Storms May Clear Out for Christmas, Forecasters Say

There was a bit of cheery news Wednesday from weather forecasters, who decided that Christmas Day in Southern California might not be so bad after all.

Another in a series of storm fronts was headed here and is likely to bring rain (as well as snow to higher elevations) this afternoon or tonight.

Clearing Trend

Yet another weather system should make Saturday cool and partly cloudy with a chance of showers.

But all of that should begin clearing out Sunday, the National Weather Service said.

“I think it will warm up just a bit,” added meteorologist Pat Cooper of WeatherData Inc., which provides forecasts for The Times. “I’m not really expecting any rain on Christmas Day.”

Cooper said a ridge of high pressure appears to be building up out in the Pacific, and should neatly block storms away from the Southland “for a couple of days.”

Wednesday was breezy and cool after the latest front passed through Tuesday night and early Wednesday to dump 1.20 inches of rain on the Los Angeles Civic Center. That brought the season total to 3.42 inches--almost catching up to the normal season-to-date figure, 3.65.

Some other Southern California rainfall totals from the latest storm were .62 of an inch at Los Angeles International Airport, .55 at Avalon, 1.10 at Culver City, .15 at Long Beach, 1.12 at Monrovia, 1.79 at Mt. Wilson, .55 at Newport Beach, .70 at Newhall, .09 at Palm Springs, 1.03 at Pasadena, 1.18 at San Gabriel, .51 at Torrance and 1.46 at Westwood.

There was enough rain--on top of moisture from other recent drenchings--to set off a couple of mudslides that messed up roads in the Hollywood Hills. One was in the 2700 block of Laurel Canyon Boulevard, where a vacant bit of hillside began moving onto the pavement shortly before 1 a.m.

“Just a lot of gooey mud,” said Los Angeles Traffic Officer Steven Cooper as southbound cars eased around the slide while workers cleaned it up.

The other slide left mud and boulders blocking the southbound lane of Sepulveda Boulevard between Mulholland Drive and Rimerton Road for a time.

Pat Cooper noted that high surf can be a problem this time of year--especially when there are storms. Beaches in San Diego, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties appear to be in for 6-foot tides today. Los Angeles and Orange county beaches should have 4-foot tides.

Wednesday’s Los Angeles Civic Center temperature reached 63 degrees after an overnight low of 52. Relative humidity ranged from 100% to 20%.

With rain likely this afternoon or tonight, the Weather Service said, Los Angeles will probably be breezy again with temperatures in the mid-50s to low-60s. The same readings can be expected on Friday.

THE RAIN

24-hour total 1.20 in. Storm total 1.20 in. Monthly total 2.63 in. Total for season 3.42 in. Last season to date 5.21 in. Normal season to date 3.65 in.

Figures, based on 4 p.m. readings at the Los Angeles Civic Center, are compiled by the National Weather Service, which provides no later data.