Southern California Braces for Humidity and Potential Flash Floods
Oxnard, California — Southern California is expected to experience increased humidity and unstable weather conditions this week due to moisture from Tropical Storm Mario. The National Weather Service (NWS) has warned that this shift could lead to thunderstorm activity, flash floods, and even dry-lightning strikes.
Rich Thompson, a meteorologist with the NWS in Oxnard, stated, “The next several days, we’re getting the remnants of the energy from Tropical Storm Mario. It’s giving us this threat of thunderstorms.” He added that localized flooding and debris flows are likely, especially near recent burn scars.
The NWS has issued a flash flood watch for much of inland Southern and Central California, including the Santa Monica Mountains, effective from Thursday morning to Friday morning. The watch warns that excessive rainfall can lead to the flooding of rivers and other low-lying areas.
Forecasters anticipate that areas in Los Angeles and Ventura counties could receive up to half an inch of rain from Wednesday to Friday, with some mountainous regions potentially seeing up to an inch. Certain locations may experience as much as two inches of rainfall, depending on storm intensity.
Thompson noted that the unsettled weather may feel reminiscent of Florida, albeit with less heat and humidity. “It’s just going to be a bit more uncomfortable with that extra humidity moving in,” he explained.
As of Wednesday morning, forecasters tracked storms moving along the San Luis Obispo County coast, resulting in dry-lightning strikes, particularly over the Gifford fire footprint, which has burned 131,000 acres this year and is now 98% contained. Dry lightning poses a significant concern for potential fire outbreaks.
Conditions may worsen by Friday, as another tropical system is forming off Mexico’s west coast. Kristan Lund, another meteorologist from the NWS’s Oxnard office, indicated that this could lead to renewed wet weather in California by Sunday and Monday.
With rain unusual for this time of year, California is bracing for above-average precipitation, particularly in areas already marked by dry conditions. This pattern is expected to bring a mix of rain and thunderstorms across the region.
