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Southern California gets another rainy morning commute
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Stock photo by Daniel Lee/Flickr Creative Commons
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Another day of rain brought slick roads for morning commuters and an increased risk of flooding, mudslides and debris flows in the foothills and recent burn areas.
Back-to-back storms bearing down on Southern California have dumped rain on the region every day this week, and at least one more is expected before Friday.
The valleys and coasts could see a half-inch to an inch of rain Thursday, while mountains and foothills should expect 1 to 2 inches, with snow accumulation above 7,000 feet, according to the National Weather Service.
The weather service issued a flood advisory for parts of Los Angeles County. The San Gabriel Valley foothills and recent burn areas, including those of the Fish and Reservoir fires, were most at risk, and minor mud and debris flows are possible.
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A beach hazards statement was also issued for L.A. and Ventura counties. Strong rip currents and big waves will make it unsafe for swimmers and raise the risk of capsizing for small boats.
West-facing beaches could see surf of 3 to 5 feet, with waves peaking at 7 feet on Wednesday and Thursday, according to the weather service.
Some areas could see high tides nearing 7 feet between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. Wednesday and Thursday.
The rain was expected to lighten after 10 a.m., but the second storm will bring more rain Wednesday night and could impact commuters again on Thursday.
The second storm is also expected to drop snow as low as 4,000 feet, and mountain roads will be affected.
The storms have hit Northern California particularly hard. The Associated Press reports thousands of residents are being told to evacuate as swollen rivers and creeks threaten to overflow their banks.
It's the heaviest rain the area has seen in a decade, according to AP. Here's what people across the region have been seeing:
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Here in Southern California, the rainfall has put the region even further ahead of a typical year, in terms of precipitation.
The Los Angeles Basin is now more than halfway towards a normal year of precipitation. That measure covers the water year, which stretches from October to September. It shows the region around 53 percent of a normal year's total, as of this morning.
In a median year, the region would be around 36 percent today.
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