After dry Santa Ana winds, fires and power outages, the forecast called for a rainstorm to douse Southern California this week.
The storm that was off the Oregon coast on Oct. 19 could bring up to an inch of rain in much of Ventura County by midweek. There were still unknowns, including just when the rain would show up. The latest forecast, however, said the storm – the first nontropical system of the season – was expected to reach local areas on Oct. 21.
Rainfall could peak between Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning, said Robbie Munroe, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
"We have high confidence in widespread rain, moderate to heavy at times," he said.
How much rain to expect in Ventura County
In all, most areas could see from a half-inch to just over an
inch of rain, the agency reported. Some foothill and mountain spots could see higher totals.
The weather service described the storm as warm and relatively unstable, with a chance of thunderstorms, which can lead to heavier downpours. Hazardous beach conditions, including high surf and dangerous rip currents, also were possible in Ventura and Los Angeles counties through much of the week.
During the storm, the weather service reported around a 50% chance of any area seeing rainfall rates up to a half-inch per hour, which could lead to minor flooding. There was a slight chance of higher rates as well, officials said.
After the rain, drier conditions and weak offshore winds were possible into the weekend. The longterm outlook, however, showed rain could return by late October. The weather service reported a 50 to 60% chance of above normal rainfall in the region late this month and into early November.
Cheri Carlson covers the environment for the Ventura County Star. Reach her at cheri.carlson@vcstar.com.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Storm to douse Ventura, LA counties this week. Here's what to expect
