Thousands without power in Riverside
Heavy winds and rains knocked down power lines in Riverside, leaving 10,000 people without power Friday night, according to Riverside Public Utilities.
As of 6:40 p.m., power had been restored to the majority of those affected, but 1,500 residents remained in the dark.
Officials warned people to stay away from downed power lines and to call 911 when they come across them.
High surf expected along southwest California beaches
High surf will pound most southwest California beaches through the weekend, according to the National Weather Service.
A long swell will move through the area Sunday night and Monday, bringing another round of high surf and powerful rip currents.
Rip currents form at breaks in sand bars and near jetties and piers, according to the National Weather Service.
The strong currents, with an average speed of 1 to 2 feet per second, flow away from the shore at surf beaches. Some currents can move as fast as 8 feet per second, which the weather service says is faster than an Olympic swimmer.
Forecasters advise beachgoers to enter the ocean only if lifeguards are present. If you are caught in a rip current, remain calm. Lifeguards and forecasters says it’s best to relax and float to conserve energy.
Don’t fight the current and do not swim directly toward the shore. Swimmers should paddle parallel to the shoreline to break away from the current’s pull. After escaping the current, swim at an angle away from the current and then toward the shore.
Severe thunderstorm warning issued in San Diego County
Waterspouts or a tornado possible in Southern California
The National Weather Service says severe wind gusts or a brief tornado “cannot be ruled out” across Southern California on Friday.
Winds could reach 75 mph in some parts of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Diego counties, the weather service said.
Scenes from the storm
Rain, wind, thunderstorms moving through Southern California
A fast-moving storm is pushing through Southern California on Friday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.
The low-pressure storm will bring rain, winds gusts and snow to the mountains and valleys, the weather service said. Showers are expected to continue through early Saturday.
Light rain is possible Sunday night into early Tuesday.
Heavy rain reported in La Cañada Flintridge
Flood advisory issued as rain moves into Los Angeles County
A flood advisory has been issued for parts of Ventura and Los Angeles counties, according to the National Weather Service.
The advisory says that rivers or streams may be elevated or overflow. The weather service urges caution to not drive into areas where water covers the roadway.
At 1:45 p.m., the weather service was reporting 40-mph wind gusts, downpours and small hail in L.A. County.
Rockslide nearly wipes out truck in Mendocino County
A California Department of Transportation crew had a close call Friday when its dump truck was nearly thrown off the edge of a Mendocino County highway by a rockslide that rushed toward them.
The crew arrived at the site of the slide, on Highway 1 about five miles north of Westport near Fort Bragg, about 3 a.m. to set up traffic control lights so they could see the rocks in the dark, according to Caltrans District 1 officials.
As a worker sat inside the dump truck near the slide, a second rockslide came down. The force of the slide pushed the truck onto its side.
“Thankfully the truck was not pushed over the edge of the highway, it was stopped by a guardrail, and the employee was not injured, only shaken up,” Caltrans wrote on Facebook.
Rain comes down in Simi Valley after Nancy Reagan’s funeral
Gray skies lingered over Nancy Reagan’s funeral in Simi Valley for most of Friday morning, but it wasn’t until the service ended that heavy rain started coming down.
The funeral was held at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, where hundreds of people gathered to pay their final respects to Reagan, who was interred beside her husband.
The National Weather Service said heavy rainfall was moving through Ventura County on Friday afternoon, bringing up to 40 mph winds.
“Rainfall rates as high as a third of an inch in 15 minutes have been recorded and in fact, the Summerland gauge in southern Santa Barbara County recorded .25 inches in 4 minutes,” the weather service said.
High winds sweeping over Zuma Beach in Malibu
Rainfall totals in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo counties
The National Weather Service released rainfall totals for San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. Among the areas that have seen significant rainfall so far Friday are:
--Upper Toro Creek Road in San Luis Obispo County: 1.10 inches
--Vandenberg Air Force Base in Santa Barbara County: .98 inches
--Old Man Mountain in Ventura County: .51 inches
Heavy rainfall moving through Ventura County
Snow and rain pummel parts of Northern California
Snow has begun falling in Northern California, where forecasters are expecting up to four feet of new powder in the Sierra Nevada and the Lake Tahoe area.
A winter storm warning was expected to last until 11 a.m. Monday after reports that a warm weather system with an “impressive Pacific moisture plume” could bring heavy rain and snow to Northern California, according to the National Weather Service in Sacramento. Because snow levels could drop to 5,000 feet, forecasters advised drivers traveling along mountain passes to carry chains and be wary of road conditions.
“Travel conditions could go downhill in a hurry this afternoon,” the weather service said Friday.
A second round of rain was expected to arrive later Saturday with a third shot for showers on Sunday.
Moderate to heavy rain began drenching some parts of Northern California Friday.
Here are some 24-hour rain totals as of 10 a.m. in Northern California:
Quincy 2.54 inches
Mineral 2.00
Sacramento International Airport 1.62
Blue Canyon-Nyack Airport 1.28
Markley Cove Resort (Napa) 1.28
UC Davis 0.80
Mt. Shasta City 0.98
Flash-flood warning issued for Solimar burn area in Ventura County
The National Weather Service has issued a flash-flood warning for the Solimar burn area along the 101 Freeway in Ventura County until 1:30 p.m.
Flash flooding with mud and debris is likely to occur along the freeway near the burn area, a weather service release said.
A band of heavy rain south of Santa Barbara was moving toward the burn area around 11:30 a.m., the release said.
Rain predicted to begin during Nancy Reagan funeral
The National Weather Service is predicting rain to fall in Simi Valley about the same time the funeral for Former First Lady Nancy Reagan is scheduled to begin there.
A Twitter post from the weather service says rain may start around 11 a.m. with a slight chance of thunderstorms.
Today’s forecast
The National Weather Service reports that a “potent but fast-moving storm system” will move across Southern California today.
Moderate to heavy rain is expected to last from three to five hours, beginning by mid-morning in the Central Coast region and reaching the L.A. area by mid- to late afternoon.
Residents of mountain areas, as well as San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, should expect strong winds.
Forecasters also said another round of thunderstorms is possible if cold air moves into the region later in the day.
Rain, rain ...
More rain, thunderstorms ahead for Southern California on Friday
More rain and window-shaking thunderstorms are expected to arrive in Southern California on Friday, the National Weather Service said.
Starting early Friday afternoon, a “potent but rather fast-moving storm” is expected to swoop down from Santa Barbara County over Los Angeles and Ventura counties and bring with it up to an inch and a half of rain, gusty winds and possibly hail.
“It’s very unstable, like the last storm,” NWS meteorologist Curt Kaplan said.