Scattered Showers Due in Southland

Scattered showers are expected over Southern California today as a low-pressure system of subtropical moisture moves inland from the Pacific.

Forecasters say the chance of rain is 60% today, with about one-fourth of an inch of precipitation anticipated.

Light rain could also continue into Wednesday and Thursday, with high temperatures of about 60 expected, according to Patricia Cooper, a meteorologist with WeatherData Inc., which provides forecasts for The Times.

By Friday, fair skies are expected to return, with temperatures rising through the weekend.

“This is not a very strong storm like the last one” that caused more than $68 million of shoreline damage, Cooper said. “I don’t think you’ll see really heavy rain.”

Lighter Winds Expected

On Jan. 18 and 19, when breakers up to 25 feet high crashed into piers and buildings from Santa Barbara to San Diego, gale-force winds were blowing in from the Pacific.

Today, however, the wind is expected to come from the east-northeast, and should not be a significant factor, Cooper said.

The subtropical moisture is expected to be pushed toward the California coast by a gradually weakening trough of low pressure located about 1,000 miles west-southwest of Los Angeles, according to the National Weather Service.

Scattered showers are expected to reach desert areas of Southern California late today or tonight.

The snow level is expected to begin at about 5,000 to 6,000 feet early today.

On Monday, the high temperature at the Los Angeles Civic Center reached 59 degrees after an overnight low of 52, the National Weather Service reported. Relative humidity ranged from 60% to 86%.