Powerful storm brings heavy rain, mountain snow across SoCal. Here's what to expect Thursday

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The most powerful storm of the week has arrived in Southern California, bringing mountain snow, gusty winds and heavy rain that could cause flash flooding and threaten burn scar areas.

Due to the storm, a flood watch will be in effect for a large portion of SoCal through 6 p.m. Thursday. A winter storm warning will also be in effect in the mountains for the next few days.

Rain timeline

The brunt of the storm will hit through early Thursday morning as a cold front moves through the region.

The National Weather Service expects the cold front to move through quickly, with heavy rain expected to last for three to six hours. The strongest chance for rain will last through 6 a.m. Then it starts to back off around 8 a.m.

Rain chances drop to around 24% by noon. There will still be scattered showers and possible thunderstorms after the cold front moves through.

During the peak of the storm, rain rates could reach up to an inch per hour in some parts. There's a possibility of isolated waterspouts early morning along the beaches.

This system will also likely be the biggest snow maker of the season, with 1 to 2 feet of snow forecast for higher elevations.

Showers linger on Friday, but dry conditions return for the weekend.

How much rain is expected Thursday?

Los Angeles and Orange counties can expect 1-2 inches of rain, with heavy downpours in the morning and showers in the afternoon. Temperatures will reach a high of 55 and a low of 48.

The valleys and Inland Empire will see 2-3 inches of rain, along with gusty conditions. Heavy rain in the morning will turn into showers later in the day. The high will be 55 and the low will be 46.

Beaches will see 1-2 inches of rain and a high of 55, dropping to 50 overnight. Showers arrive in the afternoon.

Snow will blanket the mountains, with more than 5 inches possible at elevations around 6,500 feet.

Deserts will see heavy rain in the morning hours. A high of 50 and a low of 38 is expected.

City News Service contributed to this report.

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