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LOS ANGELES (CNS) - The latest storm system to drench the Southland moved out of the area Wednesday after delivering another overnight punch of rain, with the precipitation adding to already saturated ground and leaving behind a lingering risk of mudslides.
"The storm has finally moved on leaving a soggy ground and lots of mud and rock slides, which may continue for the next day or two," according to the National Weather Service. "However, skies are rapidly clearing and expecting a dry day today and through the rest of the week."
The overnight rains caused mud and rock slides that disrupted travel in the Malibu area. Pacific Coast Highway was closed in both directions between Latigo Canyon and Corral Canyon roads due to mud on the roadway, according to Caltrans.
Malibu Canyon Road was closed in both directions at Piuma Road due to a large mudslide that covered the entire roadway. California Highway Patrol officials said the road was expected to remain blocked for the rest of the day.
The issues prompted Pepperdine University to cancel all in-person classes Wednesday at its Malibu campus.
Farther north, a large rock fell on Bouquet Canyon Road near Texas Canyon Road in Santa Clarita. Meanwhile, overnight rain led to flooding on the Glenn Anderson (105) Freeway in Lynwood near Alameda Street, leaving one car disabled.
As of Wednesday morning, more than 5 inches of rain had fallen in the Bel Air area over the past five days, while 4 inches fell in Beverly Hills and more than 2 inches in Culver City. Nearly 5 inches fell in Porter Ranch, while 3 inches fell in Pasadena, and 2.6 inches were recorded in Newhall. More than 8 inches were recorded in parts of the Santa Monica Mountains.
The Sepulveda Basin -- between Burbank and Victory boulevards and Havenhurst and Woodley avenue -- remained closed due to flooding. Mulholland Drive remained closed between Skyline Drive and Bowmont Drive due to severe road damage at four locations that occurred during earlier rains. That closure was expected to last weeks, officials said.
The Skirball Center Drive/Mulholland Drive off-ramp from the northbound San Diego (405) Freeway was closed until further notice due to a sinkhole.
While the threat of more mudslides will linger, forecasters said the area is due for a warmup for the next couple days. Forecasters said coastal and valley areas should see as much as 8 degrees of warming over the next few days, with temperatures hitting the mid to upper 60s, with some locations reaching the low 70s into Thursday.
Skies will likely be partly cloudy over the weekend, with another slight dip in temperatures. There is a chance of more rain by Monday or Tuesday, although the forecast remained uncertain about how much precipitation might fall.