A strong and unusually moisture-packed low pressure system is bearing down on the area, and rainfall rates of near 6″ in 12 hours has affected some central California Mountains, so some of the rain is intense… This system will sweep across the Desert Southwest and other hay producing/ shipping/ receiving regions now through Sunday…
There will be major delays in production and buying/ selling/ movement of hay, plus some removal of acreage of what otherwise would be premium and supreme test hay.
The latest satellite and radar is here:
Infrared satellite with radar/ Visible satellite with radar (please wait for the animation):
Radar with wind gusts (the white numbers are gusts in MPH: wait for the animation):
Chino-Riverside-south to San Diego… 2 to 3+ inches of rain for Chino- Riverside, mainly through tonight, with 1+ inch in San Diego, and 2+ inches inland SD County…
For the Imperial Valley, tonight between 8pm and midnight looks like the best shot at significant rain (.15-.35″ mostly, isolated near 1/2″), then the flow across the mountains becomes westerly into early Saturday morning, at which time moisture will be restricted somewhat by the Laguna Mountain barrier, though showers are still expected, just decreased and less solid in coverage (.01-.10″ additional), as this air mass is too (relatively) warm to be completely “wrung out” as it crosses the mountains. On Saturday we see more spotty and lighter showers in the Imperial Valley, plus some clearing of clouds, though temperatures remain cool, as low pressure starts focusing on Arizona…
For Arizona, Saturday morning through Sunday afternoon is your rain event window, and rain totals are looking significant with some reformation of rain bands and not much to block them from moving in.
Expected rain and time frames for Arizona;
Blythe: .25-.35″/ early Saturday morning, mainly
Yuma: .30-.40″/ Midnight to early Saturday morning, mainly
Gila Bend: .40-.50″/ Saturday morning through Sunday morning, mainly
Central Phoenix: .45-.65″/ Saturday morning through Sunday afternoon, mainly
Tucson: .25-.50″/ Saturday morning through Sunday evening, mainly
Douglas: .45-.80″/ Saturday morning through Sunday evening, mainly
Prescott: .90-1.50″/ Saturday morning through Sunday afternoon, mainly