Storm Predicted for Today Could Mean a Record October

Less than a week after a Pacific storm dumped several inches of rain throughout Southern California, forecasters on Monday warned of a new storm that could, in some areas, make this month the rainiest October on record.

“It’s definitely possible that parts of Southern California will have the wettest October in history,” said Brandt Maxwell, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in San Diego. “A lot of it has to do with how strong this storm ends up being, and at this point it looks very good.”

Already gathering strength off the Oregon coast after originating in the Gulf of Alaska, the storm is expected to hit Southern California this afternoon, further dampening ground already saturated from last week’s drubbing.

“It looks like it will bring lots of rain: 1 1/2 to 3 inches in most areas, and maybe even more in the mountains,” Maxwell said.

The expected rainfall, which Maxwell said should start slackening Wednesday night and end by Thursday, has prompted flood warnings in and around Oxnard, the burned foothills near Santa Clarita and all areas of Orange, western Riverside and southwestern San Bernardino counties.

In addition, forecasters said, gusty southerly winds reaching 20 mph to 30 mph should arrive this afternoon, possibly increasing to 65 mph in some areas tonight and early Wednesday.

“It will be pretty windy” in the mountains and deserts, and in many areas of the coast, Maxwell said.

Snow levels are expected to drop to 5,000 feet by late Wednesday, with snowfall generally ranging from 24 to 36 inches above 7,000 feet and 4 to 12 inches from 5,000 to 7,000 feet, forecasters said.

Mudslides and flash flooding, particularly in the burned areas, could result in some road closures, Maxwell said. And, in mountain areas especially, the strong winds combined with heavy precipitation will bring the potential for downed trees and power lines, as well as extremely hazardous driving conditions with visibilities near zero.

“It’s rare to get this much rainfall in October,” Maxwell said. “It’s only happened a few times in the last 100 years.”

If there’s a silver lining, officials said, it’s that the expected rainfall may help renew depleted ground water supplies, which, as of Sept. 30, were about 85% of average, down from 105% a year ago.

And with any luck, Maxwell said, the wet weather should pass fairly quickly: “The city of Los Angeles will be dry by Thursday, and it looks like a decent weekend.”

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Times wire services contributed to this report.