteorologists said Tuesday.

Forecasters called for a 50% chance that the storm would bring up to a quarter of an inch of rain along the coast and about half an inch of rain to inland areas. Nighttime temperatures were expected to dip into the lower 50s along the coast and the upper 40s inland.

The forecasts for wet weather drew both optimistic and cautious reactions from wary fire and flood control officials, whose crews worked almost nonstop during recent fires that ravaged 97,000 acres in the county.

The precipitation could douse any hot spots that linger from the large fires, said Ventura County Fire Chief George Lund. In addition, a light rainfall could be enough to nourish seedlings on park, forest and other open lands, prompting healthy, new growth in the spring.

But even half an inch of rain could erode the county’s unprotected hillsides if it comes in short, intense bursts.

“What we need right now is early, gentle rains to stabilize the soil,” Lund said, adding that residents should prepare their property for coming rains, rather than counting on firefighters to sandbag their homes during emergencies.

“It’s their private property and they should take care of their own problems with design solutions like retaining walls or other means,” he said.

County Engineer Dolores Taylor said she hopes the upcoming rainfall will raise people’s awareness about potentially serious erosion and debris slide problems later in the rainy season.

“Let’s hope it gets people down here to pick up some of our debris books that are free to the public,” she said.

But she said the amount of rain forecast this week should not cause significant problems immediately. “Usually it takes two inches to cause trouble,” she said.

Meteorologists said the Alaskan front could meet and mingle with another storm system now 200 miles west of San Francisco carrying more moisture. That system could either intensify or weaken the Alaskan front, meteorologists said.

The cooler temperatures forecast with daytime highs in the 60s along the coast and 70s inland bring the county back into the normal range for this time of year, said National Weather Service meteorologist Constantine Pashos.

“Temperatures have been running a little high with the offshore flow,” he said, referring to the intermittent hot and dry east winds that fueled the fires of the previous three weeks.

Winds are expected to be gusty on Friday and could turn to drier, east-blowing Santa Anas on Sunday, said Kent Field, the Air Pollution Control District meteorologist who forecast wind conditions for the $10-million fire suppression effort in Ventura County.

Lund cited the possibility of more Santa Ana winds as one reason the fire season is not over in Ventura County. He said the county also needs at least two inches of rain to declare the season finished.

“It’s not unusual to get an inch of rain and then get a Santa Ana that dries everything out in an instant,” he said.

FYI

For a free copy of the Homeowners Guide for Debris and Erosion Control, call the Ventura County Flood Control Department at 654-2001, or drop in the office at 800 S. Victoria Ave., Ventura, from 7:30 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday.