What to know about California's weather
- The lingering storm system that has battered California for days continues to pose a flooding risk for southern parts of the state.
- A rare tornado warning was issued for parts of San Diego County. The warning has expired, but heavy rain and lightning were still possible.
- The San Diego region remains under a flood watch through tonight because of excessive rainfall, the National Weather Service said, and residents in mountain areas are being warned about rockslides and rocks on the roads.
- Farther north, flooding remained a concern as moderate to heavy showers continued to fall across Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
- At least three people have died as a result of falling trees during the storm.
Birds of a feather weather the storm while tending to newly laid eggs
Big Bear Valley's celebrity couple, the eagles Jackie and Shadow, have been dutifully tending to three eggs Jackie laid starting on Jan. 25, important work amid 19 inches of snow in the area in three days.
The pair have demonstrated how they cope with extreme weather and the demands of an expanding family: by taking turns with home-life duties and, in Jackie's case, staying put when the worst weather arrives.
That is according to a new account of Jackie and Shadow's story posted on the Facebook page of the nonprofit group Friends of Big Bear Valley, which runs the Big Bear Eagle Nest Cam to keep track of the couple's activity.
The account says Jackie has spent 35 hours atop her eggs, protecting them from ravens, snow and overnight low temperatures in the 20s — soon to be in the teens. Shadow has been running errands — grabbing fluff and sticks for the nest when weather allows, the account said.
The Friends of Big Bear Valley warned that continued precipitation and strong winds overnight could knock the 24-hour-a-day webcam out of service temporarily. If only it had the fortitude of Jackie.
"She is built to handle this," the post says of her. "As the storm is predicted to continue for another day, Jackie and Shadow know what they are doing."
Woman stands among wreckage of house destroyed by landslide in L.A.
A woman stands among the wreckage of a house that was destroyed by a landslide in the Hollywood Hills area of Los Angeles today.
As rain continued today, a short break and then another storm were forecast
Another, weaker storm was expected to strike Southern California late in the week before sun and temperatures in the 60s were forecast to make a weekend comeback for the urban coastline.
But first, more rain: As evening fell, moderate to heavy showers were reported to be "expanding" in Ventura and Los Angeles counties, the National Weather Service said.
The urban sections of Los Angeles County and beyond could get 0.25 to 1.5 more inches of rain overnight, the weather service said. A short break could come tomorrow before the next in this early February series of storms strikes, it said.
"Do not let the break Wednesday morning misguide you - more rain and mountain snow coming Wednesday afternoon and night," the weather service's Oxnard office said on X.
The Oxnard office said in today's forecast discussion that the third storm is "a trough of low pressure" that will be "zipping down the West Coast" from its origins in waters off Alaska.
"This system will be able to interact with the lingering moisture from our current storm to bring one last band of organized precipitation Wednesday afternoon and night," the office said.
The weather service forecast office in San Diego said the third storm will strike San Diego County later tomorrow and continue to produce rain and possibly mountain snow through at least Thursday.
30 inches of mountain snow, 5 inches of urban rain recorded in Southern California
The atmospheric river-fueled Pacific storm that continues to soak Southern California unleashed 30 inches of snow in Wrightwood and 5 inches of rain in Laguna Niguel on the Orange County coast, forecasters said today.
And it's not done yet.
Those three-day precipitation figures were current through 2:19 p.m. today local time, according to the National Weather Service office in San Diego, which also covers Orange County and the Inland Empire.
An area near Mt. Baldy, in the San Gabriel Mountains south of Wrightwood, recorded 2 feet of snow. And to the east, in the Big Bear community of the San Bernardino Mountains, 19 inches of snow has fallen.
Some of the numbers appear to be rare. The northwestern end of San Diego County and, separately, the south Orange County community of Coto de Caza both recorded more than 7 inches of rain, most of a season's worth in San Diego to the south.
Also in Orange County, Laguna Niguel on the coast recorded 5 inches of rain, Huntington Beach and Anaheim both got more than 4 inches, and John Wayne Airport and Fullerton Airport recorded nearly 3 inches.
Urban San Diego has had the least of it so far, and it has been a lot: San Diego International Airport recorded 1.9 inches of rain. A normal season for the location brings less than 10 inches or rain, so the storm produced about one-fifth of an entire season's precipitation.
Two homes in Benedict Canyon damaged by mudflow
Mudflow damaged two homes in the tony Los Angeles community of Benedict Canyon, a city fire spokesperson said today.
The Cielo Drive homes have been yellow-tagged, Los Angeles Fire Capt. Erik Scott said on X. A staircase and a backyard were affected, he said.
"A large house is being built on the street above," he said. "The hillside gave way causing a debris flow across the street which took out a staircase, and landed into the backyard of the house below."
Yellow-tag status means residents will have limited access. City Department of Building and Safety personnel were at the scene, Scott said.
The two structures are each one address apart from a location that made Cielo Drive famous: the site of the Manson Family's Tate-LaBianca murders in 1969.
Weather service: No credible reports of tornado in San Diego
Imagery of a vortex in San Diego County circulated on social media as unstable air and thunderstorm activity triggered a tornado warning, but federal forecasters said there's no credible evidence of a touchdown.
The National Weather Service San Diego office has not fielded damage reports consistent with a tornado.
Today's rare noontime warning was the highest-level alert for tornadoes: It urges those in its coverage area to take cover immediately because a tornado has formed or is most likely imminent.
Despite whipping gusts of nearly 70 mph just east of the county and dark rain clouds, it appeared a tornado did not materialize. The front that prompted the warning moved east and broke up, according to NBC San Diego.
Upon reports of damage, the weather service will usually send observers to the scene of the report to determine whether there was a touchdown and, if so, the dimensions of its track and its potency. Often that takes place the next day.
Rare tornado warning for San Diego County expires; heavy rain and lightning still possible
A tornado warning issued in south central San Diego County has expired. The warning was rare for the southwestern county, reported NBC San Diego.
The warning was issued for parts of San Diego County, including Chula Vista, El Cajon and National City. It expired at 12:15 p.m. local time.
Rain continues to fall over San Diego, where radar data depicted a heavy rain cell, according to the National Weather Service. Lightning is also possible in the area.
Tornado warning issued for parts of San Diego County
The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for parts of San Diego County until 12:15 p.m. local time.
Chula Visa, El Cajon and National City are all within the warning area.
The warning includes the possibility of pea-sized hail.
Body found floating in water in San Diego
A body was found floating in water near Dairy Mart Road and Camino de la Plaza shopping center in San Diego today, according to the city's fire department.
"Engine 29 responded from South Bay as well as pre-positioned lifeguard teams," the San Diego Fire Department said in a news release. "The crews were able to recover the body and bring it to the boat launch area."
The victim, who has not been identified, was pronounced dead at the scene. It's not clear at this time what the cause of death was. The medical examiner's office will determine if the death is weather-related, the fire department said.
Three people have been killed so far by this storm system, which has brought heavy rains and winds to California.
Search effort continues after avalanche northwest of Las Vegas
The search effort continues after four people were rescued following an avalanche that took place at Lee Canyon, northwest of Las Vegas yesterday, according to officials. The avalanche was reported around 1:20 p.m. local time, according to the Lee Canyon Ski Resort.
Four people were initially reported missing and rescued by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, according to an update, but rescue efforts continue today “to ensure no one remains missing,” Clark County officials said on X.
"While all resort personnel and ticketed customers were accounted for following yesterday’s avalanche in an area above the Sherwood Lift, search and rescue teams plan to resume efforts later today with search dogs from Nevada Task Force 1 as a precaution to ensure no unreported person is missing," Clark County officials said today.
The Lee Canyon Ski Resort is closed today and may possibly be closed tomorrow, officials said. Lee Canyon Road and nearby Deer Creek Road remain closed Tuesday to everyone except residents, according to the Nevada Department of Transportation. Kyle Canyon Road is closed past the junction with Deer Creek Road.