201911.20
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Southern Californians get some weather they can touch, and hear

by in News

Rain everywhere, snow in the mountains, thunderstorms at the beach and hail here and there. Welcome, at long last, to the wettish season in Southern California.

The big weather change predicted for this week arrived Wednesday, Nov. 20, following Sunday’s record warm temperatures.

Heavy snow was falling at higher elevations throughout the region, requiring chains in some areas such as San Bernardino County mountain highways, and concern over lightning strikes shut down the piers in Seal Beach and Santa Monica for a brief time.

While Wrightwood received 4 inches of snow and Lake Arrowhead 3 inches, areas at 3,500-4,000 elevation such as the Cajon Pass in San Bernardino County and Frazier Park in Kern County received enough snow to make driving treacherous but not enough to close the 15 and 5 freeways.

For the 24-hour period ending Wednesday afternoon, Huntington Beach received 0.28 inches of rain, Santiago Peak 0.47 inches, Temecula 0.83 inches, March Air Reserve Base 0.27 inches, Lytle Creek Canyon 0.83 inches, Cal State San Bernardino 0.47 inches, Los Angeles International Airport 0.35 inches, Long Beach Airport 0.38 inches, Burbank 0.33 inches and Woodland Hills 0.01 inches.

“Definitely some light, beneficial rain, helping to suppress the fire season there,” said Adam Roser, a National Weather Service meteorologist based in San Diego.

 

  • Sisters Perla Ayala, left, and Joselyn Ayala, from Moreno Valley, bundle up as they walk along the Seal Beach Pier in Seal Beach, CA, on Wednesday, Nov 20, 2019. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • The first storm of the fall moved through the Los Angeles basin Wednesday November 20, 2019. High surf crashes over the break wall in the Port of Los Angeles. (Photo by Chuck Bennett, Contributing Photographer)

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  • Chain installers do a brisk business at a chain control stop on northbound Hwy. 330 south of Snow Valley as the first snowstorm of the season hits the San Bernardino Mountains on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

  • As the sun comes out just before sunset, a double rainbow appears over the Main Street exit of the 5 freeway in Orange late Wednesday afternoon November 20, 2019, following a day of rain throughout Orange County. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • A dog is dressed appropriately for the weather while strolling in Santa Ana on Wednesday, November 20, 2019. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Sisters Perla Ayala, left, and Joselyn Ayala, from Moreno Valley, bundle up as they walk along the Seal Beach Pier in Seal Beach, CA, on Wednesday, Nov 20, 2019. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • This pooch’s paws avoid the puddles, but his tongue does not at his wet Chino Hills home on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019. It was a crisp 53 degrees with showers expected to continue in this city until 3 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. M.J., a lab mix, waits for his patriotic owner. (Photo by Cindy Yamanaka, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

  • A partially protected Mickey Mouse appears to showcase gloomy weather at the Chino Hills home on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019. He points towards Big Bear, a chilly 34 degrees, where visitors need chains to deal with the snow. (Photo by Cindy Yamanaka, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

  • Visibility due to rain is low from this hilltop Chino Hills home on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019 where it was a crisp 53 degrees with showers expected to continue in this city until 3 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. The storm was intensifying as a cold low pressure system from the Gulf of Alaska that triggered rain and snow when its edge moved into the area late Tuesday, National Weather Service meteorologist Casey Oswant said. (Photo by Cindy Yamanaka, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

  • The first storm of the fall moved through the Los Angeles basin Wednesday November 20, 2019. Rain covers a window as umbrellas come out in San Pedro. (Photo by Chuck Bennett, Contributing Photographer)

  • The first storm of the fall moved through the Los Angeles basin Wednesday November 20, 2019. High surf crashes over the break wall in the Port of Los Angeles. (Photo by Chuck Bennett, Contributing Photographer)

  • Kaitlyn La Chance of Frazier Park takes advantage of an early snowfall throughout the area Wednesday, November 20, 2019. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

  • A winter scene along Frazier Mountain Park road near Frazier Park after a wet storm dropped snow throughout the area Wednesday, November 20, 2019. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

  • Brandy Buzza, left, and Savannah Sickler keep warm under a blanket as they picnic along the berm on the south side of the Seal Beach Pier in Seal Beach, CA, on Wednesday, Nov 20, 2019. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • A Jeep travels along Frazier Mountain Park road near Frazier Park during heave snowfall Wednesday, November 20, 2019. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

  • A winter scene along Frazier Mountain Park road near Frazier Park after a wet storm dropped snow throughout the area Wednesday, November 20, 2019. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

  • Noah Miller of Big Bear stops on Hwy 330 at the chain control stop to put on chains as the first snowstorm of the season hits the San Bernardino Mountains on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

  • Mariah Trejo welcomes Chick-fil-A customers at the drive-thru before taking their order in Chino Hills on a soggy Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019. She endures the rain, so they don’t have to. (Photo by Cindy Yamanaka, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

  • Rain pours down on pedestrians waiting to cross the street in Irvine, CA on Wednesday, November 20, 2019. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Vendor Reyes Hernandez Rodriguez sells umbrellas in the El Salvador Corridor neighborhood of Los Angeles during the seasons first rain Wednesday morning, November 20, 2019. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)

  • A bicyclist maintains an upbeat attitude despite getting caught in the rain in Irvine, CA on Wednesday, November 20, 2019. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Students walk to class during occasional rain at Fullerton College in Fullerton, CA on Wednesday, November 20, 2019. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Wayne Welch walks among seagulls on a berm south of the Seal Beach Pier in Seal Beach, CA, on Wednesday, Nov 20, 2019. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • A car drives through a flooded intersection in Sunland late this morning on Wednesday, November 20, 2019, as heave rain pounded the area. (Photo by Mike Meadows)

  • L.A. Times photographer Ifran Khan takes pictures of seagulls from the Seal Beach Pier in Seal Beach, CA, on Wednesday, Nov 20, 2019. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • The first storm of the fall moved through the Los Angeles basin Wednesday November 20, 2019. Puddles reflect palm trees in the Port of Los Angeles. (Photo by Chuck Bennett, Contributing Photographer)

  • Palm trees and the front of the Rose Bowl are reflected in a rain puddle left after a recent rain storm in Pasadena on November 20, 2019. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

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A flash-flood watch for the Inland Empire and eastern Orange County was due to expire at 1 a.m. Thursday. A 30% chance of rain was forecast for Thursday, with the storm moving out late in the day, Roser said. In Los Angeles County, a high-surf advisory for swells of 4 to 7 feet was in effect for west-facing beaches through noon Thursday. A 20% chance of rain was forecast.

“Some of the models are hinting at maybe more precipitation before Thanksgiving,” Roser added.

The storm intensified as a cold low-pressure system from the Gulf of Alaska that triggered rain and snow when its edge moved into the area late Tuesday, weather service meteorologist Casey Oswant said.

Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia closed early Wednesday because of the rain. The park said Wednesday tickets will be honored any other day this year.

Temperatures in Southern California were 10 to 30 degrees lower than the day before, according to the weather service.

 

Chains were required on vehicles starting at Highway 18 and Highway 330 near their junction in Running Springs, and Highway 38 at Angelus Oaks, the California Highway Patrol said.

Oswant said there had been reports of snowfall in Idyllwild in the San Jacinto Mountains in Riverside County, but not in measurable amounts Wednesday morning. But there was enough rain there to damage Highway 243, the bedeviled route from Banning to Idyllwild. It was closed for a few hours on Wednesday because of a washout on the roadway. It reopened at about 5 p.m.

Caltrans said the road was closed from about 6-1/2 miles south of Banning, at Twin Pines Ranch Road, to San Gorgonio Avenue in Banning.

Highway 243 only fully reopened Nov. 1 after months of repairs between Banning and Idyllwild to repair severe storm damage the cratered roadway that was sustained during a Feb. 14 rainstorm that also damaged Highway 74, which connects Idyllwild to Hemet.

A seagull flies over the Seal Beach Pier in Seal Beach, CA, on Wednesday, Nov 20, 2019. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Seal Beach officials briefly closed that city’s pier and coastline due to the lightning strikes around 9 a.m., but the areas were reopened when the storm cell moved on. Santa Monica officials took similar action around the same time due to lightning.

In Orange County, a voluntary evacuation order was issued for residents near the 2018 Holy fire burn area, with sheriff’s officials citing the potential for flooding or debris flows. About 100 homes in the Trabuco Creek area were affected by the order, which was lifted at 4 p.m.

Overnight, the storm caused shutdowns due to roadway flooding in the desert areas, including Indio, Vidal Junction, and Bermuda Dunes in Riverside County and Baker and Nipton in San Bernardino County.

City News Service contributed to this story