Santa Ana winds expected to continue gusting across much of the Southland Tuesday, beginning a week of unsettled weather that is forecasted to include more rain in the saturated region, including the likelihood of heavy rains falling on the normally sunny Rose Parade in Pasadena.
The National Weather Service has extended wind advisories for the Los Angeles area through 3 p.m. Tuesday followed by rainy weather on Wednesday.
“A return to wet weather is expected Wednesday as moisture from off the coast of Mexico gets pulled up into southern California,” said the NWS. “Onset time is still in question, but no later than Wednesday evening. Some light rain is possible as early as Wednesday morning, especially far western areas as the hi res models show the initial trajectory farther to the west over the Channel Islands and Central Coast, but then shifting east during the afternoon and evening.”
The windy conditions will give way to rain by mid-week, with the NWS calling for “periods of light to moderate rain” beginning Wednesday or Wednesday night and continuing into Saturday. Forecasters said roughly 1 to 3 inches of rain is possible by week’s end in coastal and valley areas, with 2 to 5 inches possible in the mountains.
Rains forecasted to begin lightly Wednesday and increase in intensity through the week with the heaviest downpours slated for New Year’s Day.
“Precipitable waters rise quickly Wednesday night, rising to between 1.25 and 1.5″ through New Years Day,” according to the NWS. “This will be the period of heaviest rainfall with this storm, but likely still at least 50% lighter than the last event.”
Given last week’s storms that saturated the ground in many areas, authorities again warned of possible mud and debris flows from the upcoming rain.
According to The Weather Channel, there is a 77% chance of rain in Pasadena for New Year’s Eve and 98% on New Year’s Day — raising the possibility of a soggy Rose Parade. If the forecast holds, it will be the first time rain has fallen on the floral procession since 2006. The parade has traditionally managed to avoid precipitation, with rain dampening the event less than a dozen times in its previous 136 years.
NWS forecasters said people heading for the parade should expect to get wet.
“… The chances of a wet New Year’s parade, and including the night before when people came out before the parade, are extremely high, 80-90% at this point,” forecasters said in a statement Monday afternoon.