Tropical downpours to drench Los Angeles, Las Vegas during Labor Day weekend
As the tropical Pacific remains active through the holiday weekend, some impacts will be felt in Southern California in the form of downpours and heavy surf.
Three different storms are spinning in the Pacific Ocean. Even if none of them make landfall, will they still have impacts on the U.S.?
Tropical downpours could disrupt travel and outdoor activities and cause dangerous flash flooding from near the Southern California coast to the Nevada deserts during part of the extended Labor Day weekend.
The tropical moisture streaming into the southwestern United States will be sandwiched between a non-tropical storm to the north and the tail end of dry, hot air from a heat dome anchored over the Great Plains.
The storm over the Northwest will have the most influence on the weather in Southern California and the Southwest through this weekend. The storm is generally too far away to bring widespread shower activity on its own, while the heat dome over the Plains is too far away to guarantee dry and warm conditions through the weekend.
Cue potential impacts from tropical moisture, most significantly Marie.
"The bulk of Marie's moisture and the core of the storm will avoid the Southern California coast, but some moisture will tear off from the storm and be funneled in rounds this weekend," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dave Houk said.
A corridor of moisture is expected to bring drenching downpours from part of the Southern California coast, including the Los Angeles area, over the mountains and into the deserts of Nevada, including Las Vegas.
Because of the tropical nature of the downpours, some areas could be doused by an inch or so of rain in an hour or two. That rainfall rate could lead to flash flooding. Outdoor enthusiasts heading to the mountains and canyons for recreation should be on the lookout for potentially dangerous weather conditions.
"It is possible this tropical moisture may focus in a fairly narrow zone where it pours in the middle on Sunday, but to the north and to the south, little to no rain may occur," Houk explained. "The weather should generally improve on Labor Day with most places having a dry day, except for some spots over the mountains."
For the Burning Man festival in the Black Rock Desert of northern Nevada, showers that brought muddy conditions on Friday will depart the region for a time. Dry weather is forecast for Labor Day, but showers on Sunday may bring a new round of muddy conditions. Highs will be mainly in the 70s with chilly conditions at night.
Stormy through Labor Day weekend in the Northwest
Much of Washington, Oregon and Northern California can expect cloudy intervals, showers and spotty thunderstorms on Sunday as a storm funnels in cool air and non-tropical moisture across the region.
As the main storm pivots toward Montana, Idaho and Wyoming, the region should trend drier and sunnier for Labor Day itself.
Is a hurricane heading to Southern California?
"Waters offshore of Southern California and northwest Mexico are warmer than average and not surprising given the state of El Niño in the tropical Pacific," AccuWeather Meteorologist Nicholas Arman said. "While the warm water could sustain a tropical storm traveling well to the north and possibly through landfall, these events are extremely rare."
On this wide-angle image of the tropical Pacific, Lowell (lower left), Karina (center) and Marie (right) are visible on Sunday afternoon, September 6, 2026 (AccuWeather Enhanced RealVue™ Satellite)
Even storms like Hurricane Hilary in 2023, which brought heavy rain to Southern California, did not make landfall in the U.S. There is only one recorded instance of a tropical storm making landfall in California: in 1939.
AccuWeather meteorologists do not expect Marie to make landfall in Southern California as a hurricane. Some tropical moisture may find its way into parts of Central and Northern California this week.
Due to all the tropical activity over the Pacific, swells will reach the California coast in the form of large waves and sneaker waves well into the middle of September.
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