The Los Angeles region is bracing for a series of potential thunderstorms and heavy snowfall this week with additional winter storms predicted for the following week, according to the National Weather Service.
The first storm is expected to move through the area Wednesday into Thursday, with the next cold front coming Thursday.
“There’s a one-two punch where we’ll have periods of light to moderate rain for most of the area on Wednesday and then Thursday will have more moderate rainfall,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Robbie Munroe.
There will also be enough cold air and instability that there is a 10% to 20% chance of thunderstorms Wednesday night into Thursday evening, according to Munroe.
Rainfall totals are likely to fall between 1 to 3 inches across the mountain areas and between half an inch to an inch in the coastal regions, including downtown Los Angeles.
The San Gabriel Mountains and surrounding mountain towns, including Wrightwood, could see significant snowfall, according to Munroe. Between 6 to 12 inches of snow is possible in elevations 5,500 feet and higher.
There’s the potential for two to three more storms next week, with the first expected to come Sunday night into Monday and the second around Thursday, Munroe said.
“In terms of rainfall amounts and snow amounts, it’s a pretty average system,” Munroe said about this week’s upcoming storm. “It’s nothing too out of the ordinary.”
The heavy rain could be a concern for recent burn scar areas, which could lead to minor flooding and shallow debris flows. The most recent rain storm forced the indefinite closure of Topanga Canyon Boulevard between Pacific Coast Highway and Grand View Drive.
As for Friday, the state’s snowpack was 85% of average for this time of the year. The bout of dry weather last year helped fuel the deadly Palisades and Eaton wildfires in January.
