Long Beach is already ahead of its typical rainfall total at this time of year, and what could be one of the winter’s biggest deluges is expected Wednesday afternoon—but that doesn’t mean the drought is over.

Since the Oct. 1 start of the “water year,” when meteorologists start measuring annual precipitation, the city has gotten about three-quarters of an inch more than the normal 3.62 inches, National Weather Service meteorologist Eric Boldt said Tuesday.

And more is on the way, with parts of the Long Beach area expected to get from 2 to 4 inches of rain between Wednesday and Thursday, and another storm is forecast this weekend, he said.

“I think the good news that we can say for sure is that we’re in a wet pattern,” Boldt said. This week’s rain will be accompanied by high surf conditions and gusty winds up to 50 mph, which could blow away backyard umbrellas and potentially knock out power.

The wet weather is good news for Long Beach Utilities, the new combined water and gas department, but officials don’t want people to forget about conserving.

Between July and November residents and businesses used about 14% to 15% less water than in the same months in 2020, but, “We’re still pushing the conservancy message because while rain is good, we don’t know if that trend is going to continue,” Long Beach Utilities spokeswoman Lauren Howland said.

There have been several years of abnormally dry weather and the latest rain doesn’t end problems for the Colorado River, which supplies much of Southern California with imported drinking water, she said.

Boldt said January to March are typically the wettest months of the year, but, “We’d need several years in a row of above normal rains to call it an end to the drought.”

Because of the ongoing drought, Long Beach users may only water lawns and landscaping two days a week—but if it’s rained any time in the week, Howland said, it’s a good idea to keep the sprinklers off.

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