Is This El Nino

The heaviest storm is expected Tuesday, when up to 2 inches of rain is forecast to drop on the coast and valleys and up to 4 inches could pour onto the mountains and foothills. At least four storms are expected to sweep over Southern California, with the largest happening Tuesday.

After a year of hype and hope, El Nio’s punch is finally arriving in California, bringing a series of storms to soak the Bay Area, and most of the rest of the drought-stricken state for the rest of this week, and probably into next.

“So one difference we have with the previous storms is we had them come more from the north, say out of the Gulf of Alaska, and coming down into California”.

In the Modesto area, heavy rain is expected Tuesday, with forecasters predicting a quarter to half an inch during the day.

065-a-05-(Charmane Johnson, resident, in interview Monday)-“you have flooding”-California resident Charmane Johnson says she’s anxious about mudslides near her home because the hills have not recovered from wildfires in 2013″. Los Angeles County Lifeguards warn that the rip currents will be unsafe and strong during the stormy week.

A third system is expected to deliver rain and strong winds on Wednesday, with the heaviest rainfall expected in the morning.

Both Swain and Null noted that El Nio already has been impacting storms and weather around the globe for months now, including contributing to huge fires in Indonesia, dry conditions in Australia and freakishly hot temperatures on the East Coast in December.

Across the state, officials are issuing warnings for the storms and telling residents to clear gutters and anything that could hinder the flow of storm drains.

El Nino conditions often bring significantly wetter weather to California in January, February and March. The storms should bring a few inches of rain and feet of snow in the mountain areas. These latest storms could bring some particularly heavy snowfalls to the southern Sierras, possibly up to 2 feet.

Meanwhile, throughout the southern portion of the state, excessive rain across Los Angeles County might pose a danger to local communities, especially to homeless dwellers based along the Los Angeles River.