New Storm Brings Fears of Flooding

Flash-flood watches, a winter storm warning and a heavy surf advisory were issued Tuesday as another cold and blustery Pacific storm bore down on Southern California.

Forecasters said as much as two inches of rain could fall in the Los Angeles Basin today and as much as a foot of snow was expected at mountain resort levels before the storm tapers off early Thursday. Still more storms are on the way through the weekend.

Advisories about the possibility of flooding today were broadcast for mountain slopes in Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties, with special warnings to residents below hillsides in Arcadia and Ventura County that have been denuded by brush fires.

“The ground is already nearly saturated from recent rain,” a National Weather Service spokesman said. “The burn areas will be especially susceptible to rapid runoff, with mud or rock slides. . . . Cold, unstable air will bring the chance of thunderstorms with brief, heavy rain, strong gusty winds, hail and deadly lightning.”

The weather service said there is a possibility of some local urban and small-stream flooding, and the San Diego River could approach the flood stage in Mission Valley.

The prospect of heavy snow and winds gusting as high as 40 mph prompted a winter storm warning for all of Southern California’s mountains above 5,000 feet.

“There will be areas where the visibility could be reduced to near zero [by] blowing snow and dense fog,” the weather service said.

The approaching storm churned up heavy surf from San Luis Obispo County south to Zuma Beach on Monday and Tuesday. Breakers 15 feet high were reported at Morro Bay and nearly 10 feet at Point Conception, Zuma and Venice.

The Venice Fishing Pier was closed Monday night after a passerby told park rangers that something had fallen from the concrete structure. The pier, which underwent a $4.5-million restoration three years ago, will remain closed until the waves subside and it can be thoroughly examined.

Scattered showers from the leading edge of the storm began falling in Los Angeles County at nightfall Tuesday, and Amy Talmage, a meteorologist with WeatherData Inc., said the rainfall should be widespread, and occasionally heavy, throughout the county by dawn today.

“After the main system moves through, there’s a chance of some isolated thunderstorms Wednesday afternoon and Wednesday evening,” Talmage said. “The rain should taper off during the night, but there’s another weather system right behind it.”

This second storm--weaker than the first--is expected to start sprinkling Los Angeles by midmorning Thursday, with light showers lasting throughout the day.

“The timing on that one isn’t certain yet, but it looks as though a few showers could linger into Friday morning, with partly cloudy weather on Saturday,” Talmage said. “Then, on Sunday, there’s still another storm, a big one. It looks as though all hoo-hah could break loose on that one.”

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Times correspondent Monte Morin contributed to this story.