The largest in a series of storms expected to hit the Central and South Coasts has arrived in the region, and while public safety officials are watching it closely, they still saying no evacuations are needed.
Coastal areas could get a half to three quarters of an inch of rain from the storm, while mountains, especially the Santa Ynez Mountains range. may get an inch to 2.5" of rainfall.
The heaviest rain is expected between Saturday afternoon and around midnight Saturday, but it is expected to continue into tomorrow.
National Weather Service forecasters say the important thing about this storm is its timing. Meteorologists say they don't think we'll see heavy, concentrated rainfall during short periods of time like we did on January 9th, when there were deadly debris flows in Southern Santa Barbara County.
After the rain eases on Sunday, we'll see lighter showers in the forecast for the early part of the week. A bigger storm could arrive in the region on Thursday, but officials say it's still too early to determine if it will be strong enough to cause problems.
