SoCal Dries Out After 2-Day Drenching, With More Rain On The Way

A rainbow appears between palm trees during a winter storm that blanketed the region with rain, snow, and hail in Redondo Beach, Calif., on Feb. 25, 2023. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES—Southern California was beginning to dry out from two days of virtually nonstop rain Feb. 26, although thousands of people remained without electricity in Los Angeles County and more rain is in the forecast over the next three days.

The powerful winter storm dumped 10.79 inches of rain on Woodland Hills through Sunday morning, 9.29 inches in La Canada Flintridge, 8.38 inches in Newhall, 8.11 inches in Pasadena, 6.88 inches in Burbank, 6.76 inches in Bel Air, and 4.49 inches in downtown Los Angeles, according to the National Weather Service.

Mountain High received 93 inches of snow, and Mount Wilson got 40 inches.

Some highways and surface streets were flooded Saturday, and authorities advised people not to travel if they can avoid it. Skies were partially clear Sunday morning, but the weather agency said travel in the mountain areas would “still be very ‘dicey’ through the day.”

The following highway closures were ongoing Sunday:

• Interstate 5 was closed through the Tejon Pass from Parker Road to Grapevine Road.
• State Route 138 was closed in northern LA County from I-5 to 190th Street West.
• State Route 2 in the Angeles National Forest was closed from two miles north of I-210 to Vincent Gulch Road.
• State Route 39 in the Angeles National Forest was closed at East Fork Road.

Power Outages

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said 49,000 of its 1.5 million electric customers were still without power late Sunday morning. Since the start of the storm Friday, crews had restored power to more than 98,000 customers.

The remaining outages were spread across the utility’s service area with some of the hardest hit communities being Glassell Park, Green Meadows, Hancock Park, Hollywood, Studio City, Chatsworth, Mission Hills, North Hollywood, Sun Valley, Tarzana, Van Nuys, and Woodland Hills.

Meanwhile, Southern California Edison’s outage map showed 33 outages affecting more than 4,800 customers in Los Angeles County as of 11 a.m. Sunday, and five outages in Orange County affecting more than 1,300 customers.

Firefighters and paramedics performed the latest of several water rescues Sunday in a remote section of the Tujunga Wash in Sunland. Two people and a cat who were camping inside a vehicle in a remote section of the wash were rescued by helicopter after the area was filled with stormwater. The two people were being treated for hypothermia.

More Rain On The Way

Another storm system was expected to bring periods of rain and mountain snow to the Southland late Sunday through Wednesday. Gusty winds are possible for periods of time, especially Monday, before a warming and drying trend takes shape later in the week.

Scattered showers, isolated thunderstorms, and some hail were expected Sunday afternoon and evening and early Monday, with the potential for minor urban flooding.

Temperatures continue to be well below normal. Daytime highs on Sunday were 54 degrees in downtown Los Angeles, 52 in North Hollywood, 51 in Pasadena, and 49 in Valencia. Those numbers were expected to be roughly the same over the next few days.

Lows are mostly in the 30s, dropping to the 20s in some mountain areas and in the 40s in Orange County.

Knott’s Berry Farm and Six Flags Magic Mountain reopened Sunday after both parks were closed Friday and Saturday.

This weekend was the first time downtown Los Angeles received at least 2 inches of rain on consecutive calendar days since Feb. 28 and March 1 of 1978, according to the National Weather Service.

The weather service added that Friday was the wettest February day at Burbank Airport since records began there in 1939, beating the previous record of 4.50 inches set on Feb. 8, 1993.

San Diego County

San Diego County residents should get a break Sunday after a relentless storm brought heavy snow and icy roads to the mountains and flooding elsewhere, leading to multiple road closures.

Sunday’s forecast called for partly cloudy skies, isolated rain showers, and westerly wind gusts of up to 45 mph in some areas with highs in the 40s to 60s.

A winter weather advisory is in place until noon Sunday for the mountains. In the desert areas, a wind advisory will remain in effect until 6 p.m. Sunday.

Alpine received 1.07 inches of rain Saturday, breaking a Feb. 25, 2003, record of .77 inches. El Cajon received 1.12 inches, breaking a Feb. 25, 1996, record of 1 inch.

Flooding occurred in low-lying areas around the San Diego River. Both lanes of Mission Center Road in Mission Valley were closed between Friars Road and Camino De La Reina due to flooding.

Two people were rescued by lifeguards Saturday when their vehicle was trapped in flooding on Pacific Highway near the San Diego Airport. Lifeguards performed the rescues and the two people were assessed for injuries.

The short break in precipitation was predicted for Sunday afternoon through Monday morning, but a pair of disturbances moving onshore to the north could bring back rain and snow showers Monday afternoon through midweek.

It will remain cool all week, with daytime temperatures running well below average.