Powerful Alaskan Storm Barrels Toward Westwood-Century City

LOS ANGELES, CA -- A powerful storm out of the Gulf of Alaska trundled toward the Southland Monday, with rain and snow expected Thursday and Friday, along with the threat of mud flows over slopes that wildfires have stripped of vegetation, National Weather Service forecasters said.

The storm will be the biggest so far of the rainy season, which runs from October to May, said NWS meteorologist Andrew Rorke, adding that the rainfall could cause problems for people living below the so-called burn areas. The storm will be accompanied by strong winds, according to an NWS forecast.

"With wets soils due to rainfall, there will be a risk of downed trees and power lines, power outages, flooding of low-lying areas and roads. In addition, there could be a risk of flash flooding and debris flows in recent burn areas," warned an NWS statement.

Early estimates are that rainfall totals will range between a half-inch and 1.5 inches in coastal and valley areas and between 1 and 3 inches in the foothills and along south- and southwest-facing mountain slopes.

The NWS said snow levels are forecast to drop rapidly on Friday, falling to near 4,000 feet, but only minimal accumulation is expected over passes such as the Grapevine.

The storm will coincide with lower temperatures -- the low 60s and high 50s. In contrast, Monday's temperatures will be mostly in the mid to high 60s.

-- City News Service, photo credit: Alexander Nguyen