April Storm Drenches Region, Drops A Foot Of Snow In Mountains

LOS ANGELES, CA — A persistent area of low pressure brought light and steady rain and much lower temperatures than usual to Los Angeles County Thursday.

The wettest spot in Los Angeles County was Redondo Beach, where 0.79 of an inch fell in the 24-hour period ending at 5 p.m, triggering a 12-foot sinkhole on Hawthorne Boulevard, Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.

Other top rainfall totals included 0.78 of an inch in Woodland Hills, 0.69 of an inch in Northridge, 0.68 of an inch in Chatsworth, 0.66 of an inch in Van Nuys, 0.65 of an inch at Long Beach Airport, 0.62 of an inch in Sandberg, 0.59 of an inch at Los Angeles International Airport and Pasadena, 0.52 of an inch in downtown Los Angeles and San Gabriel, 0.51 of an inch in Hawthorne and 0.49 of an inch in Lancaster.

The storm brought snow "measured by the foot" above 6,000 feet in the San Gabriel Mountains with elevations down to 4,500 feet getting some snow, weather service meteorologist Ryan Kittell told City News Service.

A winter storm warning will be in effect in Los Angeles County mountains, excluding the Santa Monica Range, with the weather service advising the public that travel could be difficult across the higher elevation roads, including state Routes 2 and 39.

Drivers in those mountain areas should keep an extra flashlight food and water in their vehicles in case of an emergency, according to the weather service.

The area of low pressure that caused the rain and snow has been "around California all week" and "by all projections, should be out of the area later" Friday, Kittell said.

The high in downtown Los Angeles Thursday was 57, 15 degrees lower than normal for this time of year, Kittell said.

Thursday's other highs included 57 at Los Angeles International Airport, 55 at Long Beach Airport and Redondo Beach, 54 at Santa Monica Airport and UCLA, 51 in Burbank, Chatsworth, Northridge, Pasadena and Woodland Hills, and 45 in Lancaster.

The rain is "expected to continue through the better part of tonight and probably linger into a good part of tomorrow," Kittell said. "It might become more showery, more off and on, as opposed to steady all day."

By Friday night and Saturday, "for the most part, things should dry out," Kittell said.

In Orange County, a "significant amount" of rain fell Thursday because of the low pressure system, weather service meteorologist Phil Gonsalves told City News Service.

"It never really rained very hard ... but it's been raining most of the day," Gonsalves said.

Orange County's top rainfall site Thursday was John Wayne Airport with 0.57 of an inch.

Other top rainfall totals included Huntington Beach with 0.54 of an inch, the Fullerton Airport with 0.53 of an inch, Lake Forest, with 0.51 of an inch, Yorba Linda, with 0.49 of an inch and Santa Ana with 0.48.

Temperatures were "below seasonal averages," Gonsalves said.

"This type of an event is not commonplace in April," Gonsalves said. "They're rare enough to make it noteworthy but not rare enough to make it unheard of."

The 55-degree high in Santa Ana was the lowest maximum temperature in the city for an April 9, breaking the previous record of 58 set in 1922, according to the weather service. Records date back to 1906.

The high was also 55 in Yorba Linda. Other Orange County highs for Thursday included 61 in Anaheim, 60 in Newport Beach, 59 at John Wayne Airport, 57 at the Fullerton Airport and Laguna Beach, 56 in Huntington Beach and 51 in Lake Forest.

Friday's rain "will be mostly on and off" with "heavier showers at times and there may be a thunderstorm or two in there," Gonsalves said.

Flooding problems are more likely Friday, Gonsalves said.

By STEVEN HERBERT, City News Service