New Storm Is Expected to Roll Through Area

The first week of 1997 is shaping up to be a wet one as a Pacific storm may dump as much as an inch of rain in some parts of Ventura County, according to a National Weather Service spokesman.

Meteorologist Gary Ryan said a Pacific storm powered by upper-level winds began dumping rain in Santa Maria, in northern Santa Barbara County, on Sunday afternoon and was expected to hit Ventura County early today. Most areas will get a third- to a half-inch of rain or more, and some places, such as Ojai, could receive as much as an inch of rain, Ryan said.

The storm will also pack southerly winds of 20 mph that should continue through this afternoon. Tuesday’s forecast calls for partly cloudy skies with a chance of showers. Forecasters say heavy rain is likely at times on New Year’s Day. Temperatures should stay in the 40s and 50s overnight, climbing to the mid-60s during the day.

The damp new year comes at the close of a year that was wetter than usual. The weather service office in Oxnard, for example, recorded 8.83 inches in 1996, as of Sunday afternoon. “That’s double what we should have,” Ryan said.

Cold temperatures and moisture pushed along by southwesterly winds have combined to generate this week’s stormy conditions.

“The potential for a lot of rain in the coming week is substantial,” Ryan said.

The ground in Ventura County is relatively saturated from the storm that rolled through at the end of last week, and if the rains fall as forecast, chances are that flooding will occur.

“Leave early for work and allow a lot more time for travel,” Ryan said.

That’s good advice for those heading to Pasadena on Wednesday for the Rose Parade, or to the Rose Bowl for the Arizona State-Ohio State game. “We could have a wet Rose Bowl Parade, which would be very rare,” Ryan said.

Ryan said the last rainfall during the parade was a slight drizzle in 1990. However, parade organizers say there hasn’t been a significant rainfall on the procession since 1955.