Weekend storms could be a mixed blessing for crews battling California’s largest wildfire.
Crews have been trying to fight the Mendocino Complex fire on the coastline for 10 days, but it has now spread in several directions, prompting a state of emergency.
The latest news is that an evacuation order has gone into effect for all but about 1,000 residents in the area. The fire is now more than 70 percent contained.
Here’s what you need to know about Sunday’s storm, which is expected to bring up to 50 inches of rain to Northern California.
The weather system is called the Pacific hurricane season, which often brings heavy rains, high seas and tornadoes. In addition to wildfires, the season can also produce storm surges that can lead to significant hurricane-strength winds throughout Southern California.
The system that’s set to hit California will bring up to 50 inches of rain to the state, according to the National Weather Service.
And it will be a major test for fire crews battling a massive wildfire that has burned for more than 2,000 acres since last fall.
This weekend is the longest stretch between wildfire season and the onset of a new rainy season for Southern California; the next one is not until May 2018.
The first rain to fall is now forecast for Sunday afternoon, which will fall near the coast and could be more than 50 inches. That’s well short of the normal rainfall for summer season.
The rain will help make up for the lack of moisture the state’s dry air has lacked over the past month.
This is the largest storm to hit California in more than a month, according to the National Weather Service.
Saturday brought a threat of more than 10 inches of rain to the Bay Area, but that was largely due to a high pressure system in place over the region.
That same area of low pressure is expected to form this weekend, and forecasters expect to see more precipitation from