Tropical Storm Kay could bring flooding to Southern California after days-long heat wave with scorching temperatures and high humidity.
In the Bay Area, officials are preparing for more than 2 inches of rain, a near-record-tying rainfall total.
And in Los Angeles County, officials are bracing for a potential historic rainfall event, the first time that rain totals in the region reach 1 foot in a single day. The storm comes on the heels of the third-highest single-day rainfall total in U.S. history.
The National Weather Service in Oxnard said that the storm is expected to produce up to 6 inches of rain in the mountains, with some sites as much as 10 inches.
In the northern end of Los Angeles County, Lake Shasta is bracing for 7.5 inches of rain.
“It is very dry. Very windy, very gusty,” said Mike Stachle, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. “It is going to rain really hard.”
Lake Shasta State Park in Shasta Lake was closed for about six hours, and the nearby lake was reduced to one level for about two hours, according to the California Department of Conservation.
Officials say if water levels in the reservoir rise above capacity — as the lake did on Monday — it could affect flood insurance claims.
The lake was closed Monday and Tuesday after about 100,000 people came out to walk or run on the beach.
“The city wants to let people enjoy the day and have fun, but also not do anything that could damage the city,” said city spokesman Paul Sarpolis.
In the Ventura and Los Angeles counties, the National Weather Service issued a windstorm warning for the Los Angeles basin. The warning is in effect until 10 p.m. Wednesday.
The storm started off as a frontal system that moved through the region late Sunday, weakening to a low pressure area later in the day. Temperatures, including near record highs on Monday, and hot, dry air combined with the system to produce extreme heat.
Temperatures hit 90 degrees in the Bay Area, more than 100 in the Los Angeles area, and temperatures