Next round of rain arriving, forecast for Sunday Feb 18th

First wave of moisture has moved to our east and south with some lingering light showers still possible. Most areas saw less than a quarter of an inch with some heavier totals found along the Central Coast.

The second round of potentially moderate to heavy showers is expected to arrive for all areas by mid and late Sunday. For now, a widespread Flash Flood Watch is in effect through early next week. As soon as showers become very heavy or sustained, that could be raised to an advisory or warning. Winds from the south have also prompted the weather service to issue widespread advisories and warning which will last in to early next week. Surf will increase from a combination of West ground swell and localized wind swell from the south. This could lead to some coastal over flow or flooding, especially in the early morning when a five foot high tide is in play. Snow levels should stay at or above 6 thousand feet through early Tuesday and then drop to about 5 thousand feet by early Wednesday.

Looking ahead, the unsettled and potentially very wet weather will last through Tuesday and in to very early Wednesday. We see the potential for about 1 to 4 inches along the coast with much higher amounts for foothills and mountains. A lot depends on the exact final trajectory of the area of low pressure which in turns mixes up the moisture and then produces the rainfall. Slight deviations of just a few miles can really change the intensity and duration for a particular area. We will monitor very closely and update our forecast as needed. There is also a low possibility for thunderstorm activity which is something we will keep a very close eye on as well. Things should turn for the better by the second half of the work week with dryer and warmer weather expected. However, our long range does see a threat for another storm system by late next weekend. That is pretty far off and we will need top get a little closer to get a better grip on what to expect.