LOS ANGELES (CNS) - The already saturated Southland was being with rain again Saturday, with forecasters anticipating off-and-on precipitation through Monday.
Rain began falling over Los Angeles County late Saturday morning, with the brunt of the system expected by late afternoon or evening, according to the National Weather Service. The agency predicted about a half-inch per hour would fall in the LA County area, with up to .75 of an inch possible.
"With these rates, impacts will be slightly greater than what would normally occur with a storm of this magnitude since the ground is still fairly saturated from previous rain, but still just on the minor side, including small mudslides in the foothills and mountains and typical minor road flooding," according to the NWS.
Forecasters called for about an inch of rain in coastal and valley areas, and between 1.5 and 3 inches in the foothills and mountains. Snow levels will be at or above 7,000 feet.
The precipitation should taper off Saturday night, and the area should get a break from the rain until late afternoon Sunday, when another less- powerful storm moves in. That system is expected to linger over the area into Monday.
Flooding was reported in the Long Beach Peninsula community at about 2 p.m. affecting residences along 67th Place. A little farther to the northwest, all lanes of the Long Beach (710) Freeway were flooded between Anaheim and Willow streets.
A flood advisory was issued for Los Angeles County until 3:15 p.m. The NWS said minor urban and small stream flooding was likely, and minor mud and debris flows were possible in and around recent burn areas.
A flood watch was also in effect through late Saturday night in Orange County.
A winter weather advisory was in effect until 3 a.m. Tuesday for the Los Angeles County mountains. Forecasters said as much as 3 inches of snow could fall below 7,000 feet, with 5 to 10 inches possible at higher elevations Saturday night. For Sunday night through Monday, snow could accumulate 5 to 10 inches above 5,500 feet, and 3 to 6 inches at higher points.
"Travel could be very difficult," according to the NWS. "Gusty winds could bring down tree branches. There is a 10 to 20 percent chance of light snow accumulations on the Grapevine over Interstate 5 Monday night."
As of 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Caltrans was reporting the following closures:
-- The southbound 5 Freeway connector to the southbound Harbor (110) Freeway was closed due to mud and debris.
-- Two right lanes were blocked on the northbound Golden State (5) Freeway near Templin Highway in northern Los Angeles County by a 250-foot-long mudslide.
A wind advisory was in effect until midnight Saturday in the Antelope Valley, with forecasters anticipating winds of 20 to 30 mph and gusts up to 50 mph. Winds of similar strength were expected in the mountains.
The additional rain is bad news for crews still working to clean up after this week's storms. A sinkhole that developed on a Calabasas roadway and swallowed two vehicles continued growing in size. The sinkhole on Iverson Road was estimated Friday to have grown to about 45 feet deep while spanning the entire roadway. The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday approved $500,000 in emergency funding on Tuesday to expedite repairs of the sinkhole.
Another $450,000 was approved for storm repairs to Mulholland Drive between Summit Circle and Bowmont Drive, which remained closed to all non- residents on Saturday.
Due to the new storm systems, Santa Anita Park canceled all scheduled races on Saturday and Monday. Los Alamitos Race Course scrubbed all races planned for Saturday night.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass on Friday declared a local state of emergency due to the recent storms and impending additional rain. California Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors have also declared a state of emergency over the storms to speed the process of disaster relief.
Conditions should dry out by Tuesday, beginning a mostly rain-free week, but some Santa Ana winds could develop by later in the week.