Southern California will dry out through the weekend before a new Pacific storm brings widespread showers and cooler temperatures early next week, forecasters said.
After some lingering moisture early Saturday, skies will clear as drier air settles in across the region, according to the National Weather Service. Daytime highs will range from the upper 60s to low 70s from the coast to inland valleys, with nighttime lows dipping into the low 50s and upper 40s.
“Conditions should be pretty dry, getting even drier by tomorrow morning,” said Lauren Villafane, meteorologist with the National Weather Service. “We’re not expecting rain again until Tuesday.”
A weak trough will deepen offshore early next week, bringing increasing clouds and slightly stronger coastal winds. The next round of rain, expected to be light showers, is forecast to arrive Tuesday and continue into early Wednesday.
Rainfall totals could reach about an inch from the coastline through inland Orange County and across San Bernardino and Riverside counties, Villafane said. Farther north, Los Angeles County is expected to see higher amounts: roughly a half-inch to 1.5 inches for most areas and more than 2 inches possible in the foothills, according to NWS meteorologist Rich Thompson.
“The bulk of it will fall earlier on Tuesday,” Thompson said, adding that winds should stay near normal except for stronger gusts in the mountains.
Temperatures will remain on the cool side, mostly in the 60s during the day, and the storm could cause brief, minor roadway flooding in localized areas.
“This will be nothing like what we saw a few weeks ago,” Villafane said, referring to the recent storm that triggered severe flooding and mudslides in the San Bernardino Mountains.
That earlier system caused deadly and widespread damage — a 2-year-old boy was swept away and found dead near Barstow after flash flooding carried away his family’s car, while mud and debris flows in Forest Falls damaged homes and stranded motorists along Highway 38 and in Oak Glen.
Rain is expected to taper off by Wednesday afternoon as the system moves east, leaving behind cooler, breezy conditions. Another unsettled pattern could follow later in the week, depending on how the offshore low evolves, forecasters said.