Heavier weekend rain expected in Southern California

The Southland is expected to stay soggy through the weekend, with intermittent rains lasting into Sunday, forecasters said today.

A couple of low-pressure systems moving in over the next few days will bring sporadic light drizzle tonight; the heaviest showers could arrive Saturday afternoon through Sunday, said Stuart Seto, a weather specialist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. The chance of rain will climb from 30% Thursday afternoon to 50% Thursday night, with a pause in precipitation expected on Saturday morning.

Overnight rainfall is expected to reach just a half-inch in coastal and valley areas, with up to an inch and a half falling in the mountains by Wednesday morning.

“The rainfall totals today, they’ll be really light,” Seto said. Forecasters do not anticipate flooding.

The snow level will remain at high altitudes. In the next few days, as much as 4 inches could accumulate at about 6,000 feet, Seto said.

Throughout the week, temperatures are expected to hover in the lower 60s during the day and 50 degrees overnight in coastal areas, Seto said. Valleys could be slightly cooler at night. Forecasts for mountain areas call for daytime temperatures in the mid 40s and 50s, with lows dipping into the 20s at higher elevations.

The rest of the nation will be seeing overcast skies as well. Snow is expected in Oregon and Washington, and across the Eastern seaboard, Seto said.

susannah.rosenblatt@latimes.com