Southern California is bracing for a powerful storm system that will bring a range of severe weather conditions, from heavy rains and flooding to dangerous beach hazards. But before the storm hits, the region will enjoy a warm, dry weekend, with sunny skies and a slight drop in temperatures on Saturday. The storm is expected to arrive on Sunday night, with the strongest part of the system landing on Monday. Meteorologists are particularly concerned about the potential for brief thunderstorms and debris flows in recent burn scar areas. Through Tuesday, heavy rain, severe thunderstorms, and damaging wind gusts are possible, with rainfall lessening by Tuesday night and on-and-off precipitation continuing through Wednesday. By Wednesday night, the storm activity is expected to pick back up through Friday. The storm is predicted to have moderate effects, including increased traffic accidents, minor mudslides, and minor debris flow. An advisory has not yet been issued for Southern California beaches, but there is a strong chance of a high-surf advisory being issued from Monday to Thursday due to dangerous waves. Wave sets above 10 feet are possible across all Southern California beaches, with a 20% to 30% chance of damaging sets developing from Tuesday night through Wednesday night. The highest waves are predicted for the northwest-facing shores along the Central Coast. The Bay Area's coastline is already bracing for impact with a beach hazard warning in effect from Thursday night through Saturday morning, with officials alerting coastal communities of an increased risk for large waves and strong rip currents. The Bay Area will also experience gusts of wind exceeding 40 miles per hour in Big Sur and areas of higher terrain on Sunday, along with intermittent periods of rainfall. While heavy rains are expected, the storm system is not predicted to be as severe as the storm last Christmas, which set daily rainfall records around the region. That storm, known as the Pineapple Express, was forecast to be the strongest atmospheric river storm to hit Southern California in nearly two years, causing days-long flood watches and evacuation warnings in burn scar areas.
