Pair Of Pacific Storms To Pummel Pasadena

LOS ANGELES, CA — The millions of Southlanders staying home from school and work won't get much chance for some fresh air this weekend thanks to two storms systems washing over the region over the next several days.

The first storm is expected to hit the coast Friday evening triggering days of on-and-off rain. It will be followed Sunday by a much colder storm currently hovering off the coast of Canada. The storms are expected to bring snow to the local mountains.

The first was in the Pacific some 700 miles west of Los Angeles this morning, poised to trigger showers starting late Friday evening, said National Weather Service meteorologist Todd Hall.

The second of the two approaching systems -- the colder of the two -- is some 500 miles off British Colombia and will reach the Southland Sunday night, he said, adding that southerly winds will be one of its components.

The snow level will be above 6,000 feet Sunday night, then fall to near 4,000 feet Tuesday through Thursday, according to the NWS.

Also expected from late Sunday night into Monday are between a fourth of an inch and a half-inch of rain in L.A. and Ventura counties.

The NWS forecast slick roads starting Sunday night and possible delays in Monday morning's commute. Also possible over the coming days are lower snow levels and minor flooding and debris flows.

The weather service forecast showers in L.A. County Friday and highs of 42 degrees on Mount Wilson; 54 in Palmdale; 55 in Lancaster; 57 in Saugus; 60 in Woodland Hills; 61 in Pasadena, San Gabriel and Burbank; 62 in Avalon Long Beach and at LAX; and 64 in Downtown L.A. Cloudy skies were expected Saturday and Sunday, followed by rain on Monday, cloudy skies Tuesday, then more rain on Wednesday and Thursday. Until then, highs will generally run in the low to mid-60s.

In Orange County, the forecast Friday was for partly cloudy skies and highs of 42 degrees on Santiago Peak; 52 on Ortega Highway at 2,600 feet; 57 at Fremont Canyon; 58 at Trabuco Canyon; 60 in Laguna Beach and San Clemente; 61 in Newport Beach; 62 in Yorba Linda and Mission Viejo; and 64 in Fullerton, Anaheim and Irvine. Showers are forecast in Orange County on Monday and Wednesday. Every other day through Thursday will be cloudy.

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.