Heavy Rains Expected to Reach Area Today

A slow-moving Pacific storm is expected to hit Ventura County late today, packing 2 to 4 inches of rain and sending temperatures dipping into the 50s.

The storm, which is creeping slowly down the coast and expected to hover over the county until mid-day Saturday, may help salvage what county officials said has been an off year for rain.

“A good storm this size could help what has been a pretty dismal situation,” said John Weikel, senior engineer at the Ventura County Flood Control Department.

Ventura County has received only 68% of the normal rainfall for this point in the rainy season, which runs from October to the end of April, Weikel said.

Forecasters said today’s storm, while not expected to be the largest of the year, is unusually potent for so late in the season.

“This is a major storm which is going to bring thundershowers and a significant amount of snow to the mountain areas,” said Dion Hamilton, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service. “We usually don’t have storms this large this late in the rainfall year.”

In addition to heavy rain, snow is expected at elevations as low as 3,000 feet, and temperatures should drop from the low 60s early today into the upper 50s Friday and Saturday.

Hamilton warned that the cold weather and low snow levels could hamper visits to the mountain areas and that people planning to drive at higher elevations should be prepared for the weather.

The forecast prompted the American Red Cross to open its emergency warming shelter at the National Guard Armory in Ventura. The shelter has already been open 102 nights this season.

The storm is not expected to cause any major flooding, Weikel said, but thunderstorms could cause problems in areas hit by the November wildfires.

Weikel said sandbags and other flood control measures taken by the Ventura County Fire Department are still in place in burn areas.

Higher temperatures and dry weather are expected to return Sunday, Hamilton said.