Heavy rainstorms in Southern California this week, not enough to slake drought

A pair of rain storms are set to sweep through Southern California starting Wednesday night.

National Weather Service meteorologist Stuart Seto says the coast could see 1 to 2 inches of rain and the mountains could see up to 4 inches before the weekend is over. 

"We need it a lot, but this is just going to kind of wet the grass for us. It's not going to put an end to anything. The more snow we get in the mountains, though, that's what's going to be our long-term effect," Seto said.

Southern California is still behind in terms of the normal amount of rainfall during the winter season. "This isn't the first year we've been behind. It's probably going to take another good couple of seasons where we get good heavy rainfall in the winter time to ease this drought," said Seto.

Downtown Los Angeles has recorded less than an inch and a quarter of rain (1.20 inches) since July — more than 9 inches below normal. ​Angelenos can expect rain after midnight on Wednesday, followed by more rain Thursday morning and a slight chance of rain on Friday.

By Saturday, heavier amounts of rain can be expected to last through the weekend. There will be a 40 percent chance of rain showers on Sunday, says Seto. 

Seto recommends taking precautions in anticipation of the rain. He suggests cleaning out gutters and making sure that drainage areas are free from debris.