Weak Alaskan Storm Had Limited Impact In Marina Del Rey

LOS ANGELES, CA -- This week's storm had only negligible impact on the Southland, figures on rainfall totals and traffic accidents showed Thursday.

As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, the greatest amount of rain that had fallen in Los Angeles County in the previous 12 hours was a quarter-inch at Getty Center. In the valleys, the "wettest" spot Wednesday was Van Nuys with 11 one- hundredths of an inch. In the San Gabriel mountains, it was Sandberg, near the Antelope Valley, which received 12 one-hundredths of an inch. Rain totals between 5 p.m. Wednesday and 5 a.m. Thursday were even lower.

Wednesday's rain totals were even punier than on Tuesday, when the top rain-getter was Opids Camp in the San Gabriel Mountains with 0.73 of an inch of rain, followed by 0.24 of an inch at the Hollywood Reservoir, 0.21 at Getty Center, 0.20 at Hansen Dam, 0.18 in South Gate and Whittier, 0.17 in Santa Monica and 0.16 in Bel Air, Burbank, and Claremont.

The impact on traffic was negligible as well. The California Highway Patrol said Thursday there were 62 crashes between 4 a.m. and 9 a.m. Wednesday and 54 crashes during the same five-hour period Tuesday. But a week earlier, when it was dry, the CHP reported the same number of crashes during the same five- hour time-frame on March 15, and on March 14, it reported one less crash than this past Tuesday's 54.

On the whole, between a quarter-inch and a half-inch of rain had been expected from this week's two days of rain, but the total ended up being between a 10th and a third of an inch, said NWS meteorologist Robbie Munroe. The next storm, expected to produce rain on Saturday, is also going to be a lackluster producer, with a 10th of an inch or less of rain now expected in the Los Angeles Basin, he said.

Thursday's weather is forecast to be sunny in both L.A. and Orange counties. The NWS said highs in L.A. County would be 60 degrees Fahrenheit on Mount Wilson; 62 in Palmdale; 63 in Lancaster and Avalon; 64 in Saugus; 65 at LAX; 67 in Long Beach, Burbank and San Gabriel; 68 in Pasadena and Downtown L.A.; and 69 in Woodland Hills.

The NWS said Orange County highs would be 62 in Newport Beach and San Clemente; 63 in Laguna Beach; 66 in Mission Viejo; 67 in Irvine and Anaheim; 68 in Fullerton; and 69 in Yorba Linda.

After Saturday's showers, partly cloudy skies are forecast Sunday followed by a mixture of cloudy and sunny skies Monday through Wednesday. Temperatures will remain in the 60s until they climb into the 70s Tuesday. By Wednesday, Woodland Hills will have a high of 82 degrees, and Pasadena, Burbank and San Gabriel will be at 80. In Orange County, Yorba Linda will reach 81 Wednesday and Fullerton, 79.

-- City News Service, photo via Shutterstock