With rumors of a hurricane in California, here's what to expect

Key Points:

• Tropical Storm Marie is being closely monitored for potential indirect effects on Southern California's weather over Labor Day weekend, driven by unusually warm eastern Pacific waters linked to a developing El Niño event.
• While the likelihood of Marie making landfall in Southern California is very low, forecasters expect possible impacts such as increased humidity, clouds, heavy surf, and light to moderate rain, with a small chance of over 2 inches of rainfall.
• Forecast models diverge on Marie’s path, with some predicting it will move north over Southern California causing significant rain and wind, while others show it veering west with minimal impact.
• Other Pacific tropical cyclones, Hurricanes Lowell and Karina, may pass near Hawaii but are expected to have less impact than previous storms like Hurricane Lala in August.
• The National Weather Service warns of high surf, minor coastal flooding, and beach erosion in Southern California due to tropical activity, while the recent Bay Area rain is attributed to a weak cold front, not the tropical system.