Many of us woke up to rain this morning, and according to the National Weather Service, there’s a 20% chance of isolated thunderstorms as well. That brings the possibility of small hail and lightning.
The bulk of the storm is moving from the Los Angeles basin into Orange and San Bernardino counties, where half an inch of rain is expected on the coast, along with an inch in the mountains.
Be prepared for a wet commute. Rain and mountain snow continues across eastern #LACounty, tapering off to showers to the west. Moderate to heavy rain is expected for the start of the morning commute thru the #SGV. #CAwx #LArain pic.twitter.com/V1uT18v7LO
— NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) May 4, 2023
The wet weather will likely continue through Friday, said Kristen Lund, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
"We’ll expect some lingering showers, especially over the mountains and foothills, through Saturday morning," she said.
Snow levels are dropping to 4,500 feet at the San Gabriel Mountains and the Grapevine, while in San Bernardino around 4 to 8 inches of snow is expected at 6,500 feet.
Last year when we also had an unusual spate of thunderstorms, we looked into how often we experience thunder and lightning here in L.A.
Here's what we learned:
Within a 10-mile radius of LAX, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has recorded a grand total of approximately 1,200 cloud-to-ground lightning flashes over the nearly three decades between 1988 and 2017.
By contrast, in Florida — a lightning hotspot — Orlando sees 14,000 strikes in an average year.
On this day in 1950, it was 35 degrees in Santa Ana, the lowest temperature on record for May in that region.
All this wet and gloomy weather makes for a perfect indoor excursion. Here are a couple things to do that will keep you dry and entertained:
Check out our full list of things to do this week.
