Heavy Rains/Flood Warning For Santa Barbara And Montecito Mountains

...A SERIES OF UNUSUALLY WET PACIFIC STORM SYSTEMS WILL IMPACT
SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA WITH STRONG WINDS AND VERY HEAVY RAINS
THROUGH AT LEAST THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK...

A HIGHLY PERSISTENT PLUME OF VERY DEEP SUBTROPICAL MOISTURE COULD
PRODUCE SOME OF THE HIGHEST RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS THIS REGION
HAS SEEN IN RECENT YEARS. THROUGH THE WEEKEND...RAINFALL
ACCUMULATIONS ALONG THE COASTS WILL RANGE ONLY IN THE 2 TO 4 INCH
RANGE...BUT MUCH HIGHER AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED IN THE MOUNTAINS...
ESPECIALLY ALONG THE SOUTH AND WEST FACING SLOPES. DUE TO THE
SUBTROPICAL NATURE OF THIS SYSTEM...OROGRAPHIC ENHANCEMENT OF THE
RAINFALL WILL BE EXTREME WITH 4 TO 8 INCH AMOUNTS EXPECTED TO BE
WIDESPREAD IN THE FOOTHILLS AND MOUNTAINS. LOCAL AMOUNTS IN EXCESS
OF 10 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE. THIS AMOUNT OF RAIN COULD BRING SOME
AREAS TO NEAR SATURATION...AND THIS IS JUST THROUGH THE WEEKEND.

WHILE RAINS ARE EXPECTED TO TAPER OFF IN MANY AREAS ON MONDAY...
MODERATE TO LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE OVER
EASTERN PORTIONS OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY...INCLUDING MOST OF THE SAN
GABRIEL MOUNTAINS. AN ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATION OF 2 TO 4 INCHES ARE
POSSIBLE IN THIS REGION. THIS WILL BRING THE TOTALS IN THE SAN
GABRIEL MOUNTAINS UP TO AROUND 12 INCHES BY LATE MONDAY...WITH MORE
STORMS EXPECTED THROUGH MID WEEK. PERIODS OF RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS
WITH LOCALLY HEAVY DOWNPOURS WILL BE POSSIBLE BOTH TUESDAY AND
WEDNESDAY AS A STRONG PACIFIC FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE REGION. SNOW
LEVELS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN ABOVE 7500 THROUGH TUESDAY. SNOW
LEVELS WILL LOWER TO AROUND 6500 FEET ON WEDNESDAY.

RAINFALL IN THESE AMOUNTS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE WIDESPREAD
AREAL FLOODING AND DANGEROUS DEBRIS FLOWS BELOW RECENT BURN AREAS.
INTERESTS IN AREAS PRONE TO FLOODING AND DEBRIS FLOWS NEED TO BE
PREPARED FOR THESE EVENTS.

ALONG WITH THE RAINS...WIDESPREAD AREAS OF STRONG WINDS ARE POSSIBLE
WITH THE WEEKEND STORM SYSTEM. WINDS ARE ALREADY INCREASING ALONG
THE CENTRAL COAST AND MOUNTAINS FRIDAY EVENING. AS THE EVENT
UNFOLDS...STRONG WINDS WILL CONTINUE IN THE MOUNTAINS...BUT THE
STRONGEST WINDS ALONG THE COASTS SHOULD SHIFT INTO THE CALIFORNIA
BIGHT SATURDAY EVENING AND SUNDAY.

RESIDENTS OF SOUTHWEST CALIFORNIA NEED TO BE AWARE THAT THE AMOUNT
OF RAIN EXPECTED WITH THESE STORM SYSTEMS WILL POSE A SIGNIFICANT
THREAT TO THE REGION. WATCHES...WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES ARE LIKELY
TO BE ISSUED THROUGH THE WEEKEND.

LINK TO NWS PAGE