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Local Weather Forecast

Dangerous California Weather

Parts of California will get a brief respite tonight from the potent storms that have pummeled the state since Wednesday. However, heavy rain and snow will return by late Saturday, increasing the threat of mudslides and flooding. Meanwhile, a wintry mix of precipitation will spread across the Deep South.

According to the West Regional News story, rain and snow will continue into Saturday across northern and central California, while Southern California experiences a brief dry spell as the storm system slides to the southwest.

By late Saturday, rain will return to Southern California as the storm turns back toward the coast and taps into abundant tropical moisture.

The Severe Weather Center lists the widespread watches, warnings and advisories in effect from one end of California to the other.

Snow levels late today will climb to around 5,000 feet in Southern California and 3,000 feet in the mountains of central and northern California. Despite the higher snow levels, treacherous travel conditions will continue through the mountain passes.

The Grapevine section of Interstate 5, the major north-south route between the Los Angeles Basin and the San Joaquin Valley, reopened today. The highway over Tejon Pass was closed Wednesday when blowing snow stranded hundreds of motorists on the pass.

Flooding has been reported today in Los Angeles. According to Associated Press, many areas of Southern California received more rain Thursday than they did in all of 2007. The instability in the atmosphere Thursday sparked a waterspout that damaged a building at the Naval Air Station at Point Mugu, Cal.

Partially submerged cars sit in water in the Hancock Park section of Los Angeles Friday, Jan. 25, 2008. A powerful winter storm that unleashed a thick blanket of mountain snow, heavy rain and at least one tornado pounded Southern California for a fifth-straight day Friday. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)

Rainfall totals on Thursday include:

Santa Barbara: 5.41"

Morro Bay: 3.59"

Oxnard: 3.55"

Santa Maria: 3.16"

Beverly Hills: 2.36"

Downtown L.A.: 1.61"

Meanwhile, the South Regional News story reports a dangerous mix of precipitation will spread across the Deep South tonight.

Rain has spread across East Texas and Louisiana today, with freezing rain coating roads from North Texas to Mississippi with ice that has created potentially hazardous travel conditions.

The Severe Weather Center lists the ice storm warnings and winter weather advisories in effect across the southern Plains and the Deep South. Tonight, the icy mix will spread east to the Carolinas.

The energy that will spark the icy mix across the Deep South by late Saturday will develop into a potent storm off the Eastern Seaboard.

According to Expert Senior Meteorologist John Kocet, bands of energy spiraling out from the core of the storm from late Sunday into Monday could pump snow and gusty winds into southeastern New England, including Boston, Mass., and Providence, R.I.

Monday will mark the beginning of the end for the brief burst of springlike temperatures spreading across the eastern two-thirds of the country. The warming trend on the Plains will be dramatic, while the East Regional News story reports mild air will not reach the East Coast until early next week.

While warmth spreads to the east Sunday, the next shot of arctic air will drop out of western Canada. The high Sunday in Great Falls, Mont., will be 39 degrees. On Monday, the thermometer will struggle to 4 degrees above zero.

City	Sat.	Sun.	Mon.	Tue.	City	Sat.	Sun.	Mon.	Tue.
Bismarck	34	37	19	2	Minneapolis	26	34	42	12
Chicago	30	40	46	33	Omaha	40	39	49	22
Detroit	30	34	40	38	Pittsburgh	34	37	44	47
Washington, D.C.	40	41	48	45	Philadelphia	36	40	44	44
New York City	35	38	42	44	Boston	36	33	35	44
Raleigh	48	52	55	61	Atlanta	50	58	56	60

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