Los Angeles — California was bracing for yet another "Pineapple Express" storm late Saturday, which may bring more danger in the form of flooding and mudslides in the days to come.
Residents of California have been busy getting ready for what may be the worst storm of the season, with the worst predicted to strike Ventura and Santa Barbara counties on Sunday and Monday. Preparations began on Friday and continued over the weekend. By Saturday afternoon, the majority of the state was placed under a flood, surf, or wind watch.
An atmospheric river, a lengthy band of precipitation that builds over the Pacific, will once again hammer the state this week with this storm. On Wednesday, the first storm made landfall in the San Francisco Bay Area, bringing with it heavy snowfall and torrential downpours that grounded cable car operations. By Thursday, the storm had made its way south to San Diego and Los Angeles.
Extreme flooding, massive waves that devastated coastal towns, and unprecedented snowfall that buried structures were all effects of the many atmospheric rivers that broke the state's drought last winter. Losses of almost twenty lives
The National Weather Service predicted that this air river, which is dubbed the "Pineapple Express" because to its plume of moisture that runs across the Pacific to near Hawaii, will reach Northern California on Saturday afternoon. From Saturday night into Sunday, high winds and heavy rain were predicted.
On Sunday morning, the storm is expected to make its way south down the Central Coast before making landfall in the Los Angeles area. The region may expect heavy rains, flash floods, and snowfall in higher elevations in the mountains
On Monday, it will likely hit areas farther south, in San Diego and Orange County. From now until Tuesday, Southern California should anticipate heavy to moderate rain.
The coastal and valley portions of Southern California should expect 3 to 6 inches (7.6 to 15.2 cm) of rainfall, while the foothills and mountains can get 6 to 12 inches (15.2 to 30.5 cm) of precipitation, according to the National Weather Service. The forecast rate of rainfall is between half an inch and one inch (1.3 to 2.5 cm) per hour, with greater rates in some areas. According to meteorologists, floods, debris flows, and mudslides are all on the horizon.
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