Light Showers Possible Today

There’s a slight chance we may get a little rain today, for the first time since March 2.

“Not a big chance. Just a chance. Maybe a 30% to 40% chance,” said Patricia Cooper, a meteorologist for WeatherData Inc., which provides forecasts for The Times.

Cooper said a a high-altitude storm system lurking several hundred miles off the coast of Southern California on Tuesday was expected to move slowly onshore today, “and as it does, you’ll see clouds and the possibility of showers.”

The National Weather Service said rainfall should total no more than .20 of an inch in the Los Angeles Basin, with possibly as much as .40 of an inch in some mountain areas, before the slow-moving system moves eastward Thursday.

Forecasters agreed that whatever rain the storm brings will not be enough to make a significant break in the prolonged dry spell that has hastened the advent of the fire season this year.

Cooper said the cloud cover will keep temperatures a little cooler today and Thursday, with highs in most areas in the low 70s.

Tuesday’s Los Angeles Civic Center high was 81. Relative humidity ranged from 90% to 34%.

Cooper said that with the clearing skies on Thursday, temperatures should rise to the 80s again, and it looks like more warm, dry weather for the weekend.