Packing A Punch: Powerful Storm To Bring Heavy Rain, Snow To Southland
MONROVIA (CBSLA) – A storm front that is expected to pack a punch will arrive in Southern California Monday night and remain through Tuesday morning, bringing with it the risk of flooding and mudslides to a region which seen little to no rain for months.
The National Weather Service is calling it "the most significant storm" so far this rainfall season, which began Oct. 1. The atmospheric river storm rolled into Northern California on Sunday and has been slowly making its way south.
CBS2 Meteorologist Amber Lee says the storm could bring anywhere from 1 to 3 inches of rain to the coast and valleys, 3 to 6 inches of rain to the foothills and mountains, and a half-inch of rain to the deserts.
TIMELINE: When Will The Rain Arrive, And Where Will It Arrive First?
"This storm system is going to bring heavy rain, gusty winds and mountain snow," CBS2 Meteorologist Amber Lee said. "We'll have some pre-storm showers, possibly later this morning, but it's going to be very light. The peak rain really doesn't arrive until late tonight into Tuesday. And we're also talking a storm system that's going to bring a lot of snow to the higher elevations, so above, 7,000 feet, we could see a few feet of new snow."
Rain will progress from northwest to southeast, with the heaviest rain over Los Angeles County expected to fall between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Tuesday, according to the NWS.
"On Tuesday the system will move into L.A. County and will likely make a mess of rush hour traffic. A very strong jet will move over the area," forecasters said.
The storm will also bring strong winds to the area, likely sweeping over and down the San Gabriel range and bringing warning-level gusts to the Antelope Valley late Monday evening.
Gusts could peak at around 60 mph Tuesday in the mountains and high desert.
Those who live in recent burn scars, or areas prone to flooding, are advised to put sandbags around their homes, as well as stock enough food and water for at least 72 hours in the event of road closures and power outages.
One of the areas of concern is the Bobcat Fire burn scar in Monrovia. The Bobcat Fire -- which started in September of 2020 and took two months to fully contain -- burned nearly 116,000 acres in the Angeles National Forest and destroyed 87 homes in the Antelope Valley foothills.
"Residents that live in those burn areas, we're concerned about the fast-moving debris and mudflows, that runoff is always of concern and always an issue," L.A. County Fire Capt. Ron Haralson said. "So we have to make sure the residents that live in those areas are aware of what is going on, make sure they monitor the radio stations, as well as the TV stations for updated information. And should the need arise to evacuate, have things in place, be prepared, and be ready to move out quickly."
Many fire stations are giving out free sandbags. For a list of locations, click here.
In San Bernardino County, meanwhile, evacuation warnings have been issued for several areas impacted by wildfires, include the El Dorado Fire that broke out in September of 2020, and the South Fire which broke out in August. They are: North Bench in Yucaipa, Mountain Home Village, Angelus Oaks, Oak Glen, Forest Falls, and Lytle Creek.
Santa Barbara County has also issued an evacuation warning for the area impacted by the recent Alisal Fire.
The storm will be accompanied by chilly temperatures, with daytime highs in the 50s Monday and Tuesday and lows dropping into the 30s Tuesday night in the mountains and parts of the San Fernando Valley, and into the 20s in the Antelope Valley.
(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)