A winter storm is expected to reach the California coast late on March 4 and could produce weak tornadoes and thunderstorms, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

The Pacific storm is also expected to bring cooler temperatures to the state’s Central Coast as it ramps up on Wednesday, said forecasters.

“We do have thunderstorms in the forecast for a good portion of California, and with that, weak tornadoes are possible, but they are very unlikely,” Miles Bliss, a meteorologist at the NWS Western Region operations center in Utah, told The Epoch Times.

Bliss said the central and southern coastal regions of the state were most likely to experience thunderstorms and tornadoes if they arrived.

According to Bliss, as of Tuesday morning, the weather service reported about a 20-percent chance of thunderstorms from the San Francisco Bay Area south to Los Angeles and beyond.

Tornadoes struck part of San Luis Obispo County in Central California, and another funnel cloud formed near San Diego in February 2024 as a strong winter storm brought record rainfall to the state.

The NWS announced in a Tuesday morning update that moderate to heavy rain is expected in the Los Angeles County area from Wednesday through Thursday night.

Rain was expected to arrive in the Central Coast overnight Tuesday and into Wednesday morning, according to the weather service.

“What we’re looking at generally is an inch of rain, possibly more in the mountains,” Bliss said. “That shouldn’t have a really high impact unless a thunderstorm moves over a burn scar.”

Local and state officials continued to monitor weather affecting cities damaged by January’s Palisades and Eaton fires. Excessive rainfall over Pacific Palisades, Altadena, and Pasadena could result in more mudslides.

Los Angeles County asked the public to be alert during winter storms.

“Crews are actively working to clear mud and debris from impacted areas and ensure public safety,” the county wrote on its emergency management website. “Be aware of trees and slopes which could become unstable due to water-saturated soils.”

A California state flag billows during a storm in Huntington Beach, Calif., on Feb. 20, 2024. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Some roads and areas around the burn scars could remain closed for an extended amount of time, the county reported.

The weather service also warned the public that Interstate 5 over the Grapevine in Southern California could get snow Wednesday evening, possibly lasting through Friday morning.

“I think the bigger impact is going to be the winter weather,” Bliss said. “The more people can plan to avoid the snow, the better.”

Surf hits the beaches of Los Angeles, Calif., on Feb. 6, 2024. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

According to the NWS, rain was expected to pick up Tuesday night in the San Francisco Bay Area and Thursday in the Los Angeles region.

In Kern County, the weather service expects strong wind gusts to accompany the upcoming system, especially in the eastern part of the county and along the southern Sierra Nevada.

A high-wind watch and wind advisory were issued for the desert areas from 10 a.m. Wednesday through 10 a.m. Friday.