Scattered showers, with a chance of thunderstorms and hail, were still in the offing Tuesday across Los Angeles, along with possible heavy snow in the Antelope Valley and local mountains, forecasters said.
There is a 40 percent chance of rain across the Southland this evening, with a slight chance of thunderstorms after midnight.
A very cold low-pressure system was moving slowly south off the California coast today and was expected to bring heavy snow to the Antelope Valley and county mountains, according to the National Weather Service. Snow levels are forecast to drop to 2,000 feet, which should result in an accumulation of snow down to the valley floor.
Snow is expected to begin later tonight and continue through Wednesday morning, with an accumulation of between six and 12 inches predicted. That's more good news for the ski slopes, which just got their first covering of the white stuff between Sunday night and Monday.
The NWS has also issued a winter storm watch for Los Angeles County, which is expected to remain in effect from late tonight to Wednesday evening. A winter storm watch means there is a potential for a combination of significant snow, strong winds and dense fog that may impact travel plans.
The Weather Service is predicting that highs will only hit the mid-50s this afternoon, with lows ranging in the 40s and even the 30s Tuesday night.
Monday's heavy rains broke some local records across the Southland. Long Beach had 1.38 inches. Its previous record on this date was six-tenths of an inch in 1988. Los Angeles International Airport had 1.89 inches, with a previous high of 1.04 inches in 1957. Burbank had 1.44 inches, with a previous high of 1.37 inches in 1957.
CHP Officer Killed
A CHP officer was fatally struck by a vehicle as he directed traffic at the scene of a previous accident on the rain-slick Pomona (60) Freeway in Hacienda Heights early Monday, authorities said.
The fatal crash, reported at 4:20 a.m., happened west of Azusa Avenue, said CHP Officer T. Liu.
1 Killed, 4 Injured in 10 Freeway Onramp Crash
A three-vehicle collision on the Overland Avenue onramp to the westbound Santa Monica (10) Freeway left one person dead and four others in critical condition.
The collision occurred at 3:51 p.m., said d'Lisa Davies of the Los Angeles Fire Department..
The cause of the pileup was not immediately known, but traffic in the area -- already heavy because of the rainy weather -- was snarled in the area.
Puppies Saved From Floodwaters
Flooding at a Jurupa home nearly meant curtains for two puppies chained in a yard, but neighbors noticed the dogs floundering in ever-deepening water and called authorities, a fire captain said.
The call about the puppies at 5890 Beach St. came in shortly after noon, said Riverside County fire Capt. Julie Hutchinson.
When firefighters arrived, they found the puppies in 8 inches of water, said Hutchinson.
They were freed and taken to safety, the captain said. Power Outages Reported
About 4,800 customers were without electricity in parts of the Southland for varying periods of time overnight, including about 800 in the city of Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power reported outages affecting about 400 customers each in Woodland Hills and Encino.
Southern California Edison reported about 4,000 of its customers were affected throughout Southern California, including Long Beach, La Habra and Huntington Beach. Outages also were reported in Ventura and Tehachapi.Sepulveda Dam Recreation Area Reopened
The Sepulveda Dam Recreation Area, which was closed overnight because of the heavy rains, has been reopened to traffic, according to the LAPD.
As of 12:30 p.m., Burbank Boulevard has been reopened between Balboa Boulevard and the San Diego (405) Freeway, and Balboa Boulevard and Woodley Avenue have also reopened.11 Injured in Anaheim School Roof Collapse
Heavy rain and a malfunctioning drain caused a portion of a roof to collapse at a Regional Occupation Program school in Anaheim on Monday, injuring at least 11 people, authorities said.
The emergency at the North ROP Career and Technical Institute of Orange County, 1617 E. Ball Road, was reported about 9:15 a.m., said Maria Sabol of the Anaheim Fire Department.
3 Hospitalized in South LA Crash
A collision between a compact car and an SUV in South Los Angeles on Monday critically injured two women in the smaller vehicle and slightly injured the other motorist, authorities said.
Paramedics sent to the 900 block of East Imperial Highway about 10:35 a.m. transported the three for hospital treatment, said Davies.
Two 19-year-old women in the car were in critical condition, and the 48-year-old man driving the SUV was in stable condition, Davies said.
It was raining at the time of the accident, Davies said, but it was unclear if the rain was a factor in the crash.
2 Trapped in San Pedro Crash
A car skidded off of a rain-slick transition road from the westbound Vincent Thomas Bridge to the northbound Harbor (110) Freeway in San Pedro on Monday, but neither occupant was hurt, authorities said.
The accident was reported about 10:25 a.m. at Harbor Boulevard, said Davies.
The vehicle skidded off the roadway and ended up in bushes, and the two people were trapped for a time in the wreckage, Davies said.
