Expect a bit of winter in May

Unseasonably cold storm could bring rain and snow to parts of the Southland.

It won’t be a bounty of precipitation, but when it comes to rain and Southern California, beggars can’t be choosers.

Beginning Thursday, rain and isolated thunderstorms are forecast for Los Angeles and the Southland through the end of the week, according to the National Weather Service.

We can all thank an unseasonably cold storm system originating in the Gulf of Alaska.

There will be a potential for brief heavy downpours, lightning, small hail and waterspouts off the coast, the weather service said.

“It’s not rare, but we certainly don’t get nice, cold storms every May,” said Kathy Hoxsie, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. “It’s Miracle May.”

The best chance for rain and thunderstorms will be Friday, Hoxsie said, adding that the storm is expected to taper off by early Saturday.

The Los Angeles area could be affected by showers and small hail during the Friday morning commute, according to the weather service. It warned of possible hazardous driving conditions because roads could be slippery from accumulated oil on wet pavement.

Precipitation across the Southland could be “quite variable,” according to the weather service, with more intense rainfall possible during thunderstorms.

Rainfall between a quarter and a half inch is possible across the coasts and valleys, with up to an inch in the mountains and some local areas.

The storm could also bring unseasonably low snow levels, with snow possibly falling to about 5,000 feet in local mountains by Friday morning, forecasters said.

Forecasters will be watching recent burn areas, including the Colby burn area in Glendora and areas in Camarillo Springs, which could be affected by mud and debris flow, Hoxsie said.

Gusty southwest winds of up to 50 mph could accompany the storm in the mountains and Antelope Valley, the weather service said.

Temperatures in the Los Angeles area are expected to drop through the end of the week and to hover in the upper 50s and 60s on Thursday and Friday, Hoxsie said.

The rainfall, Hoxsie said, is not expected to have any significant effect on California’s lingering drought.

“Anything that goes into the groundwater and keeps people from watering their lawns is good,” she said. “It won’t make a notable dent in what we need, but everything helps.”