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Rain is coming for Labor Day weekend. Here's what to expect
A satellite image shows a series of storms off the coast of California on Sept. 4, 2026.
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Allen J. Schaben
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Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
)
Topline:
Light rain is expected across Southern California over the holiday weekend and forecasters are warning of dangerous swimming conditions at the beach.
Beach hazards: There’s a high risk of potentially life-threatening rip currents and large waves over the weekend along the coast. Waves could reach 10 feet in places. Beachgoers should swim near lifeguards and stay off of rocks and jetties. There could also be some coastal flooding. The National Weather Service has issued coastal flood and high surf advisories beginning Saturday morning that will remain in effect through next week.
Rain forecast: Most of the rain is expected to come on Sunday. It will likely remain light, with less than half an inch falling in most places. The rain will also come with a low chance of thunderstorms. Cloud cover could also stick around this weekend, with or without rain. Temperatures are supposed to remain relatively mild, but because of the clouds, they won’t drop down as much at night.
How we got here: The moisture and surf is being driven to Southern California by Hurricane Marie hundreds of miles away in the Pacific Ocean. Marie is the latest in a sequence of tropical storms that have formed off the coast of Mexico and moved northeast. Forecasters say this summer’s Pacific hurricane season has been more active than normal, in large part because of El Niño.
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