Cooler weather, rain return to L.A. region this week

A weak storm brought light rain to parts of the Los Angeles region Sunday morning, with the potential for high winds and thunderstorms later in the day.

Following a period of unseasonably warm temperatures, cool weather and rain are returning to the region this week. As of Sunday morning, it was clear along the coast and light rain fell in central L.A. and the valleys, said Joe Sirard, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

The wet, chilly weather is arriving just as celebrities gather for the 97th Academy Awards on Sunday afternoon at the Dolby Theatre. The show kicks off at 4 p.m. PT.

Sirard said overall rain totals were expected to be minimal with the current weather system, but there is a chance for thunderstorms later Sunday around downtown Los Angeles and into the valleys, mountains and deserts. There is also a high wind advisory, with gusts up to 40 mph along the coasts and up to 55 mph in the Antelope Valley.

Snow is possible in the mountains Sunday, including north of Castaic along I-5.

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“There could be some travel difficulties,” Sirard said.

For later this week, the National Weather Service predicted light to moderate precipitation Monday, as well as Wednesday and Thursday as a second storm moves in. The service said there is very low risk for debris flow, and the snow level will range between 3,500 and 5,000 feet.

The new storms come as California has experienced a noticeably warm winter.

As of Friday, the state’s snowpack was 85% of average for this time of the year. The lack of rain helped fuel Los Angeles County’s deadly wildfires in January, a time when fire season is typically over.