The National Weather Service in San Diego has forecasted a shot of aquatic fury for Southern California, with a low pressure system moving through that will deliver rain and high elevation snow starting today and persisting into Wednesday. The region braces for "the heaviest precipitation...over Orange County into the San Bernardino Mountains Tuesday and Wednesday," per the NWS forecast. Orange County and the western Inland Empire are expected to be drenched with 1.5-2 inches of rainfall.
As the clouds roll in, drivers might wanna slow down, and homeowners should keep their gutters clear, because "The finall wave comes as the trough axis finally moves through late Tuesday night through Wednesday morning," according to the NWS's Area Forecast Discussion. Thunderstorms could crackle through the sky Wednesday morning, threatening to turn rush-hour into a wet, hot mess. A high surf advisory remains in effect until Tuesday evening to add a cherry on top of this stormy sundae.
The snow seekers aren't left out in the cold either, as snow levels are expected to drop as low as 6000 feet by Wednesday morning. Areas above 8000 feet may get buried with a foot or more of snow. But before powder hounds hit the mountains, they'll have to deal with higher than usual snow bases initially around the altitude mountains rarely reach - 8000 feet or more.
Folks living along the coast and river valleys should also be on the lookout. The NWS warns of a "Flood Watch from this evening through Wednesday morning" that includes Orange County Coastal Areas and several other regions. And as the winter weather advisory comes into effect from 1 AM Tuesday to 10 AM PST Wednesday, wind gusts might just give the ocean that extra push to pump waves up to 11 feet high, so surfers should wax their boards and shorebirds oughta take flight.
The brief respite will come in the form of "zonal flow and weak ridging" bringing in warmer and drier weather on Thursday and Friday. However, this intermission will be short-lived as another Pacific low pressure system is on track to roll in early next week, keeping those umbrellas at arms reach. So, soak up the dry days while they last, because Mother Nature isn't snoozing on the SoCal parade.
