Warning Description: Flash Flood Watch

Warning Date: 7:23 PM PST on February 8, 2010

WarningSum:...Flash Flood Watch For The Recent Burn Areas In Effect From 
Tuesday Afternoon Through Late Tuesday Night...

Warning Message:The National Weather Service in Los Angeles/Oxnard has issued a
* Flash Flood Watch for the recent burn areas in Los Angeles
  County. This included the station...Morris and Santa Anita burn
  areas.
* From Tuesday afternoon through late Tuesday night
* showers will develop by Tuesday afternoon...then continue
  through late Tuesday night. Some of the showers will be heavy at
  times...and there is a chance of thunderstorms. There is the
  potential for rainfall rates between one half inch and one inch
  per hour. These rates are in excess of thresholds determined by
  the USGS to be sufficient to cause flash flooding and debris
  flows in and below the recent burn areas.
Precautionary/preparedness actions...
A Flash Flood Watch means that conditions may develop that lead
to flash flooding. Flash flooding is a very dangerous situation.
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should flash flood warnings be issued.
Warning Description: Special Weather Statement

Warning Date: 2:41 PM PST on February 8, 2010

WarningSum:...A Very Cold And Vigorous Storm System Will Affect Southwestern 
California Tuesday Through Early Wednesday...

Warning Message:A strong and very cold upper low off the Pacific northwest coast 
this afternoon is forecast to drop southward along or just off the 
California coast tonight and Tuesday...tracking right across 
southwestern California Tuesday night. This system will threaten the 
region with a variety of weather hazards...including possibly heavy 
showers...thunderstorms...gusty winds and moderate to heavy snow 
accumulations with very low snow levels.
Clouds will increase across the region tonight. Showers will 
likely develop north of Point Conception early Tuesday morning..then 
become likely in all areas Tuesday afternoon and evening. Showers 
will begin to decrease from northwest to southeast across the region 
late Tuesday night. Scattered showers will linger into 
Wednesday...especially across north facing slopes of the Los Angeles 
and Ventura County mountains and the Antelope Valley.
While moisture will initially be fairly limited with this system... 
it may begin to tap into some deeper Pacific moisture as it moves 
into southwestern California late Tuesday and Tuesday night. Very 
cold air aloft associated with the approaching upper low will cause 
increasing instability through the atmosphere Tuesday afternoon into 
Tuesday night...leading to a chance of thunderstorms...some of which 
could produce small hail...very heavy downpours and gusty winds. 
It is not out of the question that some hail could approach severe 
limits...and some waterspouts in the coastal waters could come 
ashore as weak tornados. 
Since the precipitation will be showery in nature...rainfall totals 
Tuesday through early Wednesday will be highly variable...but will 
average one half inch to one inch in coastal and valley areas...with 
up to 1.50 inches in the foothills and mountains. Any areas that
receive thunderstorms may receive higher rainfall totals. It 
appears that the highest rainfall totals will occur across Los 
Angeles County...especially across eastern sections...including the 
station and Morris burn areas. These areas will also have the best 
chance of receiving thunderstorms with high intensity rainfall. 
Residents in and below the recent burn areas should be prepared for 
the potential for very heavy downpours. Flash flood watches may need 
to be issued for the recent burn areas of Los Angeles County... 
especially if the system takes a more over-water trajectory.
Due to the cold nature of this storm...snow will likely fall at very 
low elevations across the region...impacting travel on many major 
routes into and through the mountains. Snow levels are expected to 
start out between 3500 and 4000 feet on Tuesday...then will lower 
to between 2000 and 2500 feet Tuesday night. This would bring 
accumulating snows into portions of the Antelope Valley and
Cuyama valleys...where up to 4 inches are possible...especially in 
the foothills. An inch or two of snow may even fall over the
higher elevations of the Santa Monica Mountains and the interior 
valleys of San Luis Obispo County. Snow may even occasionally fall
in the higher foothills above the Los Angeles and Ventura County 
valleys...but no snow accumulations are expected there. 
In the mountains of Los Angeles and Ventura counties...snow 
accumulations of 6 to 12 inches are expected...with local totals as 
high as 16 inches in the san Gabriels. In the mountains of San Luis 
Obispo and Santa Barbara counties...3 to 6 inches of snow are 
expected. Please refer to (laxwswlox) for more details.
Residents of southwest California are urged to stay tuned to the 
latest National Weather Service statements and possible watches and 
warnings as this weather situation continues to develop.