California Weekend Weather Update: Heavy Rain and Thunderstorms Ready for Los Angeles and Bay Area

Los Angeles, CA: The weather forecast calls for rain once again this weekend, which shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone living in California.

On Friday, a new low-pressure system will move off the Pacific coast from the Gulf of Alaska; by Saturday, it will have settled within the area of the San Francisco Bay Area. The state should expect the usual fare of heavy rain and possibly some thunderstorms as a result.

Much of California should expect a wet and windy Saturday as rain begins to fall late Friday as per FOX Weather.

A half-inch to an inch is what you can expect in most places, including the Bay Area and Los Angeles. However, the central coast of California can get two or three inches.

Although most storms should keep rainfall below flood warning levels, there is a chance that a few thunderstorms on Saturday could be particularly intense, bringing with them lightning and heavy downpours.

Winds up to 30 mph are possible in central Californian areas around the low-pressure core, with the southern central valleys likely to experience higher gusts.

On Saturday, the snow level will decrease from its relatively high beginnings to 4,000 to 5,000 feet. The mountainous Sierra Nevada region can get anywhere from a few inches to a foot of snow.

Two things are working in your favor, the calendar and the diminishing El Niño, if you are ready to return to the usual, sunnier, drier weather that lasts more than a few days.

There are indications that El Niño’s influence on global weather patterns is fading, according to NOAA, and the strong El Niño that had a role in California’s severe winter has been steadily weakening.

The rainiest part of California’s wet season is winding down in April. A protracted dry stretch appears to be in the offing, according to long-range projections, once this weekend’s storm passes.

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Although the storms have spoiled outdoor plans, the state is prepared for the summer dry season with a snowpack that is approximately 110% of average.