Storm Builds Momentum for Holiday Disruption (Image Credits: Flickr)
Southern California – Residents and travelers prepared for a significant weather event as a potent atmospheric river storm barreled toward the region, promising heavy rainfall and strong winds over the holiday period.
Storm Builds Momentum for Holiday Disruption
The National Weather Service issued warnings about the incoming system, which forecasters described as one of the strongest to target the area during Christmas week in recent years. This atmospheric river, drawing moisture from the Pacific, began influencing Northern and Central California on Monday before shifting southward. Officials noted a 90 percent chance of moderate to heavy rain across Southern California, with the storm’s core expected to linger through Saturday.
By Tuesday morning, scattered showers had already dotted the landscape, but the real intensity arrived later that day. Winds gusting up to 50 miles per hour accompanied the downpours, raising concerns for power outages and structural damage in exposed areas. Meteorologists emphasized that the system’s prolonged nature set it apart from typical winter fronts, potentially leading to saturated soils and heightened flood risks.
Timeline of the Approaching Onslaught
The storm unfolded in phases, starting with lighter precipitation on Christmas Eve that escalated overnight. Heaviest rainfall rates, reaching half an inch to one inch per hour, struck between midnight Tuesday and noon Wednesday, according to the latest models from the National Weather Service’s Oxnard office. This peak period targeted coastal and foothill communities, where urban runoff could overwhelm storm drains…