Thunderstorms Likely After Morning Drizzle

Afternoon thunderstorms could strike the San Fernando Valley this afternoon, following morning drizzle, forecasters said.

Part of the reason for the predicted severity of the storm is this weekend’s warm weather. A series of cold-air storm systems originating in the Gulf of Alaska will hit California today, said Bill Hoffer, spokesman for the National Weather Service in Oxnard.

“Colder air goes to the bottom and forces the warm air aloft,” Hoffer said. “That’s where you get all the activity.”

The warmer the original air mass--this weekend’s temperatures reached the 70s and 80s--and the colder the invading air mass, the more turbulent the storm. Typically, thunderstorms do not occur in Southern California due to the persistent warm weather here, Hoffer said.

Light winds will accompany the storm systems, he added.

The thunderstorms will be expected mostly in the northern parts of Los Angeles County, but the San Fernando Valley is a good candidate for the nasty weather. “The triggers [for a thunderstorm] are all going to be there,” Hoffer said.

The chance of rain will continue through Tuesday morning, but skies should clear Wednesday and Thursday. However, another storm system looks like it could strike the area in the following days, Hoffer said.

High temperatures today are expected to be 62 in Burbank and 63 in Woodland Hills.