Yet another storm is predicted to arrive in Long Beach Wednesday, following in the footsteps of last week’s atmospheric river and bringing cloudy skies, waterlogged streets and traffic tie-ups right in time for New Year’s.
The impacts are expected to be minor, at least when compared to the rains last week that brought more than 3.25 inches to the city and forced a state of emergency across the region. But there will be enough rainfall to dampen New Year’s Eve celebrations and frustrate local travelers.
Forecasters with the National Weather Service say the storm is charting up from the south along Mexico’s western coast in a path typical of summer tropical storms. On its current path, it should arrive sometime between late Tuesday and early Wednesday, bringing showers that will intensify through the latter evening.
“There’s a big blob of moisture down there off of Mexico that’s going to be leaning our way,” said Mike Wofford, a meteorologist with the NWS. “It does look like on New Year’s Day it’s going to be pretty soggy for most of the Los Angeles area, Long Beach included.”
The intensity of rainfall will depend on how close the storm comes to the city on its course north, Wofford said. Rain could fall at a rate of one-tenth to one-fifth of an inch per hour, with some areas of the city expected to see worse conditions, and a total of up to 3 inches through Saturday. Thunderstorms are not expected, and there is a minuscule chance for mudslides along sloped roads. Wind speeds should not exceed 20 mph.
Flooding remains possible, especially in low-lying intersections and underpasses, as well as in neighborhoods with poor drainage. With the heavier rains last Wednesday, firefighters responded to more than a dozen calls of downed power lines, and at least one report of flooding on a residential street.
The oncoming storm shouldn’t affect operations at the city airport, as the rain usually sweeps away any ground fog. A spokesperson there said stormy conditions last week led to some flooding on Wednesday morning in the outdoor concourse area but didn’t affect flights. Flooding subsided after clearing blocked drains.
This week’s wet weather will last through Saturday, when showers are expected to become sporadic that night into Sunday. The high temperature throughout the city should be in the mid-60s and drop into the upper 40s during the night and early mornings, according to the National Weather Service.
It’s another storm that will only solidify this as a wetter-than-normal winter.
Since the start of the water year on Oct. 1, 7.83 inches of rain have fallen in Long Beach — more than twice the average (3.16) for this time of year, and one-third of the rainfall seen in the 2023 -2024 season. Last year at this time, only 0.08 inches had fallen since the start of the water year.
With this storm, the total could be near 11 inches, more than double last year’s seasonal total.