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What to Know
- The most significant rain of the season in Los Angeles arrives this week.
- The brunt of the storm will bring widespread rain starting Thursday morning with peak intensity expected later in the day.
- A flash flood watch goes into effect for much of the region at 1 p.m. Thursday through 4 a.m. Friday.
- Heavy downpours could trigger slides on hillsides stripped of vegetation by Southern California wildfires.
Flash flood watches will go into effect later this week for Los Angeles and widespread parts of Southern California as a powerful storm brings significant rain to the region.
Rain will being Wednesday before a flash flood watch that starts Thursday afternoon and continues through the night for most of the Los Angeles area. High rainfall rates could trigger flash flooding and slides in vulnerable burn scar areas, such as Altadena and Pacific Palisades.
Rainfall timeline
Clouds are expected to cover most of the region starting Wednesday, with as much as a half-inch of rain possible. The brunt of the storm will arrive Thursday, with widespread rain likely to impact the area for about 36 hours. The rain will turn to showers on Friday, decreasing that afternoon.
A flash flood watch goes into effect for much of the region at 1 p.m. Thursday through 4 a.m. Friday. A flash flood watch indicates conditions that could lead to flash flooding. A flash flood warning, which could be issued during the storm, indicates flooding is happening or imminent.
- Wednesday: Steady light to moderate rain and mountain snow.
- Thursday morning: Widespread rain, some showers on the heavier side.
- Thursday afternoon and evening: Peak rain intensity, highest risk of flooding problems and burn scar debris flows. Gusty winds are in the forecast.
- Friday: Lingering showers and mountain snow.
The storm could drop 1.5 to 3 inches across much of the region, with more than 3 inches in the coastal foothills and mountains.
Snow levels will be at about 5,000 feet Wednesday, rising to 7,000 feet Thursday then falling back to about 5,000 feet. Higher elevations could see several feet” of snow.
High temperatures will be in the 50s each day of the storm, which is about 5 to 10 degrees below normal.
The region has been under severe to extreme drought conditions after a dry start to the wet season in Southern California. After two seasons of above-average rainfall, a months-long dry spell left hillsides covered in dry brush, providing fuel for wildfires.
The average annual rainfall in downtown LA is abou 14.25. In the 2022-2023 wet season, the region had 28.40 inches of rain followed by 25.19 inches of rain in 2023-2024. So far in this season, downtown LA is well below average.
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