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View Winners → News Dec 27, 2021
| Photo courtesy of KAUSTUBH PORLIKAR1998/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
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After a cold and wet Christmas, the Southland is in for more of the same this week, with rain and snow expected later Monday and more precipitation in the forecast through New Year’s Eve, save for a brief respite Tuesday.
A winter storm warning will be in effect until 10 p.m. in the Los Angeles County mountains, excluding the Santa Monica range. According to the National Weather Service, between 5 and 10 inches of snow could accumulate at elevations above 5,000 feet, and 2 to 4 inches above 4,000 feet.
The snow level will drop later in the day, with “a couple inches of snow accumulation possible along Interstate 5 near the Grapevine.”
“A wet and unsettled weather pattern will continue through Thursday,” according to the NWS. “Rain and mountain snow will affect the area through early (Monday) evening and again Wednesday and Thursday. Temperatures will remain significantly below average for this time of year with cold overnight temperatures expected away from the coast. Dry weather is expected Friday through the upcoming holiday weekend.”
A wind advisory will be in effect in the Antelope Valley until 10 p.m., with forecasters predicting winds of 20 to 30 mph, and gusts up to 45 mph.
The Santa Clarita Valley, meanwhile, will be dealing with particularly cold weather, and a freeze watch will be in place from late Monday through Tuesday morning. According to the NWS, temperatures between 28 and 32 degrees are possible, leading to frost and freeze conditions that could kill crops or other sensitive vegetation, “and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing.”
Forecasters said rainfall on Monday will generally be light, with less than a half-inch falling in most areas. Overall totals are expected to range from a quarter-inch to an inch by Monday evening.
After a respite on Tuesday, a stronger storm system is expected to arrive on Wednesday, but rainfall amounts are still uncertain, according to the NWS.
“Rain should start to move in on Wednesday or Wednesday night, and depending upon the exact track of the storm system, this could end up being a significant storm system for the region,” forecasters said.
That system is expected to continue into Thursday, possibly into Friday, bringing more snow to mountain areas, and “possibly bringing accumulating snowfall to the Antelope Valley.”
New Year’s Day was shaping up to be dry but cool across the region.
