Heat gives way to cooler weather in Southern California — and probably rain

After a stretch of warmth, Southern California is cooling down heading into the weekend — with rain and a slight chance of thunderstorms in the forecast.

The cooling trend will visit Los Angeles and Orange counties and the Inland Empire, with two rounds of precipitation expected from late Friday through Monday, according to the National Weather Service.

The coolness follows earlier bouts of 90-degree temperatures across Southern California.

On Thursday, April 9, as an onshore flow strengthens, cloud cover and slightly lower temperatures will land through the end of the week.

Rain is expected to begin Friday night into Saturday morning and continue off and on through the weekend, said National Weather Service meteorologist Kyle Wheeler. A second round of rain is expected late Sunday into early Monday.

Rainfall totals will be modest.

“We’re probably only going to get a quarter of an inch to half an inch,” Wheeler said about Orange County and the Inland Empire. “Some areas may see less, and some may see more.”

A slight chance of thunderstorms is possible Saturday for Southern California, though any storms that develop are expected to be isolated, according to the Weather Service.

In the Inland Empire, mountain areas will likely see the highest rainfall totals, Wheeler said. Snow could feather down to 6,000 to 6,500 feet, with light accumulations possible at higher elevations. Winds are expected to be breezy at times, particularly in mountain areas.

In Los Angeles County, rainfall totals could be slightly higher. Bryan Lewis, another Weather Service meteorologist, said most areas could see between a quarter inch and 1.25 inches of rain.

“Higher totals are possible in foothills and mountain areas,” Lewis said.

Conditions are expected to begin drying out Monday throughout Southern California, with clearer skies and a return to more typical temperatures by Tuesday and into the middle of next week.