Storm Bearing Rain and Mountain Snow Moving Into California and Beyond

It is not quite yet the dry season for California and the West. This will be evident this week as a late-season storm brings rain and mountain snow to much of California before moving into the Southwest. Read on for a closer look at the timing and impact zones of this weather pattern.

Storm Brewing Off the Coast of California

A major storm system originating in the Pacific will crawl toward California late in the week, moving inland over the weekend with rain and high-elevation snow. Although this storm event will pale in comparison to some of the stronger storms from earlier in the season, the prolonged duration of the system will translate to several days of rain showers for the hardest-hit areas.

The moisture will put a wrench into beach outings and other outdoor plans. However, the rain and snow are good news for local officials worried about drought and wildfire threats.

Most of the western third of the country will see dry weather prevail through the middle of the week. The exception to this is the chance of lingering rain showers and thunderstorms for portions of New Mexico and Colorado through late Tuesday.

The plentiful sunshine will amplify the warming trend spreading through much of the interior West and beyond. For example, Las Vegas can expect highs in the 90s through at least Wednesday. Increasing clouds will work to bring down the temperatures beginning on Thursday for some areas. Phoenix will likely remain in the 90s until Saturday.

A stubborn marine layer has kept the mercury in the 70s for much of the California coast this week. Both Los Angeles and San Diego have been under the low cloud cover well into the afternoon hours, suppressing the temperatures slightly.

The overall threat of flash flooding and mudslides is not high with this storm. However, areas that see times of heavy rain will not be completely out of the danger zone.

Last month's record-breaking heat wave has left much of the vegetation parched and vulnerable to wildfires. Any rain that falls will help to mitigate the risk of wildfire worries in the short term.

Although this particular storm is not packing a great deal of moisture, the slow-moving nature of the system means that the rain will linger. The clouds coming along with the storm will also work to keep temperatures in check for the next few days.

Snow will be limited to the high terrains in the Southwest. This is not expected to be a major snow event, as temperatures are growing increasingly warmer in the mountainous regions.