(The Center Square) – A storm this weekend is expected to bring between three and six inches of rain through Saturday in Southern California, creating risks of debris flows. Evacuation warnings were issued for burn scar areas.
So far the storm, which started overnight Thursday, produced light rain and a chance of thunderstorms in coastal counties such as Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego. Showers were also likely Friday night up north in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, the National Weather Service reported. Rain was also likely and thunderstorms possible in inland counties such as Riverside and San Bernardino.
Winds as fast as 20 mph were predicted for some areas.
The chance of rain in Southern California is expected to decrease Sunday, with more precipitation following on Monday and possibly on Wednesday night and Thursday, the weather service said. Wednesday is expected to be mostly sunny.
Along with the rain comes lower temperatures. Highs are expected to around the low 60s, with weather a few degrees warmer down south in Orange and San Diego counties. It’s the opposite story up north in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, with highs around the mid- to upper 50s.
Farther north, there was a smaller chance of rain throughout the weekend in San Francisco, the weather service reported.
In anticipation of the storm, Gov. Gavin Newsom Thursday pre-deployed emergency response crews in Los Angeles, Ventura and Orange counties.
The pre-deployment included 274 personnel, 18 engines, three urban search-and-rescue companies, six bulldozers, three swift water teams, three helicopters and five dispatchers, Newsom’s office reported in a news release. Those resources will stay in place through 8 a.m. Sunday.
The rain fell as the state tackled the third of three recent wildfires in eastern California.
The Pack Fire started Thursday afternoon in Mono County, located between the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Nevada border. The blaze burned 3,000 acres and damaged 15 structures, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The fire is 5% contained, CalFire reported Friday morning. A total of 368 personnel and 30 engines was assigned to fight the blaze.
Fifteen structures were damaged, and evacuation orders remained in effect for the Long Valley and McGee communities.
Progress was made in fighting two much smaller fires. The 372-acre Gianelli Fire, which started Nov. 2 in the Stanislaus National Forest in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, was 40% contained, the National Forest Service reported Thursday on Facebook. The blaze is in Tuolumne County, where the forest service reported there was moderate to heavy rain falling over the fire’s perimeter.
The 10-acre Highline Fire, which began Nov. 9 in Imperial County in far southeastern California, was 70% contained, CalFire reported Monday.
