An ‘abnormal,’ monsoon-like weather pattern hits Southern California
This article is more than 1 year old
This article is more than 1 year old
Heavy snow and rain are expected in some parts of Southern California through Tuesday, bringing a rare, abnormal weather pattern known as an “abnormal monsoon” and bringing the threat of life-threatening fire weather.
The so-called “abnormally heavy” weather will bring up to 18 inches of snow and up to 10 inches in the mountains to parts of both San Bernardino and Riverside counties, according to the NWS’s Pacific Region.
As it moved over the areas north and east of Los Angeles, the system was also dubbed a “widespread” and “sustained” one, the NWS said.
The weather is expected to end shortly after 6 pm (2 am AEDT) on Tuesday, with a slight chance of showers and snow showers in downtown Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley, and less than a 20% chance of rain in the San Gabriel and Inland Empire areas.
In Southern California, a wet weather advisory is in effect until 4 pm (12 pm Sunday), with a high near 90 degrees and a low near 63 degrees. A flood watch is in effect until 5 pm (1 pm Sunday), and then at 7 pm (3 pm Sunday), the rains are expected to subside.
Inland Empire fires threaten homes but not life
The rains are the latest in a series of storms to hit Southern California over the past two weeks.
A series of weather events from the month of September has been called a “very unusual” to “extreme” weather event.
The first three rounds of storms were classified as a “very unusual” and caused thousands of homes to burn. In the past three days, fire officials said more than 100 homes were destroyed due to the extreme conditions.
As of Monday morning, five fire zones had been approved for burns, with more than 400 structures under threat, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.