California is in for a stormy Valentine’s Day week due to a powerful atmospheric river affecting coastal regions all the way from the Bay Area to San Diego. SoCal can expect rainfall beginning on Wednesday afternoon with most showers coming down on Thursday night.
Flood Watch
There’s a flood watch for all of San Luis Obispo County and all recent burn scars across Santa Barbara, Ventura, and L.A. counties including Lake Fire, Mountain Fire, Franklin Fire, Palisades Fire, Eaton Fire, and Bridge Fire.
The latest announcement from the NWS states, “Light to moderate rain is affecting most of southwest California, but will intensify through the day. High risk of road flooding & burn scar debris flows. If you can, STAY OFF THE ROADS TODAY, especially this afternoon & evening.”
Strong Winds
In addition to the flood watch, strong winds are possible over the next three days. “Brief strong winds” are “possible anywhere with thunderstorms and advanced cells.” And the public is advised to be aware of “downed trees and power outages.” And drivers should be cautious through the week as “hazardous driving conditions” are likely.
Heavy Rainfall
San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Los Angeles Counties are all bracing for heavy rainfall on Thursday. The NWS is forecasting 1.5 to 3 inches of rain, with 3 to 5 inches in the mountains and foothills. There’s a 5-10% chance of thunderstorms on Thursday and Friday. The NWS also forecasted higher elevation snowfall between 5500-7500 feet.
The NWS’s Andrew Rourke told KNX News that a cold front is expected to accompany the heavier rainfall on Thursday, resulting in a chance of mud and debris movement in L.A.’s wildfire burn areas. People in those areas should be especially vigilant of the weather conditions.
“While this rain will be beneficial to areas like the Central Valley and L.A. Basin, it could be too much of a good thing in certain areas,” said AccuWeather meteorologist Jacob Hinson. “We’re still concerned about burn scars getting enough rainfall to affect soil stability, thus causing landslides or debris flows. The amount of rain in the forecast can also cause issues where drainage systems aren’t adequate, causing localized flooding of streets and roadways.”
Throughout the Bay Area and Central Coast, the NWS is anticipating the heaviest rainfall to come down on Thursday morning. They expect some shallow landslides and flooding in small streams and rivers, with a chance of flash flooding.
It’s worth keeping an eye on the constantly changing conditions throughout California this week, especially if you’re in or near a burn area. Here are a few sources to bookmark, but read our article for more info.
- @NWSLosAngeles on X puts out continuous updates in easy-to-read graphics. You can also follow @NWSBayArea and @NWSSanDiego
- The Caltrans QuickMap is a simple way to check road closures and conditions in real-time. You’ll need to add the filters yourself using the dropdown menu.