More Rain? Forecasters Are Hedging Their Bets

Dry weather ranks only as a 3-2 favorite over rain today, forecasters said Monday.

The outlook is for partly cloudy weather with a 40% chance of showers during the day and 30% at night, National Weather Service spokeswoman Pat Rowe said.

An even gloomier forecast came from meteorologist Mike Smith of WeatherData, which provides forecasts for The Times.

“It looks like a couple of damp days coming up,” he said.

Smith explained that “a low-pressure system is moving along the coast and it should become stationary southwest of Los Angeles and bring occasional showers to the vicinity.”

In its extended forecast, the weather service was also predicting showers for Thursday through Friday, raising the possibility that November might not need a full month to surpass October’s rain total of 2.37 inches at the Los Angeles Civic Center.

Meanwhile, some light showers fell Monday in the northern San Fernando Valley as well as in the foothill regions of the San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains. Widely scattered thunderstorms were also reported in those areas.

High temperature at the Civic Center reached 68 degrees Monday, while relative humidity ranged from 87% to 59%.

More of the same is predicted for today, with highs in the high 60s and lows in the high 50s.

The only unusual weather occurrence Monday was the sighting of funnel clouds near Riverside and southwest of Victorville.

Funnel clouds that touch the ground are tornadoes. But neither area reported anything stronger than sprinkles late Monday.

With all the talk of rain, there is hope for the weekend. The weather service said Friday afternoon and Saturday are shaping up as partly cloudy with high temperatures in the 70s.