Pacific Storm Bypasses L.A. Area

A powerful Pacific storm that dropped heavy rain and snow on Northern and Central California largely bypassed Southern California on Tuesday, and forecasters said Southland weather should remain dry through New Year’s Day.

There’s a 50-50 chance of rain Thursday night and Friday, but Saturday and Sunday should be cool but dry.

Forecasters called for up to 3 inches of rain in Southern California as the big storm moved south along the coast, threatening to loose floods and mudslides on hillsides scorched barren in the recent wildfires.

Up to 5 inches of rain hammered some Northern California coastal communities and nearly 2 feet of snow fell in southern Oregon and Northern California by late Monday, enough to shut down a 150-mile stretch of Interstate 5 for more than 12 hours.

But the storm did not move inland as predicted after reaching Point Conception, near Lompoc. Instead, it headed farther south, drenching the normally parched deserts of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula.

Only traces of rain were registered at most of Southern California’s reporting stations, barely enough to dampen the pavement, with little or no snow in the mountains.

That was unexpected good news in the San Bernardino Mountains, where a Christmas Day storm caused flash flooding that left 15 people dead and one person missing.

Fire-denuded hills in Ventura, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside and San Diego counties will remain vulnerable for months, fire officials said.

The National Weather Service said Southern California should be partly cloudy today and New Year’s Day.

Temperatures are forecast in the upper 30s to low 40s in Pasadena as the Rose Parade begins Thursday morning, warming to the upper 50s or low 60s in time for the afternoon’s Rose Bowl game.

A 50% chance of rain is forecast for Thursday night and Friday. Partly cloudy skies, with seasonally cool temperatures, are forecast for Saturday, Sunday and Monday.