Welcome to winter. The forecast all week — rain

Southern Californians saw a break in the weather Sunday, ahead of more showers expected Monday through Wednesday.

"Scattered to isolated showers will persist through late tonight across the area," according to a National Weather Service at about 5 p.m. Sunday. And there's no relief in sight, with two more storm systems en route, bringing wintery conditions more than a month ahead of the official change of season.

First, a "cooler storm system" will bring rain from Sunday night through Monday, an estimated 1 to 2 inches of additional rain is expected in most areas. Less intense rainfall from that storm is expected through Wednesday.

Next up: Another warmer and fast-moving storm should hit Thursday and last into Friday. The National Weather Service cautioned that forecast could change, and it's unclear how much rainfall is anticipated.

The five-day rainfall totals for the region already are far above average for this time of year, with some mountain areas in Santa Barbara topping 10 inches of rain. All that rain has led the National Weather service to warn Southern Californians to be alert to changing conditions, debris flows and possible flooding.

"We're on the tail end of the storm here," said Robbie Monroe, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service based in Oxnard. "[We''ll] continue to see some moderate and mostly heavy rain showers, with some flooding out there, especially roadway type flooding."

Monroe cautioned: "Since we've had so much rainfall already, it doesn't take much in the way of additional rainfall to cause some more significant issues."

What we've seen so far

Rain comes down on the Palisades Fire zone on Saturday. Burn scar areas are of high concern as Southern California is pummeled by a series of storms.

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Ethan Swope

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AP

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Neighbors stand beyond a toppled Coast Live Oak tree on Saturday in Altadena. Concern about damage from the storm have been high in areas recently burned.

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Mario Tama

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Getty Images

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Rocks and mud were reported in the road above the Palisades Fire burn scar at Mulholland Highway and Stunt Road. More than 50 trees have been knocked down by high winds across the city of L.A., while a 1-foot flash flood was reported in Culver City between the 405 Freeway and Pico Boulevard. Flooding also hit Compton and Camarillo, where rainfall caused Conejo Creek to spill into nearby agricultural fields.

"As you go off west into Ventura County, we're seeing those [rain] totals really creep up fast here," Tod Hall, a National Weather Service meteorologist, said Saturday morning. "We have even reports of the highest, 6.28 inches, in our mountains."

A little after 10 a.m., a debris flow was reported across northbound Highway 101 in La Conchita. The area, which suffered a deadly landslide in 2005, was under an evacuation advisory from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department. Rocks and debris were also reported near Soledad Canyon in Santa Clarita.

Burn scars remain a major concern.

As for fire season? We’ll have to get back to you on that one. It’s going to depend on this storm's rainfall totals. Typically, the NWS in Oxnard looks for a widespread 3 to 4 inches of rainfall across the area before it puts a bow on fire season. We could be there by the end of the weekend.

Rainfall totals

The average amount of rainfall for downtown L.A. in November is 1.23 inches, making these downpours surprising so early in the season.

By 4 a.m. Sunday morning, a significant amount of rain had fallen throughout Southern California over the last five days, with Santa Barbara and Ventura counties hardest hit. Here’s a snapshot of rainfall during that period:

• KTYD Radio Towers (Santa Barbara County): 10.34 inches
• Santa Barbara Botanical Garden: 7.97 inches
• Ojai: 5.48 inches
• Porter Ranch: 4.74 inches
• Downtown Los Angeles: 2.57 inches
• LAX: 3.11 inches

The National Weather Service is reporting the following three-day totals for Orange County:

• Fullerton Airport: 3.58 inches
• Anaheim Hills: 3.15 inches
• Holy Jim Canyon (Airport Fire burn scar): 2.86 inches

As of Saturday afternoon the following rain totals were reported for recently burned areas of high concern:

• Palisades Fire burn scar: 2.62 inches
• Downtown Los Angeles: 1.64 inches
• Eaton Wash Dam (Eaton Fire burn scar): 2.99 inches

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Evacuations and closures

Evacuation warnings were issued for the Kenneth, Palisades, Eaton and Canyon fire burn scars in L.A. County. Those orders were lifted as of 6 p.m. Saturday, according to L.A. County's emergency website.

On Friday, authorities had gone door-to-door at those properties to tell people to evacuate, according to officials. The county is providing updates on its emergency website.

Voluntary evacuations were also in effect in parts of Orange County. Those orders were lifted as of 10 p.m. Saturday.

In Ventura County, evacuation warnings were also issued for the Mountain Fire burn area and for mountain areas near Ojai. As of Saturday evening, those were also lifted. Check Ventura County's emergency webpage for more.

In extreme weather, residents should be prepared to evacuate, particularly when rainfall rates exceed the debris flow threshold of a half-inch per hour. If and when evacuation orders are issued, you'll be able to find them here:

• Los Angeles County
• Ventura County
• Santa Barbara County
• Orange County

Take storms seriously

The Los Angeles River, seen in Atwater Village on Friday. Expect heavier rain to arrive later Friday or early Saturday.

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Lucy Copp

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LAist

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There are things you can do to give yourself the best chance of receiving urgent messages, such as evacuation orders, during an emergency.

One of the most important is to sign up for emergency text messaging services in your city or county. That’s one of the main ways emergency responders communicate with large numbers of people.

There’s Alert L.A. County, for example. But just 1.6 million people here are signed up — out of about 7.8 million adults. If as an Angeleno you do nothing else to prepare today, sign up for Alert L.A. County.

You should also be aware of the X (formerly Twitter) accounts of your local agencies, as that’s often where they post updates.

Here's a guide to how to stay alert throughout Southern California — in rainy season, fire season or any season.

Understanding National Weather Service terms

Here’s an excerpt from our guide to understanding flood alerts:

• Flood advisories are how the NWS begins to raise the alarm. The goal is to give people enough time to take action.
• Flood watches are your indicators to get prepared to move.
• A flood warning is issued when a hazardous weather event is imminent or already happening. When one is issued for your area, you need to get to higher ground immediately.
• A flash flood warning is issued when a flash flood is coming or in progress. Flash floods are sudden and violent floods that can start within minutes.

Read more: Flash flood warnings? Watches? Here’s what you need to know

Tips for driving in the rain

• Check weather and road conditions along your planned route.
• Slow down.
• Keep a wider-than-usual distance between your vehicle and the one in front.
• Don't drive through standing water — as little as 12 inches of rushing water can carry away most cars, and 2 feet can carry away SUVs and trucks.
• Make sure tires are fully inflated.
• Check windshield wiper blades and replace if necessary.

Read more: What you should do if you end up driving in a flooded area

Downed tree, power line or flooded road?

Dial 911 in an emergency.

However, if you need to report a flooded road or a downed tree, you can call the following non-emergency numbers:

• L.A. city: Dial 311 for a flooded road or downed tree. Call (800) DIAL-DWP if you see a downed power line.
• L.A. County: (800) 675-HELP
• Ventura County: (805) 384-1500
• Orange County: (714) 955-0200 or visit here.

If you're in L.A. County and need sand bags, you can find some at local fire houses.

Staying safe when the winds are high

• Watch for traffic signals that may be out. Approach those intersections as four-way stops.
• Make sure you have a battery-operated radio and flashlights. Check the batteries to make sure they are fresh. Use flashlights for lighting during a power outage; do not use candles because they may pose a fire hazard.
• If you’re in a vehicle with a fallen power line on it, stay in the vehicle and remain calm until help arrives. It is OK to use your cellphone to call 911. If you must leave the vehicle, exit away from downed power lines and jump from the vehicle, landing with both feet together. You must not touch the vehicle and the ground at the same time. Then proceed away from the vehicle by shuffling and not picking up your feet until you are several yards away. 
• Water and electricity don’t mix. Water is an excellent conductor of electricity. Do not step in or enter any water that a downed power line may be touching.
• Do not use any equipment indoors that is designed for outdoor heating or cooking. Such equipment can emit carbon monoxide and other toxic gases.
• If you use a generator, place it outdoors and plug individual appliances directly into it, using a heavy-duty extension cord. Connecting generators directly to household circuits creates “backfeed,” which is dangerous to repair crews.
• Leave the doors of your refrigerator and freezer closed to keep food as fresh as possible. Place blocks of ice inside to help keep food cold. Check food carefully for signs of spoilage. 
• Check on your neighbors to make sure everyone is safe.

Sign up for emergency alerts

• L.A. City: Notify L.A.
• L.A. County: Ready L.A. County
• Ventura County: Ready Ventura County
• Orange County: AlertOC
• Riverside County: AlertRivCo
• San Bernardino County

How we're reporting on this

LAist reporters, producers and editors are talking to meteorologists, as well as monitoring National Weather Service forecasts and government alerts.

This is a developing story. We fact check everything and rely only on information from credible sources (think fire, police, government officials and reporters on the ground). Sometimes, however, we make mistakes or initial reports turn out to be wrong. In all cases, we strive to bring you the most accurate information in real time and will update this story as new information becomes available.