Californians could experience a "major weather shift" over the second half of December as meteorologist share predictions for an increase in storms across the state. According to SF Gate, there will be a chance of above-normal precipitation from December 20th to December 26th. UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain mentioned that the shift could be "dramatic" as conditions have been fairly dry across the Golden State over the last couple of months.
“It has been pretty dry in California for the last month or so. … But I still think that is very likely to change perhaps pretty quickly and dramatically, at some point toward the end of December, so mid- to late December, and very likely by January."
While the exact amount of precipitation remains unclear, it is no secret that parts of the Pacific Northwest, including Northern California, have experienced storms in recent weeks. Matt Mehle, a forecaster with the National Weather Service, shared that he is confident that the rest of California will also receive rain next week.
“I think we have pretty good confidence that we’re going to see a pattern shift. We’re pretty confident that we’re going to see some rain, the question is how much.”
The National Weather Service created a map to show exactly which areas of the state will receive above average levels of precipitation over the holidays.
Information regarding the exact amount of rain that each region will receive has yet to be released as Californians brace for the possibility of a rainy Christmas season.