Southern California could see unusual rain and thunderstorms this week due to a hurricane moving north along the Mexican coast, according to the National Weather Service.
From Thursday to Saturday, the region’s mountains, foothills and deserts could again see significant precipitation – this time from Hurricane Priscilla, the National Weather Service warned. Last month, a similar phenomenon that carried moisture from Tropical Storm Mario northward triggered dangerous mudslides in the mountains of San Bernardino County and flooding in the Inland Empire that killed a child.
However, local forecasts do not yet predict such spectacular rainfall this week. Widespread flood warnings were issued for Southern California as Mario moved north; This hasn’t happened yet this week.
But it’s possible that much of the Southland could see some precipitation, although the most concerning precipitation is expected farther east in Arizona, Utah and Colorado. There, weather service officials issued hazardous weather forecasts, warning of the risk of flash flooding, particularly in parts of Colorado and Utah.
In Southern California, the mountains of San Bernardino, Riverside and San Diego counties have the best chance of seeing heavy rain, mainly due to thunderstorms that could develop over the region, said Sebastian Westerink, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in San Diego. Depending on the strength of the storms, some areas could receive 1 to 2 inches of rain, he said, and flash flooding could occur.
“It’s really going to be hit or miss in the mountains,” Westerink said. The rest of Southern California, especially urban and coastal areas, will notice a change in weather, but precipitation will be minimal, he said. Temperatures are expected to rise slightly across the region by Friday, but not too dramatically.
“The weather will be mostly cloudy across the region; the weather will be mostly muggy,” Westerink said. “We generally expect less than a tenth of an inch of rain for the coastal basin.”
Southern and eastern Los Angeles County are most likely to experience precipitation, according to the forecast. Most of that moisture will leave the Southland by the weekend, but some areas could still get rain Saturday, Westerink said.
“Definitely by Sunday we should be done,” he said.
But farther east, heavy rain could continue through Tuesday, although the strongest storms are forecast Thursday through Saturday, according to the weather service.
Parts of Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico are bracing for potential flash flooding starting Thursday, with 2 to 4 inches of rain likely and up to 6 inches possible, according to the National Hurricane Center.
As of Wednesday morning, Hurricane Priscilla was about 200 miles from the southern tip of Baja California, with winds of about 75 mph, according to the latest update from the hurricane center. The storm is expected to continue to weaken over the next two days. However, a tropical storm watch remains in effect for Baja California Sur, where the storm’s effects are expected to begin Wednesday.
