Pair Of Storms To Bring Snow, Thunder And Gale-Force Winds To SoCal

LOS ANGELES, CA — Back to back storms will bring wild weather to the Southland Thursday afternoon into next week with lightning, thunder, hail, snow, gale force winds, high surf and the danger of flooding in the mountains and foothills, according to the National Weather Service.

A pair of low pressure systems are ushering the unsettled weather into the Southland. The second storm expected to hit Friday will be the more powerful of the two weather systems, said National Weather Service Meteorologist Rose Schoenfeld.

"There is a 50 percent chance of showers in the mountain, valleys and deserts," said Schoenfeld.

By Thursday afternoon, the thunderstorms and downpours had moved into Ventura County and cloud build-up was seen over the San Gabriel Mountains.

"We could see heavy downpours, thunder, lightning, flooding impact and light hail," Schoenfeld said. "There is a small chance it could hit more populated area or burn scar areas inland."

Thursday and Friday snow levels will be roughly 7,000 feet and higher. However, cooler temperatures will bring lower snow levels with the storm Saturday through Monday, she added. Temperatures are expected to drop well below normal with highs in the upper 50s and low 60s Sunday and Monday from the coast to Southwest Riverside County.

"This weekend's storm is a little bit stronger, and the snow levels will drop to 6,000 to 8,000 feet," said Schoenfeld.

San Diego and Orange counties along with the Inland Empire can expect to experience the brunt of the storms. The Southland can expect about a quarter-inch of rain from each storm with isolated downpours dumping heavy rain in the foothills and valleys.

The downpours, combined with heavy winds of about 35 mph could be enough to trigger downed trees and power outages, the weather service warned. Along the coast, gale-force winds will make for dangerous boating conditions, Schoenfeld warned.

"We are expecting pretty hazardous gale force winds with high surf," she said.

Friday through Sunday, the high surf from La Jolla to Newport Beach is expected to reach about 5-6 feet, according to the weather service.

The wet weather is expected to continue through Tuesday across much of the Southland. Sunny skies and warmer temperatures in the low 70s are expected to return by Tuesday. After that, a dramatic rise in temperatures will heat the region up by about 10 degrees by next Friday, according to the National Weather Service.