Thunderstorms Hit Desert; L.A. Could Get Rain Today

Isolated thundershowers struck Southern California deserts and a few sprinkles dotted Los Angeles on Wednesday afternoon ahead of a slow-moving storm system that is bringing the possibility of more general shower activity to the metropolitan area today and Friday.

Patricia Cooper, a meteorologist for WeatherData Inc., which provides forecasts for The Times, said there’s about a 15% to 20% chance of showers in the metropolitan area today, increasing to a 30% to 40% chance tonight and Friday.

Rainfall amounts, where measurable, are expected to range from about a quarter of an inch in some of the foothill communities to as much as half an inch at some mountain resorts.

If there is measurable rain in downtown Los Angeles today, it will be the first since March 2, and almost certainly not enough to put an appreciable dent in the prolonged spring dry spell. Total rainfall for the season at the Civic Center so far is only 9.07 inches--five inches below the normal for the date--and the rainy season is rapidly coming to a close.

Sporadically heavy showers and lightning strikes were reported in Palm Springs, Daggett and Beaumont on Wednesday afternoon as the storm system started moving inland from the Pacific, but there were no reports of flooding.

Palm Springs and Beaumont each recorded .18 of an inch of rain. A tenth of an inch fell at Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino Mountains and .03 fell at Barstow, in the Mojave Desert.

“It came down pretty hard for a while, and the lightning set a couple of palm trees and phone poles on fire. But that’s all over by now,� a dispatcher at the Palm Springs Police Department headquarters reported late in the afternoon. “All that’s left are a few puddles.�

The sprinkles that fell across the Los Angeles Basin were lighter, in most cases barely enough to dampen the pavement.

Temperatures started to cool off a bit Wednesday as clouds from the advancing storm system moved in over Los Angeles and Orange counties.

The Los Angeles Civic Center high reached 76 degrees--five degrees below Tuesday’s peak--after an overnight low of 60. Relative humidity ranged from 37% to 84%

Cooper said high temperatures should drop to the upper 60s today and Friday, warming to the middle to upper 70s over the weekend as the skies clear and the storm system moves eastward.