10/08/2026
BREAKING: HURRICANE RACHEL'S CONE EXTENDS INTO CA, AZ, NV & UT🌀 🌧️💨🌪️the forecast envelope associated with Hurricane Rachel and its remnants now extends into parts of California, Arizona, Nevada and Utah as a major pattern change develops this weekend into early next week!
Rachel is still a hurricane over the Eastern Pacific, but a powerful trough dropping into the western U.S. is expected to eventually grab the system, turn it sharply northeast and pull a plume of deep tropical moisture into the Southwest and Great Basin. Rachel itself should weaken substantially and become post-tropical before moving inland, but its moisture could still produce significant impacts.
Flash flooding looks like the primary risk. Tropical moisture interacting with the approaching trough could produce rounds of heavy rain from Southern California and Arizona north into southern Nevada and Utah. The current excessive-rain outlook highlights southeastern California, southern Nevada, western Arizona and southwestern Utah, where atmospheric moisture could reach several standard deviations above normal. Burn scars, slot canyons, normally dry washes and low-lying areas will be especially vulnerable. Utah could be particularly wet, with current guidance supporting roughly 1-2 inches across much of the state and locally more than 2.5 inches, especially across southern Utah.
Gusty winds will also become a concern as Rachel's remnants interact with the strengthening western trough. Some of the strongest winds may occur over exposed terrain, mountain passes and desert areas, even well away from Rachel's former center. Southern Nevada could see especially gusty conditions accompanying the developing storm system.
This is a lower-confidence, more conditional threat. As tropical moisture increases and the upper trough strengthens, thunderstorms will become possible across portions of the region. If enough instability develops, enhanced wind shear could allow a few storms to rotate, meaning an isolated tornado cannot be ruled out. This is something that will need to be watched closely as we get closer and the instability/shear environment becomes clearer.
The exact corridor of heaviest rain, strongest winds and thunderstorms can still shift substantially. The interaction between Rachel and the incoming trough will ultimately determine where the greatest impacts occur🌀 🌧️💨🌪️