Tracking the first atmospheric river of the season Wednesday

More intermittent showers are expected Tuesday. Most showers that pass through will produce light rain, but expect to see the occasional period of moderate to heavy precipitation. Today will likely be another damp and dreary day, with minimal impacts from rain or wind. Temperatures will be very similar to Monday with highs back into the 60s.

The first atmospheric river of the season arrives early Wednesday morning. This system appears to move fast and has set its aim for the Central Coast. While this storm will be speedy, it will dump a significant amount of rain in a short period of time. The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Watch for the entire area. Since this storm will be producing southerly winds, South facing slopes and higher terrain will see the heaviest amount of rainfall. Some models show upwards of an inch per hour. This along with strong winds creates the concern for downed trees, power lines and hazardous driving conditions.

Very heavy rain continues into Thursday, so plan accordingly! Some of the heaviest rain is projected to fall Thursday morning for areas south of Point Conception. By Friday the low pressure system will move southeast leaving us with a 40% chance of rain. We have the potential for lingering light rain to develop Saturday and Sunday but by Christmas eve, high pressure builds in and creates warmer and dry conditions for Christmas day.