Santa Paula one of the wettest places in VC following storms
January 15, 2016
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula News
Santa Paula was one of the wettest areas due to last week’s storms according to Ventura County Watershed Protective District data.
The rain came in two bursts with storms Tuesday and Wednesday; although forecasters had projected the January 3 rainfall would be heavier, January 4 blew the top off many areas with torrential rain, hail, thunder, lightening and winds.
During the two-day deluge Santa Paula got 4.24 inches of rain and rain year to date is 4.86 inches. The rain year runs from October 1 to September 30.
With a four-year drought under its belt California has been parched but with the latest burst Santa Paula came closer to what normal rainfall to date averages, 6.08 inches. Santa Paula averaged more than 18 inches of rain each year before the drought hit.
The only other weather station that showed more rain last week was at Matilija Canyon with 4.34 inches, 4.99 year to date. But it’s pretty dry compared to the 11.55 inches that is the canyon’s normal rainfall to date.
Other rainfall rates were: Camarillo, 2.15 inches, year to date 2.65 inches, normal rainfall to date 4.47 inches; Fillmore, 3.7 inches, year to date 4.16 inches, normal rainfall to date, 6.48 inches; Moorpark, 2.65 inches, year to date 3.10 inches, normal to date 4.96 inches.
Ojai saw 3.73 inches of rainfall from last week’s storms, year to date 4.23 inches, normal to date 6.89 inches; Oxnard had 2.72 inches, bringing their year to date to 3.51 inches, normal to date is 4.82 inches; Port Hueneme had a scant 1.9 inches of rain, normal to date is 2.82 inches but the Ventura County Watershed Protection District noted the numbers may not be accurate because of missing data…Port Hueneme’s normal rainfall year to date is 4.73 inches.
Simi Valley had 2.94 inches, year to date 3.98 inches, normal rainfall to date 4.63 inches; Thousand Oaks saw 2.45 inches of rain, normal rainfall to date of 2.97 inches, well below the year to date of 5.31 inches.
The City of Ventura fared better with 3.67 inches, 4.64 inches year to date compared to the normal year to date of 5.21 inches.
Following last week’s storms the weather was forecast to be warmer and dryer until the weekend when more rainfall is forecast.
