A storm due to arrive in Los Angeles Thursday is expected to produce large waves and dangerous ocean conditions along the Southland coast, National Weather Service forecasters said Wednesday.
Surf heights of up to 13 feet are possible at some local beaches with regular wave sets in the 7-10 foot range Thursday through Saturday, according to forecasters. West-facing beaches and exposed locations will be especially vulnerable to the surf.
The National Weather Service said increased surf heights will also lead to strong rip currents and could cause flooding in low-lying beach areas such as Seal Beach.
The storm is also expected to produce 1-2 inches of rain in the L.A. metro area and possibly damaging winds in the mountains, where snow is expected at elevations of 5,000 feet or more, a National Weather Service forecaster said.
Though the storm, which could produce steady rain for 3-6 hours Thursday night and Friday, is considered a strong one, Stuart Seto of the NWS said the rainfall would be “nowhere close” to balancing out three years of below-normal rainfall.
“It’ll be faster than the other system” that soaked Southern California last week and “more intense,” Seto said, adding that rainfall rates could exceed a half-inch per hour — a threshold that triggers flash flood advisories and puts unstable hillsides in danger of sliding.
On Tuesday, Los Angeles County Public Works crews started working with heavy equipment in the Glendora area to clear debris basins — a network of dam-like structures that help control the flow the water and sediment through canyons — to get ready for the storm.
Strong winds could also cause problems by knocking over trees or power lines. In the metro area, winds out of the south, preceding the rain, were forecast to be blowing at 15-25 mph, with gusts up to 35 mph possible.
In the San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains, where a high wind watch will be in effect Thursday afternoon and Thursday night, sustained winds of 25-45 mph are forecast, with gusts up to 70 mph possible.
Initially, snow will fall only on the highest peaks but lower to about 5,000 feet as a low-pressure trough sweeps across the Los Angeles Basin and moves east. Snow accumulations up to 10 inches are possible.
In the foothills and mountains below 5,000 feet, rainfall totals are forecast to range from 2-4 inches.
— Staff & Wire Reports