Massive storm to lash Southern California with three days of rain and snow
The most severe storm yet to lash California with three days of rain and snow is poised to pound Southern California on Friday.
The “super-cell” storm — which was first reported by the National Weather Service on Thursday — is expected to dump as much as 6 inches of rain on the Los Angeles area, according to the National Weather Service. The heaviest snow is expected to fall in the Ventura County area, where a foot or more of wet snow is expected in parts, according to forecasters.
The storm was first reported about 10 a.m. CDT Thursday morning. The Weather Service called for up to three days of heavy rain along parts of the coast from Santa Barbara to San Diego. A winter storm warning was issued for the San Diego area through Friday morning.
As of Thursday afternoon, the storm was expected to bring a high of around 100, with 30-mph gusts in the early evening and early hours of Friday, according to the weather service.
It would be the third time this month that the Weather Service issued a super-cell warning, after one was issued in late January and another in Mid-March. The most recent storm dumped around half a foot of snow in the San Gabriel Mountains and nearly a foot on Lake Tahoe, according to the weather service.
“We expect this one to be a little bit bigger than the January one because this one has more wind than water,” Weather Service meteorologist Matt Moore said during Thursday’s conference call with the media.
The forecast for the rest of the week remains uncertain for the San Diego area.
“The forecast for the rest of the week looks kind of shaky, so just be prepared to plan if you have to evacuate,” Moore said during the news conference. “This might be one of the biggest weather events in years.”
Officials said the storm was likely to have some impact on the rest of the country, including California, because of the storm’s projected path, CNN meteorologist Ed DiMartino said.
“A majority of the rain will fall in the Southwest, and it looks like parts of Mexico could get some rainfall,” DiMartino said.
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