'Pineapple Express' storms: One down, another looms. What to know

February is off to a wet start in the Coachella Valley, with nearly an inch of rain falling in some areas Thursday and forecasters saying the area could see even more precipitation from a second storm arriving early next week.

Rainfall totals varied considerably across the valley from Thursday's storm, which was the result of an atmospheric river. It dropped 0.53 inches at Palm Springs International Airport, 0.39 inches in Desert Hot Springs, 0.51 inches in Palm Desert, 0.31 inches near Thermal and 0.19 inches in Indio Hills.

The highest totals were seen west and north of the valley with 0.98 inches recorded at the Whitewater Trout Farm, 0.9 inches at Morongo Valley and 0.79 inches at Windy Point on the northwest side of Palm Springs.

National Weather Service Meteorologist Jon Suk also said 1 to 2 inches of snow were reported around Idyllwild.

Storm closes tram, Palm Springs wash roads

Around the Coachella Valley, water pooled on some roads and flooded others, although the area was spared of the widespread road closures that have resulted from other recent storms. Flooding did eventually close the Palm Springs arteries through the Whitewater Wash that typically flood in rain: Indian Canyon Drive, North Gene Autry Trail and Vista Chino. Indian Canyon Drive reopened Friday around noon, but the other two roadways remained closed as of midday.

A more serious impact of the storm was seen in the mountains to the west, where floodwater damaged a portion of roadway leading up to the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway.

Greg Purdy, the tram's vice president of marketing and public affairs, said the storm caused a large pothole to form along the road before the tramway's security gate. Tramway officials said Friday they were unsure if the tram would reopen Saturday, as workers are expected to evaluate the damage Friday.

Over 3 inches fell in some coastal, mountain spots

While the storm brought plenty of rain to the Coachella Valley, its totals paled in comparison to what was seen to the west. The wettest spot appeared to be Palomar Mountain near San Diego, which saw 3.34 inches of precipitation that fell as both rain and snow. Next to the mountain areas, Anaheim also saw some of the highest rainfall totals. Most places of Orange County, meanwhile, received at least 2 inches, Suk said.

UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain wrote on social media that the storm had resulted in flooding across Southern California, particularly in and around Long Beach.

More: Raining on your vacation? Things to do in the valley despite bad weather

What's next?

While the showers were gradually replaced by sunshine Friday morning, meteorologists said the valley should brace for a second round of atmospheric river-driven storms that could drop even more rain than it saw Thursday.

Suk said current forecasts show the rain could start sometime Monday morning and continue through Tuesday and possibly even into Wednesday. He said that it currently looks like the storm, which is moving slower than the one that came through Thursday, will drop over an inch of rain on Palm Springs and Cathedral City and around three-quarters of an inch on Indio and Palm Desert.

"Because it's a slower system, the odds of it dropping more rain than the last storm is looking better, just because it's going to be over Southern California longer," he said.

Depending on just how slow the storm moves, Suk said it was also possible the Coachella Valley could see rain into Wednesday and Thursday, although that was less clear as of Friday.

But if the rainfall does come as expected, the Coachella Valley could blow pass its average rainfall for February less than a week in. On average, Palm Springs International Airport receives about 1.11 inches of rain in the month, its second rainiest after January.

Of course, heavy rain always bring the risk of flooding to the desert, and Suk said that remains the case with this storm. He said that while the drawn-out nature of the storm could reduce the risk of flash flooding, it's still possible that areas will see rapid amounts of accumulation leading to flash floods.

And next week's storm is again expected to drop much more rain closer to the coast than in the desert.

Suk said Santa Barbara is expected to see the most rain, with the storm arriving there sometime Saturday night and bringing as much as three inches. The precipitation amounts decrease to the south with Los Angeles expected to see around an inch of rain, but just a tenth of an inch expected in San Diego.

Swain, meanwhile, said the upcoming storm "has much greater potential for more widespread and more serious flooding/debris flows."

Suk cautioned that the storm's arrival was still far enough out that its exact impacts on specific areas remain difficult to predict and are subject to change. But he said it is increasingly clear that both the Coachella Valley and the region as a whole are looking at a significant multi-day rainfall event.

Such an event, he said, could go a long way in helping the Coachella Valley and the rest of Southern California stay out of a drought (only far eastern areas near the Arizona border are currently considered to be in one) and decreasing the likelihood of fires as drier weather does move in during spring.

"Generally speaking, the more rain we have over a long period of time, the better we are looking," he said.

Paul Albani-Burgio covers growth, development and business in the Coachella Valley. Follow him on Twitter at @albaniburgiop and email him at paul.albani-burgio@desertsun.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: 'Pineapple Express' storms in Palm Springs area. Rain totals, forecast