Massive storm to lash Southern California with three days of rain and snow Los Angeles is expected to get as much as 9 inches of rain in isolated places, mainly in the city’s coastal hills and mountains, although the heaviest amounts are likely to be in the valleys of the Santa Ana Mountain range. The amount will vary considerably from day to day, and it is not yet known whether the rain will cause considerable flooding. There’s a good chance that Southern California will get wetter, although there is no flood threat.
Strong winds will move in at night from the northwest and west of the state, but the main danger from winds is the risk of tornadoes that could come down from the Sierra Nevada – and perhaps the neighboring Mountains, as well. The strongest winds will be from the northwest, perhaps in the form of a tornado or two. However, there is no cause for alarm, as there is a good chance that the storms will come to pass anyway.
The storm is projected to begin late this afternoon or early Friday, and the heaviest amounts of rain will come overnight. Rainfall could rise to as much as 4 inches in some coastal areas, and a significant amount could fall in coastal mountains.
The storm is expected to move south, and by midday Friday, it should be over Southern California and moving into Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico.
A storm of that nature is unusual, as no major hurricanes have been recently in the Pacific Northwest. There’s also no rain in the mountains, though there might be snow, if it is not already there.
It is unusual for the Pacific Northwest to be without a hurricane of this strength, but the lack of hurricane activity makes this unusual.
The rain and snow will probably be enough to cause flooding. We are likely to get 4 to 6 inches of rain; the heaviest amounts could possibly top 5 inches, but in many locations the heaviest rains are expected to be about 3 inches. Some of the heaviest rain may fall in valleys, but more of it may fall along the coast and in coastal mountains.
The storm should bring winds from the
