Jan 27, 2008 6:04 am US/Pacific
Winter Storms Continue To Soak SoCal
LOS ANGELES (CBS) ―
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The NWS issued a flash flood watch effective through Sunday night.
CBS
Steady rain was falling across Southern California Sunday as the region weathered a weeklong series of storms that threatened to destabilize fire-denuded hillsides. No major slides have been reported so far.
Steady rain started falling late Saturday night and, by about 2 a.m., Woodland Hills had already received two inches, Curt Kaplan of the National Weather Service said.
Forecasters predict that 2-4 inches of rain will fall on the coastal plains and valleys before the storm moves east late Sunday, Kaplan said. "Some of the intensities aren't quite as bad as we thought," he said, but cautioned that the storm system had the potential to cause damage.
Thunderstorms, hail and water spouts are possible, he said. The eye of the low-pressure system should move over Los Angeles about 10 tonight, Kaplan said. Then, the rain should taper off.
The spate of wet weather has pushed the seasonal total for downtown Los Angeles to 10.1 inches -- well ahead of the norm of 6.5 inches for this time of year, he said. Last year at this time, downtown had received just 1.32 inches.
So far, no major problems have been reported in Malibu, where wildfires denuded parts of Malibu Canyon, as well as Corral and Latigo canyons, or in Orange County canyons east of Irvine.
The Orange County Fire Authority urged residents of Santiago, Modjeska, Silverado, Williams and Harding canyons in Orange County to evacuate at noon Saturday. But it was unclear how many of the fiercely independent canyon residents, many of whom refused to evacuate during earlier storms, actually left.
Animals, including llamas and horses, can be taken to the Orange County Fairgrounds, and residents can go to El Modena High School at 3920 E. Spring St. in Orange, where a shelter opened at 4 p.m.
In the foothills and mountains, up to 8 inches of rain is possible on Sunday. Because the system that moved into the region last night is warmer than the previous two, rain is falling atop snow in some spots, creating the possibility of small stream and flash flooding.
The NWS issued a flash flood watch effective through Sunday night. Interstate 5, which been closed Wednesday and Thursday due to snow that trapped hundreds of motorists along the Grapevine section, reopened Saturday, but the nearly 40-mile stretch could be closed again if more snow falls near Tejon Summit, which is about 4,200 feet.
Strong winds out of the south at 20-30 mph, with gusts up to 50 mph, also are possible, prompting the NWS to issue a wind advisory effective through 9 Sunday morning.
Snow is expected at elevations of about 5,000 feet or more. Up to 18 inches is expected in the higher elevations, where as much as 4 feet fell earlier in the week.
The heavy snowfall contributed to avalanches that killed three backcountry skiers near the Mountain High resort.
(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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