Aug 25, 2007 6:45 pm US/Pacific
Hurricane Dean Brings Muggy Weather To L.A.
LOS ANGELES (CBS) ―
Residents in eastern areas of Los Angeles and Orange counties are experiencing the remnants of Hurricane Dean in the form of muggy air and thunderheads.
A blast of tropical moisture from the Gulf of Mexico has blown all the way to California. When the air meets updrafts from the mountains, it creates thunderheads, according to a meteorologist at the National Weather Service.
A thunderstorm watch has been put in effect for Southern California mountains and deserts as far north as Big Lear Lake. It will continue until 8 p.m. Saturday and is likely to be repeated Sunday, Steve Vanderburg said.
"It's so humid out there today, it is taking a lot longer to heat up the clouds," he said. "But they are out there getting ready for some action this afternoon."
At midday, the Weather Service radar was showing a thunderstorm in the Riverside County mountains near Palm Springs and Idylwild as well as another storm near Big Bear Lake.
"They are not moving much at all yet, but the flow is out of the east, and if the storms develop they will push off to the west or northwest," he said. "They could even drift over to the coast."
(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
