latest news The last storm is leaving, leaving a rather dry and sunny weekend

After two days of near-constant rain, the latest storm to inundate Southern California is expected to leave the region Thursday evening, leaving the weekend dry and mostly sunny.

Cloudy skies and some precipitation are expected to persist in the region Thursday, bringing scattered showers and possible snowfall to mountainous areas, according to the National Weather Service. Temperatures will range from the mid 40s to the lower 60s.

Over the past two days, the Los Angeles area recorded 1.76 inches of rain, while the greater Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena area received 1.44 inches and Oxnard recorded 2.26 inches of rain.

Most of Southern California is expected to remain rain-free from Friday until at least Tuesday, when there is a 20% chance of rain in some areas in the afternoon, increasing to 40% in the evening. , the forecasters said. A quarter inch to a half inch of rain could fall in Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

As the most recent storm moved east Thursday, it had the potential to drop a tenth of an inch of rain on the mountains of Ventura and Los Angeles County, according to the weather service. Forecasters also say an inch of snow is possible for the Grapevine.

Strong winds are expected along the central coast and at higher elevations, with a wind advisory in effect for the mountains and Antelope Valley through Friday, according to the weather service.

The latest storm dealt a devastating blow to the Central Valley, with massive flooding prompting thousands to evacuate the area, officials said. Hundreds of homes and other structures were damaged or destroyed.

On Wednesday, Monterey County officials said they hoped to allow Pajaro residents and business owners to return to the flooded community to inspect their homes and businesses. A levee near the town was breached in a severe storm on March 10.