Powerful Storm Triggers Flood Warnings

An unexpectedly powerful winter storm hit Southern California late Monday, dropping occasionally heavy rain that threatened to trigger mudslides below slopes stripped bare in last fall’s wildfires.

The National Weather Service issued a bulletin at 10 p.m. Monday warning of slides in canyons and flooding in low-lying intersections. Small-craft warnings were issued along the coast, and forecasters warned of gale-force winds in the Catalina Channel.

The stormy weather apparently caused a power failure that left almost 1,000 customers in the Glendale area without electrical service late Monday.

There is a snow advisory until 2 p.m. for mountains above 4,000 feet in Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Snowfall of up to 8 inches could cause traffic problems on Interstate 5 in the Gorman area.

Forecasters said skies should start clearing by this afternoon. A ridge of high pressure is expected to rebuild along the coast, blocking the onshore flow of storms from the Pacific, meteorologists said.

Dry weather is predicted for the rest of the week and perhaps longer. Similar high-pressure formations are responsible for the relatively dry weather this winter.

In Los Angeles, the total rainfall for the season, which runs from July 1 through June 30, was 8.04 inches before the latest storm hit. That compared with a normal total for the date of 10.80 inches.