BIG STORM IN CALIFORNIA!!!!

Seriously folks, this storm looks big. Was checking out the latest model data, and I expect that we will see a lot of rain and wind from the upcoming series of storms. We have 3 different systems affecting the area, and the second in line will be the most potent. Because I live in Los Angeles, I am going to focus on that area.

Here's what I expect:

The first pulse of energy slides through tonight, bringing with it the chance for some rain.

Tomorrow, the second and strongest system begins to slide down from the central California coast. I am expecting winds to increase through the day to a sustained 20 to 30 mph. If we look at winds at the 850 mb level, which is about 1500 ft (roughly) off the ground, we see sustained winds between 40 and 50 mph. With lots of vertical motions in this storm, I wouldn't be surprised to see some of this higher momentum air brought to the surface periodically. As a result, don't be surprised to see gusts in the Los Angeles area up to 40 or 50 mph. When we head to canyons, passes and mountains, all bets are off. With a strong southerly flow, we can expect lots of orographic enhancement in terms of precipitation. What this means is that as air flows towards the mountain and is forced to rise, the air will wring out even more precipitation. This is sort of like squeezing a wet sponge of all the remaining water. In coasts and valleys of the Los Angeles area, expect anywhere from 2 to 5 inches of rain. When we look at regions experiencing orographic enhancement, I wouldn't be surprised if we saw up to 10 inch rainfall amounts!!!!! And lest we forget the wind! This will be a storm to remember.

The last pulse, which is the middle sister in terms of strength, will bring with it another chance of rain. This system will be much colder, so we could see snow levels dipping to about 4000 ft. Expect rainfall amounts to measure from .5 to 1.5 inches.

Anyways, I based this forecast on a cursory look at all model data. I am a little crunched on time, but this is my best guess at the moment. Oh, and wish me luck! I am flying back to Los Angeles from Boston, and I expect to land just when the height of Friday's storm begins to pick up! Ughhh!!!! Let's just hope the pilots know what they are doing!