Amador County – Continuous rain throughout California over the weekend drowned previous records, with showers expected to continue for the last days of Christmas shopping. Weather forecasters are now warning that the worst may be yet to come.
The deluge began last Friday and slowed on Sunday night, presenting a brief respite from what is now one of the wettest weekends in the state’s history. Considering the circumstances, flooding and roadwork were minimal in most of Amador County when compared with recent storm systems.
The most rain fell in Southern California, where some locations received up to 12 inches, according to the National Weather Service. More than 9 inches of rain fell in Topanga canyon over a three-day period, and 2.3 inches fell on the USC campus breaking the record of 2.12 inches set in 1921. The downtown, Hollywood and San Fernando areas of Los Angeles all received at least three inches of rain.
In many areas, previous records were shattered by a number of inches. The National Weather Service said 3.45 inches of rain fell in Pasadena on Sunday, far surpassing the old mark of 1.5 inches set in 1987.
There was sporadic flooding of single-family homes in the San Joaquin Valley, but no deaths or injuries had been reported.
A 25-mile stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway running between Malibu and Oxnard was closed to traffic after reports of a mudslide, according to the California Highway Patrol.
In the Sierra Nevada range, as much as 60 inches of snow were reported at the highest elevations. Reports from Kirkwood say at least five feet fell in that area.
Forecasters say more rain and snow will continue to fall throughout the week, with the likelihood of another heavy system coming in on Christmas Day.
Another storm on Tuesday will bring colder weather and snow at lower elevations. Impacts will include moderate to heavy snow in the mountains and locally gusty winds. Moderate to heavy rain showers will take place in the lower elevations with the possibility for continued minor flooding in the Sacramento and foothills regions.
Forecasters say there will also be a chance for isolated thunderstorms accompanied by gusty winds and small hail.
Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
