Storm due to provide scattered showers Monday night, Tuesday morning

A mercurial storm system could provide the region with a small amount of rain Monday night and Tuesday morning, according to the National Weather Service.

"It's very hard to forecast and track," said David Sweet, a weather service meteorologist. "It wobbles around a lot."

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According to Sweet, sunshine Monday morning were expected to give way to mostly cloudy skies by the afternoon, as the sun warms the ground.

Chances of rain are expected to rise from 30 percent to 50 percent Monday night into Tuesday morning.

Rainfall amounts were expected to be small, between a quarter and a half inch,  according to Sweet.

As of Monday morning, it was still unclear which locations would or would not receive rain as scattered showers were expected.

"Some areas could see moderate amounts," Sweet said. "Some areas could be untouched."

Along with chances of rain, the storm also brings chances of mud and debris flow, especially in Thomas Fire burn areas. Conditions, however, would need to be just right.

"(Rainfall) needs to be directly over the burn area," Sweet said.

As of Monday, chances of debris flow were about 20 percent, according to Sweet.

The storm has Santa Barbara County, in recovery from mudslides and debris flow in January, on alert.

Heavy rains on Jan. 9 caused a disastrous flow of debris and mud that killed 21 people in Montecito and closed Highway 101 for two weeks.

Though evacuations were not in place as of Monday, Sweet said the National Weather Service had been in contact with the Santa Barbara Office of Emergency Management, which was monitoring the development of the rain event.

Capt. Cindy Pontes, of the Santa Barbara area California Highway Patrol, said a forecasted rainfall rate of 0.5 of an inch per hour or more would prompt a closure of Highway 101 though that is not anticipated in the coming storm.

Pontes said the CHP was participating in daily conference calls in anticipation of the storm along with the National Weather Service, the office of emergency management and Santa Barbara area police and fire agencies.