A storm headed in the direction of Southern California became a hurricane and later strengthened to a Category 2 on Thursday, the National Hurricane Center said in a public advisory. It is expected to bring heavy rainfall to parts of the state after hitting Mexico.
As a Californian, this could be a welcome respite in the middle of fire season if it dumps enough rain.
That being said, it’s not good. Rainfall this late is going to throw harvest all out of whack, particularly in wine country. I’m guessing there’s going to be a lot of Central Coast sweet wine on the market after this season -Botrytis cinerea thrives on a wet fall harvest. In 2017 (similar rainfall conditions) it was even found growing on Cabernet grapes, which are usually much more resistant to it than the white varietals.