An upper-level low will bring cooler temperatures and a chance of rainfall for metro Southern California through this weekend. Thunderstorm Risks will be up for Kern, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara County as well as the Big Bear to Morongo Basin zones, affecting travel up I-15 from Las Vegas on Sunday so read on for the details.
Southern California Weather Force has issued a Thunderstorm Watch effective this afternoon/evening through the overnight and into Sunday for Kern County, San Luis Obispo County, and Western Santa Barbara County around Santa Maria, Lompoc, and Vandenberg.
Thunderstorms will be forming in a small area as early as this later morning and early afternoon directly over Mt. Pinos. Prevailing south to north flow will bring these storms into the Pine Mountain Club area. As night hits, the overnight will bring the flow out of the east and into the Western Santa Barbara zones listed above, north to San Luis Obispo.
When early Sunday morning hits, we will be seeing the easterly flow pop storms off the Tehachapi Mountain and go into the Kern County Valley, including Bakersfield.
As all of this is happening tonight into Sunday, the areas where no thunderstorms will hit will be the LA, OC, San Diego, and Inland Empire zones under island effect showers moving through off and on overnight tonight through the day on Sunday. It is not much of a big deal other than a dose of some rain.
On Sunday afternoon till evening for about six hours until just after sunset, storms will form in the Eastern San Bernardino Mountains, with outflow boundaries surging into the Twentynine Palms Marine Base as well. This will further push northeast across the Ludlow forecast area along I-40 and then into areas near the Baker zones along I-15, which can affect travel to and from Las Vegas. If you are coming back from Las Vegas on Sunday, do so early in the morning to avoid the storm activity. A convective (thunderstorm) type watch will be issued over the e-mail alert system accordingly as this event timing nears.
BUILDING HEAT: A ridge of high pressure will build into the area by this next week, June 17th. Heat will be the story as we temporarily lose the June Gloom for all inland areas.