By Brett Rathbun, AccuWeather.com Meteorologist
January 29,2016; 10:16PM,EST
Stormy conditions, common in a strong El Niño weather pattern, will make a brief return to Southern California and the southwestern United States this weekend.
This storm will also end the warmth across the region. Temperatures will dip below average from Sunday into early February.
Ahead of the main storm, large waves between 10 and 15 feet will crash ashore and may bring coastal flooding and erosion through Saturday.
The storm will strengthen as it moves onshore over Southern California on Sunday and sweep across the interior Southwest during Sunday night.
"While a blockbuster storm is not likely, enough rain will fall to cause minor flash and urban flooding issues and perhaps trigger a few mudslides in recent burn areas," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said.
Motorists should be prepared for slick conditions due to the rainy travel. Disruptions to outdoor activities are likely from San Diego to Los Angeles as well as much of the Inland Empire.
Rainfall between 0.50 of an inch to 1 inch are likely from Los Angeles to San Diego. However, the west- and southwest-facing mountainsides of Southern California may receive 1-3 inches of rain from the storm on Sunday.
Enough rain and wind can occur along with poor visibility to lead to airline delays at Los Angeles and San Diego.
Showers will make an appearance in San Francisco, Sacramento and Palm Springs, California, as well as Phoenix and Las Vegas.
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Southwest interactive radar
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Locally gusty thunderstorms are also possible on Sunday.
This storm system will pull chillier air across the region. Precipitation over the mountains will transition from rain to snow.
"Snow levels will fall from 6,500 feet to 5,000 feet during the storm with local amounts up to foot of snow likely at elevations above 7,000 feet," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Ken Clark said.
Snow levels may dip low enough to lightly coat Tejon and Cajon passes during Sunday night. Motorists should be on the lookout for slippery conditions over the summits, including on Monday morning.
Temperatures will be low enough for snow to develop into northern Nevada, central Utah, the Colorado Rockies and the Highlands of central Arizona. Over foot of snow may fall in the Rockies.
After receiving several inches of snow from Saturday into Saturday night, Salt Lake City could get another coating of snow from this storm on Sunday night and into Monday.
Gusty winds will accompany this storm from Southern California to New Mexico. Winds could occasionally gust over 50 mph over the ridges, through the passes and in the open desert areas.
Those traveling along interstates 8, 10, 17, 25 and 40 will need to have a firm grip on the steering wheel when traveling from Sunday afternoon into Monday morning.
Much of California will dry out on Monday as snow will continue to fall across the Four Corners region.
This storm will track across the Four Corners through Monday before reaching the central Plains into Tuesday, bringing the potential for severe weather and significant snow to the central United States.
There will not be a threat of any additional storms for next week as a large area of high pressure will bring a stretch of drier weather across the Southwest.
"In the wake of this storm, the storm track will pull northward again next week and may stay there through at least mid-February," Sosnowski said.
So far this winter, rainfall across much California has not been typical of a strong El Niño pattern.
Clark noted in his blog that rainfall during the current El Niño is well behind the pace of the 1997-98 El Niño.
However, there are still two to three months of winter left for significant storms to impact the Southwest.
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