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Northern California is getting walloped, but SoCal's rain should be downright pleasant
Rainfall totals will be pretty low, but certainly enough to ameliorate fire concerns for a bit.
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National Weather Service
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While Northern California deals with flash floods and debris flows from a particularly strong atmospheric river, Southern California's anticipated rainfall shouldn't be anything but beneficial.
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Northern California is getting walloped, but SoCal's rain should be downright pleasant
The low-key rainstorm will start Friday night, pick up through Saturday, and wrap up by Sunday before another storm comes through with a bit more strength on Monday. We could also see some drizzle on Tuesday or Wednesday.
Recently burned areas usually present the biggest mudslide concerns, but rainfall totals shouldn't reach problematic levels this time around. Expect to see debris flows within the Bridge, Airport, Line, and Mountain fire burns scars whenever rainfall exceeds a .2 inch per 15 minute threshold in the coming months.
"Those are relatively low rainfall thresholds compared to other parts of the Western United States that we did assessments with this year," said Matthew Thomas, a research hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey.
If intense rainfall hits one of these areas — be it from an atmospheric river or a thunderstorm — anticipate problems.
By the time things dry up next week, we'll likely have seen between 3/4 to 1 inch of rain across most areas.
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While this moisture will ease fire weather for a bit, it's not enough to end the fire season.
Drive safely
Here's some advice on driving in the rain:
- Check weather and road conditions all along your planned route.
- Slow down.
- Keep a wider-than-usual distance between your vehicle and the one in front.
- Don't drive through standing water — as little as 12 inches of rushing water can carry away most cars, and two feet can carry away SUVs and trucks.
- Make sure tires are fully inflated.
- Check windshield wiper blades and replace if necessary.
Read more: What you should do if you end up driving in a flooded area
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