SAN DIEGO – Moisture from the remnants of Tropical Storm Mario began pushing into Southern California on Wednesday, bringing cloudy skies, scattered showers and the potential for thunderstorms through Friday.
Satellite imagery showed an extensive mass of clouds and precipitation streaming in from the south and southwest, where Mario was once designated as a tropical cyclone over the Eastern Pacific.
Rainfall is to remain scattered, but some communities, especially in higher terrain, could see as much as an inch or 2 of precipitation. Others may struggle to record more than a tenth of an inch.
Localized heavy downpours could cause brief flooding, though a widespread flooding event is not anticipated.
“We’ve got a 1 out of 4 on a bad scale when you’re talking about flash flooding,” said FOX Weather Meteorologist Bob Van Dillen.
Southwest expected precipitation.
(FOX Weather)
The National Weather Service issued Flash Flood Watches for roughly 6 million residents from the Interstate 10 corridor northward to near Interstate 80.
The alerts cover many desert and mountain communities and do not include downtown Los Angeles or San Diego.
Mario reached peak intensity earlier this week while well off the coast of Mexico, with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph, but the storm quickly weakened after encountering cooler sea surface temperatures and drier air.
Because of lingering dry air over the Southwest and what has been a tepid monsoon season, meteorologists say rainfall accumulations from Mario’s remnants are not expected to be significant enough to provide long-term drought relief.
“This should help out a little bit,” Van Dillen said. I don’t think it’s going to be enough to bust a drought.”
Southwest flood alerts
(FOX Weather)
MARIO FIZZLES ALONG MEXICO’S PACIFIC COAST, BUT STILL DRENCHES SHORELINES WITH HEAVY RAINS
Temperatures across Southern California are expected to take a noticeable dip under the influence of cloud cover and increased humidity.
Forecast models show daytime highs running 5-10 degrees below seasonal averages, with 70s along the coast, 80s for inland valleys, and lower 90s across desert communities.
By Friday, forecasters expect coastal areas to dry out, while lingering showers and isolated thunderstorms remain possible in parts of the deserts and interior Southwest, including around Las Vegas.
Heading into the weekend, conditions will begin to rebound with sunnier skies and a warming trend.
Highs are expected to climb back into the 80s along the coast, 90s inland and well over 100 degrees in the desert communities, which is more characteristic for September.
Southwest drought monitor
(FOX Weather)
