The last remnants of a long week of winter storms were still lingering over parts of the Southland Friday, with a mountain wind advisory in effect and some dangerous driving conditions through the Grapevine.
“Chance of lingering light rain/snow showers this evening across north facing mountain slopes, including Interstate 5 near the Grapevine. In addition, wind advisory n effect tonight for wind gusts up to 50 mph,” the National Weather Service tweeted at 5:25 p.m. Friday.
Clear skies were expected to return to Southern California this weekend, with dry weather expected to hold possibly through the middle of January, the NWS said.
Temperatures will warm slightly but remain several degrees below normal, forecaster said.
The wind advisory was in effect from 6 p.m. Friday to 2 p.m. Saturday for the Los Angeles County mountains, excluding the Santa Monica range. Gusts were expected to reach 50 mph.
Snowfall had forced the closure of Interstate 5 through the Grapevine early Thursday morning, and as of New Year’s Eve the California Highway Patrol was escorting traffic between Gorman School Road and Grapevine Road due to heavy fog.
This week’s storm was historic, peaking Thursday when intense rain poured over most of the Southland, causing mudslides, debris flows and flooding that frustrated motorists and prompted evacuation orders for hours in Orange County canyons.
A mudslide blocked traffic and trapped some vehicles on Coldwater Canyon Avenue in Studio City, and flooding briefly blocked the westbound Santa Monica (10) Freeway near the McClure Tunnel in Santa Monica.
In Malibu, more than four dozen people had to be evacuated from Leo Carrillo State Beach campground due to flooding, which also led to closures on Pacific Coast Highway. Decker Road was closed at PCH due to multiple rockslides, according to the city, which also reported multiple instances of downed trees blocking roadways. PCH was also closed at Puerco Canyon due to flowing mud.
A stretch of PCH was closed in Pacific Palisades due to a fallen tree that brought down power lines, according to Caltrans.
Overnight, Mulholland Highway was closed in the Santa Monica Mountains between Las Virgenes and Cornell roads due to mud that inundated the roadway.
“Once this is all done tonight the official NWS observation site in downtown Los Angeles will have had its third most wettest month of December on record with records going back to 1877,” according to the NWS. “The wettest December was in 1889 with 15.80 inches and the second wettest was in 2010 when 10.23 inches was recorded.”
For the three-day period ending at noon Friday, Woodland Hills received 7.38 inches in rain, downtown LA received 4.31 inches, and the Cogswell Dam area in the San Gabriel Mountains received 9 inches, according to the NWS.
According to the NWS, roughly 18 inches of snow had fallen in the eastern San Gabriel Mountains by mid-morning Thursday, with 3 to 6 inches falling in Frazier Park.
Stretches of Angeles Crest Highway were closed due to the poor weather conditions during the storm, along with state Route 39.
Caltrans reminded motorists that chains were required on the Angeles Crest Highway north of La Canada Flintridge, and the agency urged motorists to be aware of road conditions and anticipate possible closures due to snow.
In Orange County, a mandatory evacuation order that was in effect for the Silverado, Williams and Modjeska canyon areas in the Bond Fire burn area due to fears of possible debris flows was downgraded Thursday morning to voluntary, then lifted altogether by early afternoon.
The NWS issued a flash flood watch for Orange County coastal and inland areas and the Santa Ana Mountains, including the Bond Fire burn area. The watch was canceled by midday Thursday.
Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in 20 California counties, including Los Angeles and Orange, in response to the storms. The proclamation “supports response and recovery efforts, including expanding access to state resources for counties under the California Disaster Assistance Act.”
The intense rains forced the closure of Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia on Thursday. Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park closed at 1 p.m. due to the downpours.
Forecasters said it will be a chilly night to ring in the New Year, especially in wind-protected areas, including Pasadena where early morning temperatures on New Year’s Day will likely bottom out in the mid-to-high 30s.
Saturday’s high in Pasadena was only expected to reach 59 degrees.