NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA
600 AM PST FRI DEC 13 2002

...WET WEATHER ON TAP FOR SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL CALIFORNIA...

A VERY ACTIVE STORM TRACK WILL BRING A SERIES OF STORMS TO THE WEST COAST OVER THE NEXT WEEK. THE FIRST STORM WHICH IS CURRENTLY AFFECTING NORTHERN CALIFORNIA WILL MOVE SOUTHWARD AND WILL BRING RAIN TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA LATE SATURDAY AND EARLY SUNDAY. THIS SYSTEM WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION FAIRLY QUICKLY BRINGING 6 HOURS OR LESS OF STEADY RAIN TO AREAS NORTH OF POINT CONCEPTION...FOLLOWED BY A FEW HOURS OF POST FRONTAL SHOWERS. THE STORM IS EXPECTED TO WEAKEN CONSIDERABLY AS IT MOVES SOUTH OF POINT CONCEPTION BRINGING A SHORTER BURST OF RAINFALL TO METROPOLITAN LOS ANGELES.

RAINFALL AMOUNTS WITH THIS FIRST SYSTEM ARE EXPECTED TO BE HIGHER NORTH OF POINT CONCEPTION...GENERALLY ONE HALF TO ONE INCH. ACROSS THE LOS ANGELES BASIN...RAINFALL AMOUNTS ARE GENERALLY EXPECTED TO BE LESS THAN A QUARTER OF AN INCH. LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS HIGHER TERRAIN. SNOW LEVELS WITH THIS FIRST SYSTEM WILL REMAIN ABOVE 7000 FEET...WITH LITTLE IN THE WAY OF ACCUMULATION EXPECTED.

A SECOND STORM SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE REGION ON MONDAY. COMPUTER WEATHER MODELS ARE PROJECTING THIS SECOND SYSTEM TO BRING MORE SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL AND LOWER SNOW LEVELS.

THESE STORMS WILL GENERATE A VERY LARGE WESTERLY SWELL ACROSS THE EASTERN PACIFIC THIS WEEKEND. HIGH SURF CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED ALONG THE CENTRAL COAST TODAY...SPREADING TO WEST FACING BEACHES OF LOS ANGELES AND VENTURA COUNTIES SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY. DANGEROUS SWELL AND SURF CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO PEAK MONDAY AND LAST INTO TUESDAY. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS DEVELOPING MARINE SITUATION...PLEASE REFER TO THE LASTEST MARINE WEATHER STATEMENT (LAXMWSLOX).

PLEASE STAY TUNED TO THE LATEST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS ON THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.