Some resources to make sure you have the most up-to-date information:
Our latest big winter storm is behind us and it definitely left an impression — as of Sunday morning, some 49,000 customers remain without power in L.A. and many major roads are still closed to traffic.
This storm brought L.A. County's coastal and valley areas anywhere from 3 to 11 inches of rain. The snow totals were significantly higher. Mountain High got more than 90 inches of snowfall. Mount Wilson got 40 inches. Frazier Park, near the Grapevine, got between 20 and 25 inches.
Rich Thompson with the National Weather Service says these snow amounts, especially the ones at low elevations, are unheard of.
"In terms of widespread low elevation snow, like we saw, it's the most impressive that I've seen in my career out here in Southern California," Thompson said, "so definitely was not your run of the mill winter storm for Southern California."
Don't be tempted to go and see the snow for yourself, though — many mountain freeways in the area are still closed.
LATEST UPDATE: @CaltransDist7 worked diligently past several days in tandem w/CHP. I-5 and Route 14 are open but some roads remain closed or limited access. Please be cautious and watch out for workers! Roads are wet, slippery. pic.twitter.com/ZbktHWAxWn
— Caltrans District 7 (@CaltransDist7) February 26, 2023
As of 2 p.m. Sunday:
Both Caltrans and the L.A. County Department of Public Works have road closures and conditions listed on their sites. Please check these links for the most up-to-date information.
We're getting a bit of a reprieve from the rain today (Sunday, Feb. 26) but another storm system is traveling through Southern California starting late tonight through Wednesday.
Thompson says don't worry though, it's much weaker than the storm we saw the last few days — with just .25 to .75 of an inch of rain forecast.
"So definitely a lot less rainfall than we've seen," he said. Mountain snowfall is expected to be between 1 and 2 inches.
As of 8 a.m. Sunday — the most recent update of overall outages from the L.A. Department of Water and Power — roughly 49,000 L.A. customers remained without power.
LADWP officials said crews made progress overnight, restoring power to another 40,000 customers. In all, they said more than 98,000 customers who lost power during this storm have had it turned back on so far.
However, LADWP also said that one crew member was seriously injured while on the job in San Fernando Valley on Saturday and remains in intensive care.
"This accident and serious injury of our employee is a reminder that our line crews and other field personnel are truly unsung heroes who work in hazardous conditions risking their lives to keep the power flowing across our city," said LADWP General Manager Martin Adams in a statement on Sunday. “The safety of our employees and customers is our highest priority, and we are praying that he makes a full recovery.”
As of 4:30 p.m. Sunday, an additional 4,922 Southern California Edison customers were without power, with more than 2,000 of those in L.A. County.
Downed power lines due to the high winds and rain remain a serious danger. Authorities say you should call 911 and avoid the area if you see power lines on the ground.
“Our crews are the best at what they do and will work around the clock until every customer has power restored," said Brian Wilbur, a senior manager with LADWP, in a statement released Saturday. At the same time, they're cautioning restoring power could take as long as 24 to 48 hours as crews deal with clearing trees.
The #LARiver is flowing strong. Please stay away from streams, rivers and storm drains during, and immediately after, the rain. The water can rise quickly and without warning, sweeping you away in its path.
— Los Angeles County (@CountyofLA) February 26, 2023
Video credit: @LACoPublicWorks #LArain pic.twitter.com/hSBXNbQuXj
L.A. Fire Department officials said two men stranded on different dry land areas surrounded by rising water at Hansen Dam were hoisted to safety by helicopter Saturday morning.
Another man was also pulled to safety in Sunland in the Tujunga Wash. Fire officials said the man, 61, told them he'd left his van after becoming stranded by water about midnight. He was spotted Saturday morning by a passerby. Officials said he is being treated for hypothermia.
We have more detailed guidance: Your Guide To Driving Safely In The Rain In LA (And Really Anywhere).
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works is anticipating debris flows in some recently burned areas through Sunday, including near the:
The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority is offering over 500 motel vouchers for the unhoused population due to the severe weather. For a referral to the site closest to you, call 211.
"Not only will 211 tell you where to go, but they can arrange transportation either through a LAHSA outreach team or other means to ensure that that person gets to a safe bed tonight," said Ahmad Chapman, LAHSA's communications director.
Outreach workers have been visiting encampments near rivers and creeks, offering sleeping bags and tents, and showing people where to seek higher ground if they don't want access to the winter shelter programs, as well.
Here are the other shelter sites throughout Los Angeles County:
[View the document here if it doesn't load above for you: L.A. County winter shelters]
Shelters have been in demand.
On Wednesday night in Orange County, the Cold Weather Emergency Shelter reached full occupancy for the first time, with 90 individuals experiencing homelessness staying the night. The shelter provides meals and showers, and transportation to the shelter is available.
It's a fairly recent addition to the area. OC officials didn't open the shelter until Feb. 1, even though storms have been battering California residents for months.
The California Office of Emergency Services has posted a list of warming centers throughout the state.
State law requires residential units to have heating systems that can keep indoor temperatures at a minimum of 70 degrees. That means every dwelling unit and guest room offered for rent or lease should offer heating equipment, usually central air conditioning (A/C) or a wall heater. — Caitlin Hernández
Use heat smartly to save money: Cranking things like the A/C and wall heaters can be expensive. If money is tight, be judicious about how and when you use your utilities. For example, only use heaters at night or only set the thermostat to around 70 degrees.
Open and close those vents: If you have central A/C, look at where the vents are around your home. Are any open in places where you don’t stay long? Practice opening and closing those so warm air only goes where you need it (most vents should have a small toggle lever). Humidifiers can also help you warm things up — and it’s useful to add moisture into our dry air.
Adjust your wall heaters: If you have a wall heater, you can change the output by adjusting the knob (usually at the bottom). Since wall heaters can only warm the areas where they’re placed, it’s essential to close doors to rooms you won’t be in so hot air doesn’t get wasted.
Turn on your ceiling fan (really): If you have a ceiling fan, try turning it on. This sounds counterintuitive, but there’s science behind it. The direction a fan turns can push air in different directions, and since hot air floats up, you’ll want to move that around. Your fan should spin clockwise to create an updraft to circulate. Not all fans will have this option, though.
Here's what you need to know when storms hit Southern California:
About 30% of California's water comes from the snow up in the Sierra, and as of Friday, the snow levels are at 142% of our April 1 average. So far, weather experts say the year is looking favorable for making progress on the drought.
The snowpack matters because ideally it will melt slowly over the coming months (usually starting in May), so that the water has an opportunity to percolate deep into the ground and feed plants, trees, rivers, and reservoirs long into our dry season.
Whether that happens depends on the type of weather we see. Higher temperatures could hit us at any time, get to work melting the snow and increasing evaporative demand. In that case, things will start to dry faster than is ideal and greater stress will be put on our landscapes. Rising temperatures as a result of climate change are taking a toll, and it’s important to remember that the next big drought year could be right around the corner.
Rebecca Gutierrez has been talking to the NWS. Julia Paskin is also reporting on conditions. Jacob Margolis, who covers science, contributed background information. Additional LAist staff are contributing photos and more information.
