Socal burn areas brace for big storm

LOS ANGELES (TNS) – An atmospheric river that forecasters are billing as the biggest storm of the season is expected to drench Southern California beginning tonight and will bring with it the potential for mud flows and widespread flooding, the National Weather Service said.

The storm, which is fueled by warm, western Pacific waters, will deliver nonstop rain across much of California and provide some relief to areas that have seen a resurgence in drought conditions.

Outside of storms in November and January, California has suffered an abysmal rainy season. State officials say it would take a “March miracle” of heavy rains to rescue the state from its water doldrums.

While it may be too early to declare this month a miracle, data show that recent precipitation has improved the state’s water supply.

On March 1, California’s snowpack – a significant source of natural water storage – stood at about 25 percent of average. By Monday, it was nearly twice that at 48 percent.

Since Oct. 1, this is the only month when rainfall has met or exceeded its average across the entire Sierra Nevada. It has rained 8 or more inches in the northern Sierra and San Joaquin river basins and more than 5 inches in the Tulare Lake basin since the beginning of the month, according to the Department of Water Resources.

While the precipitation is a welcome addition to California’s water supply, the rain poses a more immediate danger for communities living beneath burn scars in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, which just four months ago suffered wildfires.

The Thomas fire grew to become the state’s largest recorded wildfire and scorched the mountains around the Ojai Valley in Ventura County and mountains above Summerland and Montecito in Santa Barbara County.