Showers, chilly temps on tap for Ventura County

Staff reports
·2 min read
Drizzles dampened Mondos Beach north of Ventura in 2019. A low-impact storm system is forecast to bring up to an inch of rain to Ventura County starting Tuesday.
Drizzles dampened Mondos Beach north of Ventura in 2019. A low-impact storm system is forecast to bring up to an inch of rain to Ventura County starting Tuesday.

Rain showers and chillier temperatures are on track for Ventura County as a storm system is set to arrive Tuesday.

The low-impact system is expected to drop about a half-inch to an inch of rain around much of the county, said Tom Fisher, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Oxnard. Local mountains could see up to 2 inches, forecasters say.

The bulk of the rain will fall Tuesday afternoon into Tuesday night, Fisher said.

Overall, the showers will be beneficial, he said. Neither thunderstorms nor flooding are expected and snow levels will remain high.

The main impact will be potential ponding on roads. He advised motorists to be careful while driving.

Heavier rain is expected north of Ventura and Los Angeles counties. In San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, 1.5 to 3 inches are forecast for coasts and valleys, while mountains and hills could see 2 to 5 inches.

Temperatures that warmed up over the Christmas holiday weekend are expected to dip by about 15 to 20 degrees from Monday to Tuesday, the weather service reported.

Still, while temperatures will be below normal, Fisher said, they won't be nearly as chilly as what the region felt during the recent cold snap.

The storm, which Fisher described as a weak atmospheric river pattern, will bring a plume of moisture with the chance of showers through the week.

Periods of rain may alternate with dry spells, he said, with the timing and amounts difficult to predict.

More rain may drizzle again starting Saturday afternoon — on New Year's Eve — through Sunday morning. As of Monday, models showed another half-inch to an inch for Ventura County. But confidence in the forecast was low, Fisher said, and predictions will evolve during the week.

The storm system is also bringing elevated surf, with waves up to 6-12 feet possible along the Central Coast. A high surf advisory issued Monday is in effect locally until 3 a.m. Thursday.

This story may be updated.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Showers, colder temperatures on tap for Ventura County