A flood watch will be in effect for all of San Diego County from Thursday evening through Friday evening as a slow-moving storm travels through Southern California.
The National Weather Service said rainfall over the next two days is expected to total .75 to 1.5 inches for the coast and valleys, 1 to 2 inches for the mountains, and up to an inch in the deserts.
California was deluged with storms and floods at the beginning of 2023, bringing home the severity of impacts from climate change, particularly in the low-income communities of Planada in Merced County and Pajaro in Monterey County.
With a potentially drenching storm system making its way to the area, San Diego officials said Tuesday the city is preparing for rainfall over the next several days and providing tips for area residents to minimize the effects of flooding.
It’s been a lackluster start to the rainy season in California, but there are growing signs that the storm door is about to swing wide open.
An atmospheric river will continue to impact the West Coast over the next 24 hours.
A record amount of moisture is hitting the Pacific Northwest as the powerful system continues to bring heavy rainfall to the region.
The California Department of Water Resources on Friday said its initial State Water Project allocation forecast is 10% of requested supplies for next year — a 5% increase from its December 2022 initial forecast.
San Diego County has fallen behind in seasonal rainfall. A weak storm could bring a little moisture Wednesday through Friday. But the National Weather Service says the region will then be dry until late next week, and perhaps for much, much longer.
A major pattern change is set to deliver California’s first atmospheric river of the season next week. Significant rain and snow is in the forecast for the Golden State, while damp, dreary days are ahead for other parts of the West as signs of El Niño’s influence on the upcoming winter season emerge.
Less than a year after facing historic water shortages, California this week was declared drought-free thanks to a year of epic rains, with an El Niño forecast that could keep wet conditions going into 2024.
For California, especially Southern California, El Niño can typically mean larger storms in the winter which can mean more rainfall and larger waves along the coast. Graphic: NOAA
As we get closer to winter, the phrase “atmospheric river” is more likely to pop up in headlines.
Here’s an explanation of what these phenomena are and how they impact weather in Northern California.
