Winter Blows Basin a Little Kiss

Rain, hail and even some snow fell in the Los Angeles Basin on Monday as a cold, unstable front moved rapidly into Southern California off the ocean to remind everyone that winter’s lease has not quite expired.

Snow briefly whitened the San Gabriel Mountains and parts of Glendale, Sunland, La Crescenta, La Canada Flintridge and Pasadena as well as the Antelope Valley.

Except in the foothills, the snow was mostly slush and melted away quickly.

The California Highway Patrol warned motorists of slush and snow on the Antelope Valley Freeway at Escondido Summit between Newhall and Palmdale.

Despite earlier forecasts that the rain would not come along until Monday evening, showers began during the morning and--after a deceptive interlude of sunshine--were followed by an upper-level low-pressure area from the Pacific that, in the early afternoon, brought more rain, along with lightning, thunder, hail and snow.

Downtown Los Angeles reported .12 of an inch by Monday afternoon, bringing the season total to 11.62. Normal rainfall to date is 12.55.

After the afternoon cold front--which kept the downtown Los Angeles temperature from rising above 61--moved on through Southern California toward Arizona and Nevada, the forecasters looked for some breeziness and for mostly clear weather today and Wednesday as high pressure rebuilds over the region.

It should be slightly warmer, with the highs today from 65 to 68 and on Wednesday from 62 to 70.

Spring, by the way, begins Wednesday.