Rain Coming Tuesday; Thunderstorm Possible In Downtown L.A., Coastal Areas

LOS ANGELES, CA -- A storm out of the gulf of Alaska will strike the Southland Tuesday and generate what is expected to be the first of three days of rain this week.

Rain is expected to start in L.A. County around 10 Tuesday morning, and there is a slight chance of a thunderstorm during the day around the Downtown L.A. area and points west, said National Weather Service meteorologist Robbie Munroe.

The storm will bring widespread light to moderate rain, with amounts generally between a half-inch and an inch in coastal and valley areas and 1 to 2 inches in the mountains and foothills, according to the NWS.

Also expected Tuesday are strong winds in some areas of the Southland. A wind advisory will be in effect until 8 Tuesday evening in the Antelope Valley, where forecasters expect southwest winds of 20 to 30 miles per hour accompanied by 45- mph gusts, although gusts of 60 mph could materialize in the foothills.

Shortly before 2 Tuesday morning, the NWS clocked a 64-mph wind gust at Lake Palmdale in the Antelope Valley.

"Gusty winds will make driving difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles," warned an NWS statement. "Areas of blowing dust can suddenly and dangerously reduce visibility to near zero." The statement said the Antelope Valley (14) Freeway and Pearblossom (SR 138) Highway could prove particularly challenging because of strong winds.

Following a break Tuesday evening, rain will resume Wednesday, generated by the storm's second pulse, Munroe said, adding that any thunderstorm Wednesday will be much more widespread than Tuesday.

Thursday will be dry, but a second weather system is expected to produce rainfall in Los Angeles County Saturday, the NWS said. That system could generate between a quarter-inch and a half-inch of rain, Munroe said.

This week's weather could trigger minor mud and debris flows down slopes denuded in wildfires, according to the NWS. The reason only minor flows are being forecast is that there isn't all that much moisture in the atmosphere, Munroe said.

The NWS forecast rain in L.A. County Tuesday and highs of 56 degrees Fahrenheit on Mount Wilson; 59 in Saugus; 61 in Lancaster, Avalon, Burbank and at LAX; 62 in Palmdale and San Gabriel; 63 in Pasadena and Woodland Hills; 64 in Long Beach; and 65 in downtown L.A. This week's L.A. County temperatures are forecast to remain in the 60s, and a new round of rain is in Saturday's forecast.

Rain is also in Orange County's forecast Tuesday, along with highs of 62 in Newport Beach and Laguna Beach; 63 in San Clemente; 65 in Fullerton, Anaheim, Yorba Linda and Mission Viejo; and 67 in Irvine. Orange County highs will be in the high 50s and the 60s this week. Showers are forecast Wednesday in Orange County, followed by rain on Saturday.

-- City News Service, photo courtesy of the NWS