The National Weather Service is not mixing words. The graphic above tells the story. This particular storm has the potentioal for dangerous and threatening flooding Sunday and Monday. In parts of southern California, the nation’s weather agency is calling for 3 to 6 inches of rainfall, with up to a foot in elevated terrain. Additionally, rainfall intensity will be a significant hazard (up to 1.5 inches per hour). When I see rainfall rates and totals like this, it triggers my weather senses to the likelihood of dangerous flooding, landslides, and other high risk outcomes.

Southern California is, in some ways, a vulenerable recipe for flooding and landslides. It is a very urbanized, highly populated region with expansive impervious surfaces and a signifant landscape of mountains or foothills. In addition to flooding, the storm will also bring snow levels down to around 4000 feet in mountainous terrain.