A rainstorm sweeping in from the Pacific is expected to bring “light to moderate” rain to Long Beach this week, according to the National Weather Service.
“Two quick-hitting periods of rain” will take place on Wednesday and Thursday, with the first raindrops expected to fall Wednesday afternoon through Thursday morning and another stretch of rain starting Thursday night through early Friday, said NWS Meteorologist Ryan Kittell.
Overall, Long Beach could receive around half an inch to an inch of rain by Friday evening, Kittell said.
Wind gusts out of the south and west will range from 20 to 35 mph on Wednesday and Thursday, he said.
A wind advisory is in effect for Long Beach through 9 p.m. today. Forecasters warned that winds gusting up to 40 mph could blow down tree limbs and make travel difficult for high-profile vehicles.
High temperatures will drop to the mid-to-upper 50s through Friday, with low temperatures expected to remain in the mid-40s.
Another set of storms is expected to bring “two, maybe three” rounds of rain starting as early as Monday next week, Kittell said.
Next week’s storm should bring heavier rain late in the week and carry a more significant risk of mudslides and road erosion in the burn areas for the Eaton and Pacific Palisades fires, forecasters said.
The storms are arriving amid a relatively dry rainy season so far. Since Oct. 1, Long Beach Airport has received 3.45 inches of rain, Kittell said, adding that in a typical year, the area gets about 9.5 inches of rain in that interval.