The National Weather Service is forecasting more rain for Santa Cruz County this week as an atmospheric river that had pounded the Pacific Northwest shifts south.
After a brief dry spell on Thursday, the forecast calls for half an inch of rain on Friday for much of the county, with an additional inch of precipitation anticipated in the Santa Cruz Mountains. A second weather system is predicted to arrive on Friday, with rain continuing through Saturday afternoon.
Although NWS meteorologists say there is still some uncertainty in the forecast, a third system, the most potent of the three, looks set to arrive on Sunday and continue through Tuesday. Residents can expect wind and up to 4 inches of rain, with 6 inches of rain expected for the Santa Cruz Mountains.
“We aren’t anticipating any of the major river systems to flood because there is a lot of capacity to get to flood stage,” said Roger Gass, a meteorologist at the federal agency.
Gass recommends securing any outdoor furniture and holiday decorations and preparing for an unsettled weather pattern to continue through the rest of the year. Rain is expected on Christmas Day – next Thursday, Dec. 25 – so forecasters are advising caution for holiday travelers.
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