Wet Weather Expected to Stick Around Another Day

A Pacific storm that lashed the California coast Saturday, dumping about 1 1/2 inches of rain in some areas of Ventura County, is not expected to move out just yet.

Meteorologists at the National Weather Service in Oxnard said the storm system, known as a Pineapple Express, will continue to soak the county with light to moderate rain today.

Meteorologists blamed the rain on a band of moist, subtropical air out of the central Pacific, which is feeding into the larger storm.

Despite the rain and foul weather, few accidents were reported on county highways.

The California Highway Patrol responded to just 10 minor accidents Saturday.

With all the rain, the National Weather Service posted a flash flood watch Saturday for the burn areas of Ventura and Los Angeles counties through this morning.

Authorities were not worried about the stability of local hillsides during the latest storm.

Wes Boynton of the county’s flood control district said late Saturday that because there had been periods of dry weather between this year’s storms, hillsides should continue to hold fast.

And residents living near burn areas in Ventura expressed little concern Saturday about the threat of mudslides or other water-borne catastrophes.

“It’s a concern but not really a problem,” said Constance Zelcer, whose Aliso Street home sits next to an area burned last October. “We’ve got a few sandbags up on the hill, but I haven’t noticed anything.”

Zelcer’s neighbor, Chuck Starn, echoed that sentiment.

“I’m a lot more worried about my avocado trees getting too much water,” he said.

Forecasters at the National Weather Service said the system should begin to dissipate by midafternoon, but skies will remain cloudy throughout the day.

By Monday, the clouds are expected to break and give way to partly cloudy skies.

Temperatures also are expected to rebound, with highs reaching the mid 60s today and climbing into the low to mid 70s by Monday.

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County Rainfall

Here are rainfall figures from the Ventura County Flood Control Department for the 24-hour period ending at 7 p.m. Saturday . Oct. 1 is the beginning of the official rain year.

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Rainfall Rainfall Normal rainfall Location last 24 hours since Oct. 1 to date Camarillo 0.63 12.64 6.72 Casitas Dam 1.30 24.08 11.43 Fillmore 0.75 18.06 9.35 Matilija Dam 1.34 27.93 12.69 Moorpark 0.75 13.3 7.22 Upper Ojai 1.22 23.58 10.87 Oxnard 0.91 13.18 7.01 Port Hueneme 0.98 11.62 6.91 Santa Paula 0.67 17.18 8.58 Simi Valley 0.63 13.08 6.90 Thousand Oaks 0.63 13.85 7.41 Ventura Govt. Center 0.83 15.23 7.76

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