Brief Storm Paves Way to Fair Days

An eastward-drifting cold front pushed light showers through California under a shield of thick clouds Monday--clearing the way for a return to fair skies and warmer weather the rest of the week.

The influx of moisture caused a drop in Southern California temperatures Sunday and Monday, after several days of pleasant mid-70s weather.

The snow level descended to 6,000 feet in the San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains, and the gray skies combined with lower water and air temperatures to keep all but the most determined beachgoers at home.

But the National Weather Service said higher pressure is building offshore, which should mean a break in the clouds sometime this afternoon followed by a few days of dry air and sunshine.

Rainfall amounts were expected to remain generally below half an inch for the entire storm, and forecasters said the chance of rain should be down to less than 30% by this morning.

High temperature at Los Angeles Civic Center Monday was 61 degrees with relative humidity ranging from 43% to 77%.

The forecast called for a high of 63 today, followed by continued warming to the low 70s by the end of the week.

By sunset Monday, just .08 of an inch of rain had fallen at Los Angeles Civic Center, bringing the season total to 7.74 inches--well ahead of the 5.13 inches that would be normal, and just 1.54 inches short of the 9.28 that had fallen by this time last season.

San Diego’s rainfall was about the same: .09 of an inch at Lindbergh Field. But other parts of Southern California were wetter.

By 4 p.m., .40 of an inch had fallen at San Juan Capistrano; .35 at Beaumont; .29 at Point Loma; .25 at El Cajon and Mt. Wilson; .22 at Simi Hills; .19 at Bishop; .18 at Santa Barbara and at Avalon on Santa Catalina Island; .17 at Escondido, Torrance, Woodland Hills and Northridge, and .12 at Riverside.