Light Rain Expected In LA As Brunt Of Storm Bears North

LOS ANGELES, CA — The first of two new storms out of the Pacific Northwest will produce light rainfall in the Southland Tuesday, forecasters said.

"We'll get between a quarter of an inch and a half-inch if we're lucky," said National Weather Service meteorologist Dave Bruno, noting that the lion's share of the rain likely to result from Tuesday's weather system will douse Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.

In L.A County, a "few sprinkles" are possible Tuesday morning, followed by rain starting around 2 p.m., then the storm's exit from the region around midnight, he said.

The second storm expected in the Southland this week is difficult to forecast in detailed fashion because the models keep changing, Bruno said.

The latest model, which showed up around 3:30 a.m. as Bruno was giving a telephone interview from his monitoring station in Oxnard, indicated that the best chance of rain in L.A. County would be Friday to early Saturday and the volume might be "not very impressive," he said, adding that the second storm is currently not looking as productive as had been anticipated largely because a trough in the Pacific Northwest is not moving as far south as had been expected.

The NWS forecast rain in L.A. County Tuesday and relatively mild temperatures, with highs of 58 on Mount Wilson; 65 in Avalon; 66 in Burbank and at LAX; 67 in Downtown L.A., San Gabriel, Palmdale and Lancaster; 68 in Long Beach and Pasadena; and 69 in Woodland Hills. Wednesday's highs will be a few degrees lower amid showers, and highs will remain in the low 60s and high 50s through at least Monday, with precipitation in the forecast everyday through Saturday.

Rain was also forecast in Orange County, along with highs of 63 in San Clemente; 65 in Newport Beach and Laguna Beach; 70 in Yorba Linda, Mission Viejo and Anaheim; and 71 in Fullerton and Irvine. Temperatures will fall several degrees Wednesday and remain in the low to mid 60s through at least Monday, with precipitation expected through Saturday.

City News Service; Photo by Jennifer Cook