What's expected to be the biggest storm of the year so far has arrived in the
Tri-Counties, bringing with it the possibility of up to 3" of rain in coastal and inland areas, and up to 6" in some mountain spots.
The heaviest rainfall is predicted for now until mid Thursday afternoon for the Central Coast, and from mid-afternoon to mid-evening for the South Coast.
An Evacuation Warning has been issued for the Mountain Fire burn area, in Ventura County. The warning means people need to be alert and prepared to leave should there be heavy rainfall. The concern is about the potential for localized heavy rainfall, especially of there is thunderstorm activity. There is a link to an interactive map of the areas involved. The warning is in place now until Friday morning at 8 a.m.
There is an evacuation order in effect around the Lake Fire burn scar in Santa Barbara County. It's north of the Santa Ynez Valley. The area is sparsely populated, so there are no widespread evacuations.
It's expected the storm will start to clear the Tri-Counties by midnight Thursday, with showers tapering off by midday Friday.
