Moisture that moved into Southern California from a “monsoon flow” caused by shifting wind patterns brought light rain showers early Monday as well as a threat of thunderstorms into the afternoon.
Small pockets of rain have been spotted across the Southland, from south Los Angeles County in Wilmington to Oxnard and other pockets of Ventura County, said David Sweet, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Oxnard.
That monsoonal moisture, the result of wind patterns shifting from south to north and bringing moisture up from Mexico, can spark thunderstorms, such as the one last month that produced lightning that killed a woman and her two dogs in Pico Rivera.
“Typically with the monsoon, we emphasize the mountains and the deserts. Those areas are more frequently the location for rainfall and thunderstorms,” Sweet said. “But even areas west of the mountains can get some light rain and have gotten some light rain.”
The surf at many beaches has also kicked up with the weather shift. The National Weather Service issued a hazards statement for Los Angeles County beaches, Catalina and Santa Barbara islands and the Malibu coast through Thursday morning. There is a potential for 3- to 6-foot waves at some beaches and dangerous rip currents, Sweet said.
Even with pockets of rain moving across the region, Sweet said no areas are expected to get significant rainfall and the precipitation won’t make any dent in the ongoing drought.
“People would get lucky to get a 10th of an inch. I it’s very light amounts,” he said. “The storms are moving around at a pretty good rate, so any one area is not looking to get too much.”
As of 8 a.m. Monday, he said there have only been light showers, but there is still a possibility for thunderstorms, the likelihood of which will increase into the afternoon and evening. That threat would primarily affect the eastern mountains and deserts, Sweet said.
Thunderstorms can also bring an elevated threat for dry lightning, striking without any rainfall, which can easily start fires.
“Any lightning strike is capable of starting a fire, especially if it comes from a dry thunderstorm,” Sweet said. “All you get from storms like that is lightning and dusty winds, which is not good.”
The chance for moisture and storms should be gone by Tuesday, which forecasters said “looks sunny and drier.”