Second winter storm maintains pattern of rain, snow in Ventura County

After a powerful winter storm pelted Ventura County with rain and dusted local mountain ranges with snow, a second, weaker system is set to affect the region through Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.

Forecasts indicate coasts and valleys will receive anywhere between 0.75 and 1.25 inches of rain, while foothills and mountains could see 1 to 2 inches of total rain, with up to 3 inches possible in some places.

The rain will further increase rainfall totals from last week's storm, which brought 2-4 inches of rainfall in the western half of the county, 4-6 inches in the eastern half and up to 12 inches in parts of the Ventura County mountains.

The recent rainfall has spiked the amount of water in Lake Casitas to approximately 45% of its capacity as of Sunday, according to data from the California Department of Water Resources. Although the manmade reservoir currently boasts its highest water levels since 2019, it remains at 59% of its historical average capacity.

In addition to rain, the current storm is expected to cause 6-12 inches of snowfall above 5,000 feet elevation, with some localized spots receiving up to 18 inches. Between 3,000 and 5,000 feet elevation snowfall will reach 2-6 inches, though snow could fall as low as 1,500 to 2,000 feet elevation by Wednesday.

"We're going to get quite a bit more snow out of it," said David Gomberg, a meteorologist with the weather service's office in Oxnard. The low elevation snowfall could impact mountain roadways such as the Grapevine along Highway 5 and parts of Highway 33 north of Ojai, Gomberg added.

Temperatures will remain consistent with the past few days, with highs between 50 to 55 degrees along the coasts and valleys while lingering in the 30s up in the mountains. After winding down Wednesday, a warming and drying trend is expected to arrive starting Thursday, according to forecasts.

Jeremy Childs is the East County Reporter for the Ventura County Star, covering the communities of Thousand Oaks, Moorpark and Simi Valley. He occasionally covers courts, public safety and breaking news. He can be reached at 805-437-0208, jeremy.childs@vcstar.com, and on Twitter @Jeremy_Childs.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Ventura County winter storm keeps pattern of rain, snow through Monday