It's Back, Rain is On The Way

Another in a series of small but mighty winter storms is about to unwind over the Southland, according to the National Weather Service. 

Locals should brace for a cold Pacific storm that forecasters expect will move slowly across Southern California with showers early Monday morning and heavier rain in the afternoon through Tuesday. The winter storm is also expected to generate heavy snowfall and create perilous driving conditions in the Antelope Valley and on mountain roads. 

Temps in Cerritos and Artesia will range from the mid 40s to mid 60s, according to the National Weather Service. 

A Sunday afternoon reassessment of weather models showed that the incoming "cut-off low pressure system'' was stronger and colder than first thought, one meteorologist said. A cut-off low is the weatherman's woe, "and we are doing a lot of crying right now,'' joked NWS forecaster David Sweet.

Such a description defines the weather pattern that deposits a spinning storm system over Southern California, cut off from the high-altitude jet stream winds that generally sweep from west to east across this continent.

Along with rain and snow, the storm could produce rip currents, waterspouts and thunderstorms accompanied by heavy downpours, lightning, and erratic winds, according to the National Weather Service.

A winter storm warning, indicating severe winter weather conditions are occurring or expected, went into effect this morning in the San Gabriel mountains in both Los Angeles and Ventura counties and was scheduled to expire at noon Tuesday.

Thanks to a couple of early season rains, the Los Angeles is ahead of its seasonal rainfall norm so far, with about 2.75 cumulative inches at the USC weather station since July 1. The basin historically averages about 15 inches of rain per year.

- City News Service