SAN DIEGO - Another round of rain has its sights set on the Golden State this week, and southern Californians won't be left out this time around.
A series of storms will hit the state for the second week in a row from Thursday to Monday. The set of incoming rains will have little break in between, increasing the possibility for flash flooding.
The storms are expected to bring between 2 - 4 inches of rain along the coast, 3 - 5 inches in the valleys, up to 12 inches in the mountains, and 1 - 3 inches in deserts. The rain totals will compare to those experienced in Dec. 2010, when flooding swallowed Mission Valley and other areas of the county.
The National Weather Service issued a warning to the region regarding the storms' effect on the San Diego River. The NWA said runoff from an extended period of rainfall has the potential to cause heavy flooding in the Mission Valley area.
Mission Valley has a history of flooding during heavy rains since it's a natural floodplain.
The first of the major storms will hit overnight Wednesday and lead straight into the second storm throughout the day Friday. The third storm is not expected to be as strong as the first two, only covering the area in light to moderate shows into Saturday morning. The fourth storm is expected to hit the area Sunday evening to Monday morning.
Wind damage, thunderstorms, waterspouts, and overflow of streams and rivers are all possible during the next set of stormy weather. The coastal and valley regions may be hit with wind gusts up to 40 miles per hour, while gusts up to 70 mph can hit the mountain and desert regions.
Mount Laguna and Palomar Mountain are expected to receive up to a foot of snow, and Julian and Ranchita could receive 2 - 6 inches of rain turning into snow.
