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As the last of a relentless series of storms passed over Southern California, heavy rains already caused significant flooding and stranded several vehicles in snowy conditions overnight. The third storm in the sequence brought scattered showers that could linger into Saturday. In Orange County, a witness reported to the National Weather Service that a possible tornado or waterspout touched down near the eastern Dana Point Harbor late Thursday night. The wind was strong enough to lift a 12-foot section of chain link fence with privacy fabric and toss it 70 feet across a parking lot.
Westminster experienced intense rainfall with about 1.84 inches falling within a single hour between 9:30 and 10:30 p.m. Thursday, prompting numerous flood calls to local police. Nearby Garden Grove also recorded 1.5 inches during that same period. In Huntington Beach, a three-mile stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway had to be shut down due to flooding, specifically between Warner Avenue and Seapoint Street, just southwest of the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve. Flooding also impacted parts of Artesia Boulevard in Redondo Beach and residential roads in Huntington Beach.
In the mountain areas of Big Bear Lake, about a dozen cars got stuck in snow along Highway 18 near Bear Valley Dam. The National Weather Service warned that most Angelenos might see the worst of the rain overnight into early Friday, though the aftermath could still cause trouble for some. A flood watch was active for much of Los Angeles County, eastern Riverside County, and Imperial County through Friday morning, with heavy precipitation risks extending across the Inland Empire and northern San Diego County.
There was particular concern for a severe weather threat in southern Los Angeles County on Friday morning, where the storm might spin counterclockwise and produce a small tornado. The affected zone stretches roughly between Pasadena and the LA-Orange County border, but it could shift. Rainfall rates atop 1 inch per hour were forecasted with a 10% to 20% chance in some areas. These kinds of rain intensities are enough to trigger landslides, especially since only scattered locations would receive the heaviest downpours, raising the risk of localized flooding.
Later Friday, forecasters warned of a "semi-wet Santa Ana" event across parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties — an unusual scenario where the typically dry and hot Santa Ana winds would bring rain instead. Rain chances in Los Angeles County ranged from 60% to 70% Friday morning, tapering to 30% to 50% by evening and down to 10% to 20% early Saturday. Ventura County faced 30% to 50% chances through the day Friday, decreasing by night. Orange County, San Diego County, and the Inland Empire saw their heaviest rain Thursday night into Friday morning, with lighter showers possibly continuing through Saturday due to "wrap-around precipitation" coming from the south and east after the cold front passed.
Meanwhile, winter weather warnings were in place for mountainous areas in San Bernardino and Riverside counties through Friday afternoon. Big Bear was expected to get heavy, wet snow above 6,500 feet, with accumulations between 4 and 16 inches depending on elevation. Scattered snow showers could persist into Saturday, adding another 2 to 5 inches. The San Gabriel Mountains, including Mt. Baldy and Wrightwood, were under a winter advisory expecting 3 to 6 inches above 6,000 feet and lesser amounts at lower elevations. Despite these conditions, the Grapevine stretch of the 5 Freeway was not expected to see any snow due to its relatively lower elevation.
Once the storms finally move out by Saturday, the weekend is forecasted to be dry but cool. Temperatures are expected to return to seasonal averages for the following week, including Thanksgiving, with rain-free conditions through Black Friday. However, another storm system could develop between November 29 and December 2, possibly bringing more precipitation.
