June 24, 2025 #1 Local News, Information and Event Source for the Century City/Westwood areas.

Storm Causes Flash Flood Warnings in the Los Angeles Area

Steady rain generated by a storm out of the Gulf of Alaska drenched the Southland early Friday, raising fears of flash flooding and mud flows down fire-stripped slopes, as treacherous travel conditions developed in the mountains.

At around 3:30 a.m., the NWS issued a flash flood warning scheduled to remain in force until 6:30 a.m. for areas at the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains below the sites of the Fish and Reservoir wildfires. It said rain was falling at rates of up to a half-inch per hour in those areas.

The rain began falling Thursday morning across San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, then spread to Ventura and Los Angeles counties in the afternoon and intensified as the day wore on. The bulk of the precipitation was expected overnight before the storm clears out, possibly by mid morning.

National Weather Service meteorologist Curt Kaplan said the storm “will be a pretty good rainmaker,” and an NWS statement added:

“The warm nature of this storm system ahead of the cold front will bring periods of heavy rain. Rainfall rates capable of triggering mud and debris flows within the recent burn areas will be possible. Rain will turn to showers by Friday morning.”

An urban and small stream flood advisory was issued by the NWS before 2 a.m. and due to expire at 7:45 a.m. Explaining why it was issued, the weather service said it is expecting rainfall rates of a quarter to a third of an inch of rain per hour at times overnight, with as much as a half inch per hour along coastal slopes.

“This will cause urban and small stream flooding early this morning … along with minor mud and debris flows in the recent burn areas. In addition, there could be rapid increase in water levels across the creeks, washes, and rivers, as well as rockslides across canyon roadways,” according to an NWS statement.

In the San Gabriel Mountains, a winter weather advisory will be in effect from 2 this afternoon until 10 a.m. Saturday. The NWS said the snow level would remain above 8,000 feet through early this morning in advance of a cold front, but then drop to as low as 2,000 feet tonight.

“This — in combination with strong winds, icy roadways and dangerous wind chill readings — will bring the potential for treacherous driving conditions through Saturday morning across the north-facing slopes of the local mountains, including Interstate 5 near The Grapevine,” warned an NWS statement early this morning.

The storm will be the biggest so far of the rainy season, which runs from October to May, according to the NWS. Rainfall totals will range between a half-inch and 1.5 inches in coastal and valley areas and between 1 and 3 inches in the foothills and along south- and southwest-facing mountain slopes, although 4 inches is possible in places.

The threat of flash flooding targeted the so-called burn areas of L.A. County — in the San Gabriel and Santa Monica mountains and the San Fernando, Santa Clarita and San Gabriel valleys, as well as in areas of Ventura County, the NWS said.

Periods of heavy rain could lead to flash flooding and debris flows down slopes stripped of vegetation in the Sand, Fish, Sage, Old, Solimar, Springs and other recent fires, according to the NWS.

Not much atmospheric instability is seen in this storm, meaning no forecast of thunderstorms. Instead, it’s expected to be very wet because embedded in it is a subtropical band of moisture from Hawaii, forecasters said.

Also threatening the region are strong and potentially damaging winds, but perhaps not as fierce as initially anticipated. A high wind warning, projecting winds blowing or gusting at 58 miles per hour or more, was scheduled to be in force until 10 a.m. in the San Gabriel Mountains and the Antelope Valley. But before dawn, it was changed to a wind advisory, denoting winds or gusts of 35 mph, and scheduled to expire at noon.

Forecast in the advisory areas were winds of between 20 and 30 mph with 50-mph gusts.

The NWS forecast highs in Los Angeles County of 54 degrees Fahrenheit on Mount Wilson; 55 in Palmdale; 56 in Lancaster; 57 in Saugus; 58 in San Gabriel; 59 in Pasadena and Burbank; 60 at LAX and in downtown L.A., Woodland Hills and Avalon; and 61 in Long Beach. Saturday’s temperatures will be a few degrees lower in many communities but the sun will be shining and will do so over the next several days.

In Orange County, the weather service forecast highs of 62 in Laguna Beach, Yorba Linda, Fullerton and Anaheim; and 63 in Newport Beach, San Clemente, Fullerton, Anaheim, Irvine and Mission Vieho. As in L.A. County, Saturday’s temperatures will be a little lower under sunny skies.

 

466693533

Related Posts

LAPD Sergeant Killed Assisting Crash Victims on 405 Freeway in Brentwood

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

Tragic Early-Morning Collision Claims Two Lives, Including Veteran Sergeant Two people, including an LAPD sergeant, were killed early Monday in...

Recent Homebuyer Down Payments Slip for First Time in Nearly Two Years

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

April’s Median Down Payment Fell as Buyers Lean Toward Lower-Cost Homes The median down payment made by U.S. homebuyers dropped...

Del Rey Affordable Housing Project to Rise on Former Charter School Site

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

Community Corp., Local Faith Group Team Up to Build 122 New Apartments Plans are moving forward for a new residential...

Paris Hilton Buys Mark Wahlberg’s Beverly Park Mansion for $63.1M

June 22, 2025

June 22, 2025

The Heiress and Media Mogul Joins a Star-Studded Neighborhood Paris Hilton and husband Carter Reum have purchased a high-profile estate...

A.O.C. Brentwood to Close After 16 Years on San Vicente Boulevard

June 22, 2025

June 22, 2025

Chef Goin and Styne Cite Unsustainably High Rent in Decision to Close  A.O.C. Brentwood, the acclaimed Westside outpost from James...

Weekend Lane Closures on PCH in Malibu Could Snarl Summer Beach Traffic

June 21, 2025

June 21, 2025

Army Corps Work Triggers Weekend Closure on Pacific Coast Highway Motorists traveling along Pacific Coast Highway this weekend should prepare...

LA City Councilwomen Yaroslavsky and Jurado Call for Legal Action Against Federal Immigration Raids

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

City Motion Targets Alleged Unconstitutional Tactics, End Qualified Immunity for Fed Officers  City Councilmembers Katy Yaroslavsky and Ysabel Jurado introduced...

All Aboard to LAX: Metro Opens Game-Changing Transit Hub Ahead of Global Events

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

 New LAX/Metro Transit Center Comes Closer to Connecting Metro Directly to LAX The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro)...

Princess Diana’s Largest Wardrobe Auction Set for Beverly Hills

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

Over 200 Royal Garments to Hit the Auction Block for Charity More than 200 garments and royal artifacts, including the...

Queer Beauty Through the Ages: Getty Hosts Lecture on Greek Art’s Influence on LGBTQ Aesthetics

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

Art Historian to Trace Homoerotic Imagery From Ancient Greece to Modern Queer Identity As part of its ongoing Pride Month...

Food Fight on the Venice Boardwalk: Chefs Stand Up for Immigrants with Food

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

Turk’s Pizza Party Rallies Top Local Eateries for an Immigrant Rights Fundraiser In a bold display of culinary activism, Turk’s...

Navy Vietnam Vet Finally Gets His UCLA Commencement Moment

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

John Fong, 80, Missed His Graduation in 1968 While in Vietnam  Nearly six decades after completing his studies, U.S. Navy...

Films, Flair, and Panoramas: Free Cultural Events Light Up The Ebell This Week

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

The Ebell Theatre Hosts a Double Feature of Films, Plus a Coffee Talk A pair of free public events this...

Robeks Opens in Westwood with Free Smoothies and 15% Off Bowls & Toasts

June 19, 2025

June 19, 2025

New Location Celebrates Grand Opening on June 21 With Daylong Giveaways Robeks is launching its newest storefront in Westwood with...

9th Circuit Court Backs Trump in Battle Over California National Guard Control

June 19, 2025

June 19, 2025

Federal Judges Allow Trump to Retain Command of Troops in Los Angeles Federal judges on Thursday cleared the way for...