Wet winter storm moves into Southern California

A motorist was fatally struck by a tree that was knocked by powerful winds as a winter storm hit California, bringing downpours, wind and snow, authorities said Sunday.

The tree, which had a diameter of about 6 feet, fell in front of a house on Ingraham Street near Fortuna Avenue about 3:15 p.m., San Diego-Fire Rescue Capt. Joe Amador said.

A storm that drenched Southern California Sunday was expected to give way to sunshine Monday, though strong winds are likely to continue through this afternoon, forecasters said.

In addition to posing a challenge to drivers of high-profile vehicles, “Winds this strong will be capable of downing numerous trees, especially considering the wet soil”, according to a Wind Advisory issued by the NWS.

The National Weather Service office in Oxnard, California, reported thunderstorm wind damage west of Santa Paula that took down two or three trees, trapping six cars near the intersection of Briggs and Faulkner roads. Whitaker Peak encountered wind gusts as powerful as 115 mph, whereas Beverly Hills and Malibu Canyon faced wind gusts that clocked 61 mph and 65 mph, respectively.

Scattered rain is expected Sunday during the morning and midday hours and could possibly linger across Los Angeles County into Sunday evening, according to the NWS.

Local media report that almost 38,000 San Diego Gas & Electric customers are without power.

Forecasters said flash flooding was possible in recently burned areas throughout Southern California.

The storm will generate gusty winds, and temperatures will be in the high 50s and low 60s, he said.

Blinding rain briefly brought traffic to a near-standstill on LA freeways.

The weekend’s heavy rain mostly moved out overnight, but snow was still expected in areas as low as 2,000 feet.

Nevada County officials said that flooding in the Donner Summit area of the Sierra Nevada caused an ice dam that closed off a mountain road, cutting off several hundred residents in Serene Lakes. If you would like to discuss another topic, look for a relevant article.

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