May 06--A cold, wet storm will linger over Los Angeles County through the weekend, bringing the possibility of thunderstorms and flash flooding to mountain communities.
Residents living in the Antelope Valley, Cuyama Valley, Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties could see dangerous lightning, flash flooding, gusty winds and small hail Friday afternoon, the National Weather Service advised.
"The low pressure system is pretty much right overhead," NWS meteorologist Scott Sukup said.
The unseasonably moist and unstable air mass could also bring thunderstorms and periods of heavy rain. Sukup advised residents that if they come across moving water on any roadway, "turn around, don't drown."
The cold system from the Gulf of Alaska moved into Northern California on Thursday, creating chaos for some communities.
Forecasters reported large hail near Sacramento and lightning across the Bay Area.
Lightning in Oakley, Calif., caused damage to a home and injured a woman, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Lightning struck a metal flag pole outside the woman's home and caused a ceiling fan to collapse, hitting the woman, the newspaper reported.
In Yuba City, residents told KTXL-TV that quarter-sized hail pummeled the area for about 45 minutes.
Showers and the possibility of thunderstorms were expected to bring wild weather to Northern California, according to the National Weather Service in Sacramento.
In Los Angeles, Sukup said showers will be "hit and miss" Friday and isolated to the mountains on Saturday.
Temperatures will hover in the 60s and 70s, which is slightly below average for this time of year, he said.
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By Sunday, rain should move out and warm temperatures should return next week.
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