Post-Tropical Storm Marie Pounds California Coast With Dangerous Surf, Ratchets Up Monsoon Threat For Southwest

It may be hundreds of miles from San Diego, but Post-Tropical Storm Marie is still anticipated to generate multiple days of dangerous surf following Marie-associated moisture bringing the region rare September rains over the weekend

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The post-tropical storm, which is the most recent named system, is roiling to Baja California’s southwest, but impacts have been felt throughout the Southwest and California, which includes rain in the San Bernardino mountains and High Desert. (RELATED: High-End Category 2 Hurricane Lowell Threatens Rare, Direct Hit On Hawaii)

Tuesday morning saw Marie downgraded from a Tropical Storm to a Post-Tropical Storm.

Marie is forecast to stay well from the shore as it moves north-west, however, the swells from the storm are expected to deliver surf and rip currents that are life-threatening to the coast of Southern California over the next couple of days, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

Some of Marie’s tropical moisture will be pulled into Southern California and the Four Corners courtesy of a noticeable dip in the jet stream over the northwestern United States, which will fuel an amplified monsoon pattern in the southwest, according to the FOX Forecast Center.

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Shifting eastward, southern Nevada, northern Arizona and Utah could see an increased threat of flash flooding due to deeper tropical moisture.

Merged with an upper-level trough, Post-Tropical Storm Marie’s moisture will assist in fueling thunderstorms throughout the Southwest, which raises the risk of flash flooding in slot canyons such as the Grand Canyon and Zion Canyon.

Across Utah, excessive runoff could cause rapid, dangerous flash flooding in poor-drainage areas, dry washes, slick rock and fresh burn scars.

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