UNITED STATES - The first storm trajectory directly attributed to El Niño's push are projected to hit California, Arizona, and New Mexico this week to bring some moisture to the coastal and southwestern regions.
While storms over the last couple months have been a prelude, with meteorologists continuing to report that "El Niño is coming," this is the first series of storms whose direction are directly linked to the weather pattern.
"The pattern in the West will remain quite active through the week," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Matt Rinde said in this morning’s report.
According to AccuWeather, rainfall will start in lightly this afternoon along the California coast, while snow is anticipated in Flagstaff, Arizona.
"While most of the rain and snow will fall at moderate rates with minimal impact, there will be heavier rain later Tuesday into Tuesday night which could cause some flooding in some of the hills surrounding Los Angeles," Rinde said.
Areas in the southern Arizona region could see up to half an inch of rain from today through tomorrow, with a few more storms to continue from tomorrow through Friday. These will bring heavier rainfall, as well as mountain snow, across all of California and into both Arizona and Mexico.
Flagstaff, Arizona, could receive between one to two feet of snow by the end of the week, while inches of rain can be expected in the following areas:
- Crescent City, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- Los Angeles, CA
- San Diego, CA
- Phoenix, AZ
The later storms also bring good news for ski and snowboard enthusiasts in the Southern California area.
"The storms during the second half of the week have the potential to unload one to three feet of snow on the mountains and ski resorts of Southern California," AccuWeather Meteorologist Dave Samuhel said.
The trajectory of the storms is being directly attributed to El Niño.
"The above-average temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean, known as El Niño, tends to strengthen the storm track into the West Coast and occasionally California during the winter," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said.
Strong winds aren’t expected with the storms, however the usual cautions for travel that come with the rainfall still stand with wet conditions on the roads in these areas.
