Tropical Storm Rachel threatens Southern California, Desert Southwest

THE TAKEAWAY

LOS ANGELES – A Tropical Storm Watch has been issued for San Diego for just the second time in its history as Tropical Storm Rachel threatens a rare landfall in Southern California.

Rachel is weakening in the Eastern Pacific, but its moisture plume could trigger flooding rain, mountain snow and a rare late-season weather event across the West this weekend.

According to the FOX Forecast Center, Rachel weakened slightly Thursday after being downgraded from a hurricane.

Although the storm will continue to weaken through the weekend, its expansive moisture field will not simply disappear.

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A broad dip in the jet stream is expected to dig across the western U.S. and West coast, dramatically shifting the steering winds and pushing Rachel’s moisture plume eastward across Southern California and into the Southwest.

Rain could begin falling across portions of California and the Southwest as early as Saturday, but the flood threat is expected to increase Sunday.

A Level 2 out of 4 flash flood threat is forecast across parts of the Southwest, including the larger metropolitan areas of Las Vegas and Phoenix.

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Some locations in the region could receive 2 to 3 inches of rain, with the potential for locally higher amounts.

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The moisture associated with Rachel will also bring rain to parts of Southern California, including Los Angeles and San Diego, offering relief from recent blistering heat.

Neither city is currently included in the higher-end flash flood threat, but heavy rain could still create dangerous travel conditions and localized flooding.

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The FOX Forecast Center said the storm’s impacts will extend well beyond Rachel’s center as its remnants interact with the jet stream and spread moisture across the West.