El Niño Driven Storm Set to Drench Southern California and Southwest Deserts with Heavy Rainfall
Southern California and the Southwest deserts are preparing for a significant late-week storm, potentially the most substantial rainfall since Hurricane Hilary in August. This storm, linked to a strong El Niño, is expected to bring much-needed relief to drought-stricken areas in Arizona.
Since Hurricane Hilary, Southern California has experienced minimal rainfall, with downtown Los Angeles receiving only 0.41 inches. However, this upcoming storm is set to change that, beginning to affect the region from Wednesday. The storm’s center and colder air will stay off the coast, maintaining higher freezing levels. This will predominantly create rainy conditions, even in elevated areas like Donner Pass and Truckee, California
The storm will start impacting Southern California from Wednesday, intensifying by late Wednesday and Wednesday night in areas from San Luis Obispo to Santa Barbara. Los Angeles and San Diego will face the heaviest rain from Thursday to Friday.
As the storm moves, inland towards the weekend, it will bring rainfall to Southern parts of California, Nevada, and Arizona. Having received scant rainfall since September, Phoenix could see significant rain from this system. The Northwest will experience a few days of dry weather before a new storm brings colder air and snow to the passes in Washington and Oregon by Friday.
El Niño Driven Storm Set to Drench Southern California and Southwest Deserts: Actionable Insights on EigenPrism
All EigenPrism® users can assess the forecast using the following event footprints:
- Daily Peak Wind Gusts across North America as 2023-12-18
- North America 5-day Flood Potential as of 2023-12-18
- 72-Hr Forecast Freezing Rain Accumulation (90th Percentile) as of 2023-12-19
- 72-Hr Forecast Snow Accumulation (90th Percentile) as of 2023-12-19
- WPC 3-Day Excessive Rainfall Outlook as of 2023-12-19
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