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Mild storm to bring showers to much of Southern California Wednesday through Thursday

by in News

Another round of rain will fall across Southern California as a relatively mild storm moves through the area on Wednesday, March 20 and Thursday, March 21, according to forecasts.

Portions of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties may see some showers beginning late in the evening on Tuesday, but most of the precipitation for this week should come down between Wednesday morning and Thursday afternoon, according to reports from the National Weather Service. Meteorologists predict a 50 to 60 percent chance of rain throughout Central and Southern California.

This coming weather pattern is not as likely to bring the sort of heavy downpours and dramatic lightning storms residents experienced in February and the beginning of March, according to NWS meteorologist Noel Isla. He said most Californians should expect a mild cooling in the middle of the week with moderate precipitation. Authorities had not issued any flood advisories in areas that will be affected by this week’s storm as of Tuesday afternoon.

“But roads will still be slick,” said Isla. “Drivers will still have to exercise common sense.”

Places near the foothills of the Santa Ana, Santa Monica and San Bernardino mountains will experience the heaviest rainfall, and should receive about .30 to .75 inches between Wednesday and Thursday, according to NWS reports. During that period, coastal regions like the South Bay and Long Beach can expect between .15 and .25 inches of rain, while less than a quarter inch of precipitation should fall in desert communities. In addition, winds may gust up to 45 mph along desert slopes in the Coachella Valley and San Diego County.

Temperatures should cool down as the storm progresses, with the coldest conditions expected on Thursday. Daytime readings then should average between 50 and 60 degrees at lower elevations.

Meanwhile, the snow level will drop on Wednesday from 6,500 feet in the morning to 5,000 feet by that evening. Most mountain communities should receive between 2 and 4 inches of snow, but, in places like Big Bear Lake, as much as 6 inches of fresh powder could form at elevations higher than 6,000 feet.

Residents will get a brief respite from precipitation on Friday, until a fast-moving low pressure system brings even more rain to Southern California on Saturday. However, the second bout of rain will be short-lived, according to NWS meteorologists, as a ridge of high pressure builds over the Western United States. That should bring drier weather and bring temperatures back up to seasonal averages by the beginning of next week.