L.A. County remains dry, most of Southern California avoids Northern California storm system
1:03 am, Sep 1, 2013
San Diego County is currently experiencing a very hot, dry summer.
Most places in Southern California are staying dry, with the exception of LA County.
An area of low pressure, centered just off the coast of South America, is bringing heavy rain and high winds down the coast. High tide and low tide are going to be more of a challenge in coastal areas as the sea starts to surge.
San Diego County has been spared so far, but the rain continues to pour down, and the winds and thunderstorms are going to continue to build. So far the precipitation has been mainly rain, but after more than an hour of rain, the area received a storm with sustained winds of 35-40 mph. The latest forecasts predict it will keep going throughout the day, with rain continuing on for hours into the evening. It will be the second storm over the San Diego area in less than 24 hours.
The National Weather Service has already issued two tropical storm warnings for Southern California – one in La Jolla, Ca and one in Rancho Bernardo, Calif.
In San Diego County, the local National Weather Service office issued a tropical storm warning for the coast, and a flash flood watch for many parts of the county. The storms will likely bring heavy rain, and the rain will keep coming and going even after the storms have passed.
With the exception of some low lying areas, it will be one to two days until the rain comes down, and the flooding starts.
After the storms have passed, many places in Southern California will have some of the highest elevations in the world with the exception of the highest mountains.
The area expected to get the highest totals of rainfall with the exception of the San Gabriel Mountains and the San Jacinto Mountains, could see as much as 15-20” of rain. Some places are expected to see even more.
The winds are going to be very strong as well, as this tropical storm is located right off the coast of South America.
The National Weather Service had issued a slight tropical storm warning for the Central Coast area as well, before the tropical storm had moved west.
The tropical storm will be moving west-southwest on Saturday, with winds in excess of 40 mph.