Drier weather returns on Thursday
We are finally out of the woods with our latest Pacific storm. Several inches of rain fell across the region since the weekend. Rain totals were highest in the foothills and mountains behind the South Coast - with several gauges surpassing 8 inches. San Marcos Pass topped 11 inches! South Coast areas received mostly upwards of 4 inches, and Central Coast areas mostly between 1 to 4 inches.
Conditions are drying rapidly Wednesday night, and will stay dry Thursday and Friday. Offshore flow will develop on Thursday, allowing skies to clear a bit better and the region to warm a few degrees. Low temperatures will be in the 30s to 40s on Thursday, and highs will be in the 60s. By Friday, some coastal valleys will approach 70 degrees.
Another upper low in the Pacific Ocean will approach California over the weekend. Upper-level clouds will draft back over the region, making for partly or mostly cloudy days. Offshore flow will reverse back to onshore flow, also allowing for more marine layer. Temperatures will cool a couple degrees each day.
There is a slight chance of rain Sunday, with rain chances extending into at least Monday and possibly into Tuesday. There is discrepancy across models in potential rain totals, but the storm will be far weaker than our most recent storm system.
