The National Weather Service will survey an area in Carpinteria to determine if a tornado touched down. The NWS issued a tornado warning Tuesday night for parts of LA and Ventura counties. Robert Kovacik reports March 21, 2023.
What to Know
- Wednesday's forecast includes scattered showers before the storm begins moving out.
- The latest system triggered a rare tornado warning for parts of LA and Ventura counties, and thunderstorms are possible again Wednesday.
- Temperatures will run 10 to 15 degrees below normal. A winter storm warning remains in effect for the LA area mountains.
An early spring storm that picked up where a barrage of winter storms left off will delivered mountain snow, scattered showers and a small tornado Wednesday a day after downpours, flooding and even a rare Southern California tornado warning.
Showers will be scattered Wednesday and not nearly as heavy or widespread as on Tuesday. Most of the rain will stay to the north, including the already saturated Bay Area.
"This is Day 2 of the storm, and it's taking on a different personality," said NBC4 forecaster Belen De Leon. "Yesterday was just everything, everywhere, all at once. Today, it's going to be more scattered in nature, and we're going to have a few breaks."
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Thunderstorms are possible again Wednesday, when a small tornado tore the roof from a business in Montebello. No injuries were reported.
"Don't let your guard down because some of those showers could be heavy," De Leon said.
Up to 3 inches of rain are expected along the coast and in the valleys. Foothill and mountain communities will see 3 to 6 inches of rain.
In the mountains, a winter storm warning remains in effect until 11 p.m. for most of the region. Total accumulations will reach 2 to 5 feet of snow above 6,000 feet with 10 to 20 inches between 5,000 and 6,000 feet and 2 to 10 inches between 3,500 and 5,000 feet.
Several inches of snow are possible along the Grapevine section of the 5 Freeway north of Los Angeles. Powerful winds will gust up to 75 mph in the mountains.
Temperatures will run about 10 to 15 degrees below normal.
Some showers might linger into Thursday, but Friday and the weekend look cool and dry.
Rare Southern California Tornado Warning
In what has been a rain season for the record books, Tuesday's system brought the potential for something highly unusual in Southern California.
A tornado warning was issued Tuesday night for central Ventura County and southwestern Los Angeles County. At 8:17 a.m., a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was spotted over Ventura County's Point Mugu State Park, about 10 miles south of Camarillo. The storm was moving at about 35 mph toward western Malibu and Newbury Park.
In Carpinteria, witnesses reported a possible waterspout or landspout. A National Weather Service survey team will travel to the southeastern Santa Barbara County community to assess damage at a mobile home park and determine what type of weather event was behind it.
A landspout is a type of tornado with a narrow funnel that looks like a rope and forms while a thunderstorm clouds is growing. Landspout rotation originates near the ground.
Waterspouts are similar, but occur over water.
Tornadoes are rare, but not unprecedented in Southern California.
The warning was issued 40 years to the month after a tornado packing winds between 113 and 157 mph swept through neighborhoods south of downtown Los Angeles, destroying homes and businesses, flipping cars, hurling debris and ripping part of the roof from the LA Convention Center.
The tornado left a scene of devastation usually associated with the Midwest and southern plains.
Nine people were killed. More than 150 buildings were damaged or destroyed. More than 30 people were injured.
When a tornado warning is issued, anyone in the warning area is advised to move to a basement -- if you happen to have one -- or interior room on the lowest floor of a building. Stay away from windows.
If you're outdoors or in a mobile home or car, it's best to find more substantial shelter and protection from flying debris.
