Mid-May Storm Brings Rain, Cold Winds To Southern California
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Southern California is accustomed to May gray, but on Thursday morning the region will instead get May showers.
An unseasonal storm will bring rain and a chance of thunderstorms to Southern California Thursday and possible roadway flooding, according to the National Weather Service.
Flood advisories were already in effect for Ventura and Santa Barbara counties early Thursday. But, no major flooding, mud slides or debris flows are expected in recent burn areas.
At this time of year, most Southern Californians are preparing for Memorial Day weekend barbecues, beach days, and road trips. Instead, the region could see between a quarter-inch and three-quarters of an inch of rain, and light snow above 6,000 feet in the San Gabriel Mountains, forecasters said. The storm could also bring small hail and thunderstorms.
Thursday's storm will also bring the wind – southeast winds of 15-25 mph are expected in the morning, and gusts of 30-40 mph are possible into the evening.
Another storm is possible late Saturday into Sunday, but Thursday's system will be the strongest.
National Weather Service meteorologist Curt Kaplan said Thursday's storm is acting more like a March storm than one in May.
"It's acting like a winter storm," he said, citing the system's cold front, gusty winds, plus the jet stream dipping further south than usual, possibly as a result of this year's weak El Nino conditions.
Highs will be in the 60s along the coasts and upper 60s inland.
(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)
