Cooler Temperatures and Chance of Thunderstorms Expected for Southern California

Temperatures are forecast to remain 8 to 16 degrees below normal in most areas, with coastal and valley regions only reaching the upper 60sPhoto byJeremy BishoponUnsplash

Southern California is set to experience much cooler than normal temperatures and the possibility of showers and thunderstorms through Friday, according to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Los Angeles/Oxnard. The weather is being influenced by a slow-moving low-pressure system making its way down the California coast, bringing unseasonably cool weather and unstable conditions to the region.

Temperatures are forecast to remain 8 to 16 degrees below normal in most areas, with coastal and valley regions only reaching the upper 60s and 70s. The low-pressure system, expected to move into San Luis Obispo and northern Santa Barbara counties by Thursday, may bring light rainfall, although totals will likely remain under 0.05 inches.

By Thursday and into Friday, as the low moves from west to east, chances for showers and thunderstorms increase, especially over the mountains. The cold core of the system will cause instability in the atmosphere, heightening the likelihood of thunderstorms over the interior of San Luis Obispo County and the northern mountains of Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Los Angeles counties. These areas could see rainfall amounts between 0.25 and 0.5 inches, with a small chance of up to an inch in isolated areas.