Storms are set to move into SoCal. Belen De Leon has the forecast for Tuesday Feb. 21, 2023.
Enjoy the sunny weather while you can.
A major change is coming this week when storms usher in windy and colder conditions.
On Tuesday, clouds and winds will increase during the afternoon. There's a chance of light rain during the evening drive before even better chances of precipitation later this week.
Temperatures will turn much cooler Tuesday and Wednesday with an increasing chance of rain and very low elevation snow through Saturday.
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"Low snow levels are expected with this storm," said NBC4 forecaster Belen De Leon. "Travel is not recommended in the mountains this week."
A winter storm watch will be in effect in the Los Angeles County mountains from Tuesday evening through Saturday afternoon. Expect heavy snow accumulations and winds gusting as high as 70 mph.
The Antelope Valley and Catalina Island will both be under a high wind watch Tuesday evening into late Tuesday night, with winds of 30 to 45 mph anticipated, gusting up to 65 mph. Wind advisories are likely across the region Tuesday as gusts reach 45 to 55 mph.
High temperatures will fall 4 to 8 degrees over most of the area by Tuesday, with most areas saying in the upper 50s to mid-60s. Temperatures will continue to fall with freezing temperatures, possibly as low as 1,500 to 2,000 feet.
"We could see snow in places that don't usually see snow," said De Leon.
By Wednesday, highs will be 10 to 20 degrees below normal. Most areas will not reach the 60s.
High desert communities could wake up to snow Wednesday morning.
A stronger system is expected to move in Thursday, bringing moderate to heavy rain into Friday. Cool conditions are expected to last through at least Friday, although it could stretch into Saturday and possibly even Sunday.
Rainfall from the second storm will range from 2 to 4 inches. Several feet of snow are expected above 4,000 feet.
The moisture in the air could mean extended periods of precipitation, totaling as much as 5 inches in some areas by Sunday, and the snow level falling to about 1,500 feet.
