A low-pressure area moving down the coast will channel waves of tropical moisture directly at the central portion of the state with rain expected to start today and last well into next week.
That means the Pineapple Express will be hitting the state and its first stop is the Central Coast.
“It’s like an open door policy: ‘Come on in.’ We’re looking for rain through Wednesday,” said weather service spokesman Bill Hoffer.
That door could remain open enough to dampen outside Christmas plans. The long-term forecast shows a break in the rain on Christmas Eve with more precipitation possible on Christmas Day.
Weather experts are divided on how much rain will fall on the area over the next week, but they all agree we’re going to get wet for several days.
The system is expected to deliver a one-two punch to the state beginning today with the heaviest rain expected Saturday and Sunday, then again Tuesday and Wednesday. Both storms are expected to bring from 1 to 2 inches of rain to coastal areas and 2 to
4 inches to the foothills and mountains.
Once the rain starts to fall, the only lasting break appears to be Monday, said
Accuweather.com meteorologist Eric Leister.
“It looks like a pretty good washout over the next six days,” Leister said. “There’s definitely going to be a threat of flooding and mudslides come the end of the weekend.”
The Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Operations has opened its sand bag locations in anticipation of the storm.
“The burn areas will increase the risk of flooding for a few years after the actual fires,” said county Deputy Director of Public Works Tom Fayram. “Last winter, we had a couple of big storms and our preparation paid off. However, the risk remains real and people need to stay tuned during heavier rains to their local media stations and emergency officials.”
Temperatures and winds associated with the storm are expected to be mild, according to the weather service. Daytime highs are expected in the upper 50s with nighttime lows in the upper
30s and low 40s depending on location.
Winds are expected to vary between 15 and 25 mph with occasional gusts possible to 35 mph during the heaviest portions of the storm.
Leister said the relatively warm air temperatures should take snow levels above 9,000 feet, which should leave coastal mountain passes clear.
Experts say exactly where the brunt of the storm hits the California coast still is up in the air, but the first punch on the weekend will be the hay-maker.
“It looks like the worst of the rain will be Saturday and Sunday,” Leister said. “Tuesday will deliver another round of rain, not particularly heavy, but another good, soaking rain.”
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