The National Weather Service is forecasting more rain and high winds this week amid a historically wet winter that brought rain, snow and minor floods to the Santa Clarita Valley.
The forecast expects just under 1.7 inches of rain to fall on the SCV Monday through Wednesday night, accompanied by a high wind watch that will go into effect on Tuesday at 7 a.m. and last until 11 p.m. the same day.
Snow levels will roughly be around 7,000 feet during the day on Tuesday, but could drop to as low as 3,000 feet Tuesday night and into Wednesday. Areas such as the Tejon Pass have the potential to see up to 2 inches of snow.
Robbie Munroe, a meteorologist at the NWS’s Oxnard station, said the high winds coupled with the rain and snow will make for some pretty dangerous driving conditions and that residents should take caution when out on the road.
“In terms of impacts for the region, there’s moderate to high risk for minor flooding, urban and small streams, as well as urban flooding with this storm. And also, since we’ve seen storm after storm, rockslides and mudslides are likely for some steeper slopes and hillsides, canyons, that kind of thing,” said Munroe. “Then for the higher terrain, especially at about 6,000 feet, dangerous to impossible driving conditions are possible.”
Munroe also said there is also a potential for “significant avalanche threat” at these elevations.
“The periods of moderate, or maybe locally heavy rainfall and/or the heavy snow at the higher elevations combined with the winds can make driving very dangerous,” said Munroe.
Winds are expected to reach up to 60 mph in the valley, and at higher elevations they could reach up to 80 mph, according to Monroe.
