A “bomb cyclone” riding a long atmospheric river toward the West Coast is expected to bring more than a foot of rain to parts of Northern California and 30-foot waves to the Oregon coast, but the weather wouldn’t be so devastating. And around Los Angeles, the latest forecast models show.
A “bomb cyclone” – a rapidly intensifying storm system – is now poised to hit the northern half of the Golden State starting Wednesday morning. The rain is carried toward the California coast by atmospheric rivers, essentially like long drops of water in the sky.
Atmospheric rivers can bring large amounts of rain to Southern California, but the river appears to stagnate in the north. So while it’s raining there, we’re only at the “southern edge” of the system, said National Weather Service Oxnard/Los Angeles meteorologist Brian Lewis.
“We could see a little bit more heavy rain, over 2 inches in some areas. But it’s a little different story (than Northern California) and we’re on the southern edge of it, so there’s some uncertainty. ”’ Lewis explained.
Rain is expected to hit the Los Angeles area late Friday and early Saturday, Lewis said.
The areas most likely to see rain are in the mountains of Southern California. He explained that landslides and debris flows are not a major risk with this storm system, as it is unlikely to bring a lot of rain in a short period of time.
“It’s looking like a bit of a long-term thing with cloudy skies and occasional rain,” Lewis said.
Waves in Southern California are also not expected to be as dramatic as those on the Oregon coast, with high surf warnings predicting breaking waves 25 to 30 feet high. Sea conditions were dangerous for small boats Tuesday afternoon, but no high surf advisories were in effect for the coast.
