Rain that began Sunday afternoon in Southern California and carried on through the night made for a soggy morning Monday, further complicating matters for people trying to reach their holiday destinations or wrap up their Christmas shopping.
The rain was light at first Sunday afternoon, but turned heavier as the day progressed. By Monday morning, there were scattered reports of flooded streets in areas such as the San Fernando Valley and Palos Verdes peninsula.
A flood advisory was issued for Los Angeles County overnight due to the intensity of the rain, but when the precipitation began easing, the National Weather Service canceled it around 6 a.m.
Around 1:15 a.m., flooding forced the closure of the Burbank Boulevard onramp to the westbound Ventura (134) Freeway, but the ramp was reopened about an hour later. Flooding was also reported on the transition road from the eastbound Ronald Reagan (118) Freeway to the southbound San Diego (405) Freeway.
Malibu Canyon Road was shut down about 5 1/2 hours Sunday night through early Monday morning just south of the Malibu Canyon Tunnel due to a mud and rock slide caused by rain.
The rain tapered off in the afternoon, with forecasters saying the main storm front had pushed to the east.
According to the National Weather Service, Long Beach Airport recorded 1.28 inches of rain Monday, breaking the record for the date of 1.07 inches set in 2016.
The rain also led to abnormally high numbers of power outages across the area.
“Crews are responding and working as quickly and safely as possible to restore your power,” the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power posted on its Twitter account late Monday morning. “We are experiencing higher than normal outages, so estimates will vary. We thank you for your patience.”
The DWP’s website showed outages scattered across the area, with the overall number of affected customers reduced dramatically by late afternoon. Southern California Edison reported more than 2,800 customers affected by outages in Los Angeles County late Monday, along with about 100 customers in Orange County.
After a break on Tuesday, a cold air mass is expected to move over the area Wednesday, leading to a colder rain storm and lower snow level. That rain could potentially begin Wednesday morning, but it is more likely to start Wednesday afternoon and continue into Thursday, forecasters said.
The snow level could drop to 4,000 feet or lower during that storm.