Another Storm to Hit County

The brief respite from the rain is coming to an end as another strong Pacific storm is expected to drench Ventura County through at least tonight, bringing more snow to the mountains and possible mudslides and flooding along the coast.

“The heaviest stuff will likely start falling in the afternoon,� said Ray Tanabe, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Oxnard. “It’s looking like this is going to be a pretty good soaker.�

If the storm hits with full force, Tanabe said, coastal communities could receive 3 to 5 inches of rain and up to 8 inches could fall in the mountains above Ojai.

New snow was expected above 6,500 feet, he said.

“This could be one of the bigger ones we’ve seen this year,� said Stuart Seto, another federal meteorologist in Oxnard.

Satellite photos taken late Saturday afternoon showed the front stretching north to just below the Monterey peninsula and south off the coast of Ventura County. Rain is expected to continue through Monday with scattered showers expected Tuesday. Another storm could arrive by next weekend, officials said.

High winds and outer swells of at least 10 feet can be expected through Monday, and shore breakers should hit in 6- to 7-foot sets, officials said.

Street flooding and runoff from mountain streams are likely, along with possible mudslides in the Malibu area, Seto said.

“We’re going to have to keep an eye out for that,� Seto said. “If the rainfall amounts materialize, it could pose a lot of problems.�

Dark, cloudy skies shrouded the county most of Saturday but temperatures were slightly warmer.

The high was 63 degrees in Oxnard and 60 degrees in Simi Valley and at Point Mugu.