Two storms bearing down on L.A.; up to 4 inches of rain possible
Two Pacific storms were heading toward the Los Angeles area and could drop up to four inches of rain in mountain areas by the weekend, forecasters said Monday night.
The storms could produce the most significant rain that the region has seen in nearly two years. The last time a widespread storm produced an inch or more of rain in the Los Angeles area was on March 25, 2012, according to the National Weather Service.
“We’re definitely going to get some rain, and it’s looking like it’s going to be over a widespread area,” said Scott Sukup, a meteorologist with the weather service office in Oxnard.
The first storm is expected to arrive Wednesday and could drop from 0.25 inches to 0.75 inches across coastal and valley areas. Mountain areas could receive up to an inch of rain, according to the Weather Service.
The agency said a more powerful system is expected to drop rain during the day on Friday, turning to showers by nightfall. From one to two inches could hit coastal and valley areas, and two to four inches could fall in mountain areas.
Snow and strong wind are forecast Friday into Saturday, and snow levels could drop to 5,000 feet by Saturday.
Periods of intense rainfall could cause flooding in storm drains and in foothill areas of the San Gabriel Mountains that were scorched last month during the Colby fire above Glendora and Azusa.
“We’re definitely concerned about that,” Sukup said of the potential for flooding.
The expected wet weather will be in contrast to the dry conditions in recent months. Since July 1, just 1.2 inches of rain have been recorded in the region, the weather service said. The average is 10.45 inches by this time of year.
Twitter: @LAJourno
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