Torrential rainfall last night, tracking more rain Thursday
Torrential rainfall fell over Ventura county late Wednesday night. Upwards of 3inches of rain fell within an hour, causing roads and houses to flood. This storm system was not only producing dangerous amounts of rain, it was also traveling fast and rotating. This storm quickly became Tornado Warned and with all the recent data coming in, its likely a tornado did spin up, although we are awaiting confirmation. Winds were so strong near the surface, there were reports of cars being blown off the roads and multiple reports of flooding rescues. Power outages were common and are possible as winds stay strong and flooding continues. As of Thursday morning the rain has moved down towards LA County and most of the Central Coast is reporting light rain. This storm system is far from over. The area of low pressure will move rather erratically Thursday, causing periods of dry weather following periods of moderate to heavy rain. Since the ground is already saturated, the risk of flooding is heightened. Turn around dont drown! We can expect another 1-2 inches of rain for the remainder of the day, advisory level winds in higher terrain and cooler temperatures. Highs will be up into the upper 50s and low 60s.
This potent low pressure system will finally exit the area by Friday afternoon. We can still expect wet and unsettled weather throughout the first half of Friday. The Central Coast will start to dry out Friday evening and clouds will break up. Temperatures for the day will remain cooler than average as this cold arctic air lingers.
A ridge of high pressure builds in Saturday, meaning the entire Central Coast will see some sunshine and drier conditions. By Christmas Eve, we will see a mix of sun and clouds, and cooler than average temperatures. Dry weather holds out until Christmas Day before more rain arrives Tuesday into Wednesday.