A storm system will advance into the region Friday and is expected to give the Southland a wet Easter weekend.
The “unseasonably cold and vigorous storm system” is expected to bring rain to most areas, including a chance of thunderstorms, along with mountain snow, according to the National Weather Service.
The system is expected to hit hardest late Friday night through midday Saturday, with showers and possible thunderstorms lingering through Sunday, “some of which could be very strong with very heavy downpours, hail, gusty winds and possibly even a small tornado or waterspout.”
Rain totals of 1.5 to 3 inches are anticipated in coastal and valley areas, with as much as 5 inches possible along some south-facing mountain slopes.
The NWS issued a flood watch that will be in effect Friday evening through Sunday afternoon covering the bulk of the Southland, noting that “excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, urban areas, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations.”
Most of the precipitation is anticipated late Friday and Saturday, but showers are likely to continue through Sunday, according to the NWS.
Snow could fall at elevations as low as 4,500 feet, with forecasters saying there’s a chance of as much as 3 inches falling at even lower elevations. A foot or two of snow is anticipated above 6,000 feet, affecting motorists on Angeles Crest Highway and Highway 39.
A winter storm watch will be in effect from Friday night through Sunday afternoon for the San Gabriel Mountains and the Golden State (5) and Antelope Valley (14) freeway corridors.
Gusty winds are also expected to accompany the storm, beginning Friday in San Luis Obispo County then spreading south through Saturday.
Forecasters said there’s a slight chance the storm activity could linger into early Monday, but “otherwise dry and warmer conditions are expected next week, with highs back into the 70s across the valleys and inland coastal plain areas by Tuesday.”