A strong Pacific storm that moved into Southern California Monday night is expected to bring heavy rain to region throughout the day Tuesday, bringing a chance of debris flows, slick traffic conditions and even the possibility of a tornado.
“Remember, not all storms are the same,” KTLA Meteorologist Henry DiCarlo said. “Some have different elements embedded with them that could at least deliver a little rotation, which would then result in either a downburst or perhaps a tornado. Not saying that’s going to happen, but … the dynamics are there that that could be one of the outliers.”
According to the National Weather Service, three-quarters of an inch and one and a half inches of rain is expected in our coastal and valley locations. Foothill and mountain areas may see between 2 and 4 inches of rain. The storm will also bring strong winds to the region, with gusts ranging between 30 and 55 mph.
Snow levels are expected to drop to around 6,000 feet on Tuesday.
Evacuations
Evacuation orders were issued Monday night for parts of Los Angeles County as rainfall increased the risk of debris flows near recent wildfire burn scars.
Mandatory evacuations were in place for 114 locations in the Palisades and Mandeville Canyon areas, where LAPD officers were going door to door, urging residents to leave.
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The city of Los Angeles issued an evacuation warning for multiple areas in the shadow of the Palisades Fire burn area, including in Pacific Palisades and Malibu.
The Los Angeles Fire Department said evacuation warnings would likely remain in effect from 10 p.m. Monday night into early Wednesday morning.
An interactive map with evacuation warning notices can be found at AlertLA.org.
Snarled commute
As expected, when rain falls around Southern California, there will be traffic problems on our local freeways.
A big rig jackknifed early Tuesday morning, prompting a SigAlert on the northbound 5 Freeway at the 134 Freeway in Glendale. Several lanes were closed for an unknown duration.
Video showed a lot of water on the freeway as motorists tried to get by the crash.
Another SigAlert was issued after a big rig hit the center divider on the 10 Freeway near the County Line in Yucaipa. Leaking oil officials to close two lanes in each direction until further notice.