Scattered rain showers will continue on Tuesday
The worst of the storm has passed. We've had peak wind gusts above 60-70 mph on the Central Coast with several downed trees/power lines. Wind has now mostly subsided. Rain totals as of Monday morning sat at 1 to 3 inches on the Central Coast, 2 to 4 inches on the South Coast, and 5 to 8 inches in the foothills and mountains. The storm shifted more easterly to LA County where it has stalled, with some areas even receiving 10 inches of rain.
We will now continue to see scattered showers in our area. Some isolated rain cells could be heavier, but most should be on the light to moderate side. There is a 20-30% chance of thunderstorms through Tuesday night. We could see an additional 1 to two inches of rain through Wednesday in most areas, and 2 to 4 inches in foothills. There will likely be another organized band of rain on Wednesday evening.
SLO and Santa Barbara Counties are at a slight risk of flash flooding, and Ventura County is at a moderate risk. We will still have very strong flow in rivers and creeks. The Ventura River reached above monitor stage, but did not reach above flood stage.
There is a flood advisory for all of Ventura County until 9:00 pm Monday, and in Santa Barbara County until 12:45 am Tuesday. A flood watch is in effect for southern Santa Barbara County, the Santa Barbara County mountains, and all of Ventura County until 4:00 pm Tuesday. Flooding or significant ponding on roadways is possible. Never drive through flooded areas.
Snow levels will reach 5,500 feet today, 4,500 feet tomorrow, and 4,000 feet Wednesday. There will be 2 to 4 feet of snow above 7,000 feet, 10 to 20 inches above 6,000 feet, up to 10 inches above 5,000 feet, and just a few inches below that. Mountain road closures are likely in the North Ventura County mountains, which are under a winter storm warning until 10:00 pm Tuesday. The southern Ventura County mountains and Santa Barbara County interior mountains are under a winter weather advisory for the same time period.
A high surf advisory remains in effect until 9:00 pm Monday evening for all beach areas. Central Coast beaches will have large breaking waves at 7 to 11 feet, and beaches south of Point Conception will see waves of 6 to 9 feet. Rip currents are strong enough to pull swimmers or surfers out to see, and waves can wash people of rocks or capsize small boats near shore.
Beyond Wednesday, there may still be some inclement weather, but not as bad. Light rain showers will linger Thursday and Friday from a different system. Temperatures will slowly warm to the low 60s by the end of the week. The weekend is looking dry.
