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LOS ANGELES (CNS) - The Southland was getting a much-needed break from the rain Wednesday, but forecasters said another small storm cell will push through the area Wednesday evening before the area dries out for the weekend.
National Weather Service forecasters said a fast-moving front will make its way into the area, but it "should be in and out before midnight tonight." The system could generate some pockets of heavy rain, with most areas receiving a quarter- to half-inch of precipitation, possibly more in foothill and mountain areas.
"The rain amounts and intensities with this system wouldn't normally cause much concern, and for most urban areas issues should be minimal and confined to just standard minor road flooding," according to the NWS. "However, in areas near hillsides the additional rain could quickly trigger additional slides."
A flood watch will be in effect from 6 p.m. Wednesday through late Wednesday night in most parts of northern and central Los Angeles counties including the valleys.
Some gusty winds are expected to develop Wednesday and continue into Thursday.
A winter storm warning will remain in effect until 8 a.m. Thursday in the eastern San Gabriel Mountains, where forecasters said 20 inches of additional snow could fall above 7,000 feet, with as much as 3 inches possible as low as 3,000 feet.
A winter weather advisory will remain in effect until 8 a.m. Thursday in the western San Gabriel Mountains and the Antelope Valley (14) and northern Golden State (5) freeway corridors.
"Friday through at least Tuesday will be dry and warmer, but still cooler than normal," according to the NWS.
The upbeat forecast is a welcome end to a relentless storm that dropped rain nearly non-stop from Sunday into Tuesday, shattering multiple rainfall records in the Southland.
Over a four-day period ending at 10 a.m. Tuesday, more than 13 inches of rain fell in Bel Air, more than 12 inches fell in Woodland Hills, nearly 11 inches of rain doused Porter Ranch and almost 9 inches fell in downtown Los Angeles.
According to the NWS, nearly 1.5 inches of rain fell in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday alone. The stretch from Sunday through Tuesday was the second wettest three-day period in downtown Los Angeles since record-keeping began in 1877. The only wetter three-day period occurred in 1938, when 9.2 inches of rain fell.
"Total rain for the 2023-2024 season in downtown Los Angeles -- officially Oct. 1 through Sept. 30 -- stands at 15.43 inches, which is 7.63 inches above the normal of 7.8 inches through Feb. 6," according to the NWS. "It is also already 118% of the normal seasonal rainfall of 14.25 inches."
The NWS said 4.10 inches of rain fell in downtown L.A. on Sunday, breaking the daily rainfall total for Feb. 4 of 2.55 inches set in 1927. It was the third wettest February day and the 12th wettest day for anytime during the year since 1877. The wettest day on record for downtown Los Angeles was 5.88 inches set on March 21, 1938.
A total of 1.76 inches of rain were reported at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday, breaking the record for the day of 0.56 inches set in 1958. There were 1.50 inches of rain reported at Long Beach Airport, breaking the record for the day of 0.69 inches set in 1975.
Downtown Los Angeles broke another record Monday, receiving 2.93 inches of rain. That set a record for the date, surpassing the previous record of 2.30 inches, set 123 years ago in 1901, according to the NWS.
A total of 2.57 inches of rain was reported at LAX on Monday, again breaking the record for the day of 1.42 inches set in 1978. There were 2.57 inches of rain reported at Long Beach Airport, breaking the record for the day of 1.4 inches set in 1978.
A total of 2.19 inches of rain was reported at Hollywood Burbank Airport on Monday, breaking the record for the day of 1.46 inches set in 2009.
The record rainfall extended to the Antelope Valley. There were 1.7 inches of rain reported at Palmdale Airport, breaking the record for the day of 0.61 of an inch set in 1948. The rainfall in Lancaster was 1.49 inches, breaking the record for the day of 0.48 of an inch set in 2009.
The heavy rains caused hundreds of mudslides across the area. City officials said Wednesday that there had been 520 reports of mudslides during the storm event, leading to 12 buildings being red-tagged as uninhabitable and 30 others yellow-tagged, meaning they can only be entered to collect belongings.
Outside the city boundaries, a strong storm cell passed through southeastern Los Angeles County Tuesday morning, prompting sudden flooding and mudflows in the La Habra Heights, Hacienda Heights and La Mirada areas, inundating several streets and damaging some homes.
A county fire spokesman said the mud flowed up to two homes in the Hacienda Heights area, forcing both to be evacuated, while a third was evacuated as a precaution. One of the homes appeared to suffer severe damage, with the mud crashing through a wall of the structure.
There were no reports of any injuries.
In San Clemente, where a sliding hillside had previously forced a halt to passenger rail service between Orange and San Diego counties, the rains prompted more slope movement on Tuesday. That movement halted plans to move freight trains through the area overnight. Orange County transportation and Metrolink officials planned to reassess the slope movement on Wednesday.
Coastal areas from the San Gabriel River jetty to the Anaheim Bay breakwater in Seal Beach were closed Wednesday due to multiple sewage spills as a result of the heavy rains. The area will remain closed to swimming, surfing and diving until the standards for the water can be regained.
Cleanup efforts were continuing in the Hollywood Hills, where a mudslide during the brunt of the storm on Sunday into Monday severely damaged six homes and threatened a seventh along Beverly Drive in the Beverly Crest area. Los Angeles Fire Department crews escorted 15 residents out of the area, including nine children, but no injuries were reported.
Two homes sustained significant damage in Studio City when mud and debris slid down a hillside along Lockridge Road. Fire crews evacuated residents from nine homes on the stretch. In the Tarzana/Encino area, three homes were impacted by a debris flow along Boris Drive, prompting some evacuations.
Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in eight counties in the state while the storm was raging, including Los Angeles and Orange counties.
Los Angeles County later declared its own state of emergency, and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass on Monday also signed a local emergency declaration.
The emergency proclamations will help expedite procurement of vital supplies and resources, deployment of disaster service workers and the use of emergency protective measures such as evacuation orders, officials said.
"We'll get any help on the way as soon as you guys request it, so just let me know," President Joe Biden told Bass in a telephone call during her late Monday afternoon briefing.