Rainfall

GLENDALE — Torrential rains drenched Glendale over the weekend, pushing the city’s rainfall totals more than 10 inches above the average for January. Showers between Saturday and 8 a.m. Monday morning brought 3.02 inches of rain, bringing the month’s total to 14.28 inches, which is the fifth wettest January on record in the last 55 years, said Bob Gregg, a Glendale weather observer for the Los Angeles County Flood Control District. “The average for January is 4.33 inches,” he said.

A massive low-pressure system parked off the Central California coast sparked storms that pushed this season's rainfall totals to the highest level-33.61 inches in Downtown Los Angeles-in more than a century. And with another storm expected to hit Sunday and four months remaining in the rainy season, most meteorologists say smart money is on this season's rainfall total exceeding the highest total recorded since records were kept-38.18 inches in the 1883-84 rain season. "We've never had this much this early," said Dr. Bill Patzert, a climatologist at Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

GLENDALE — Showers continued to bring moisture to the city Friday during what has been a relatively dry season so far, according to the National Weather Service. About a quarter-inch of rain had fallen in Burbank since rainfall began on Wednesday at about 4 p.m., according to the service’s Friday evening tally. The current storm system has pushed the total rainfall to about 4.53 inches over the last six months, more than two inches below the average of about 6.73 inches over that same annual period.

Janine Marnien LA CRESCENTA -- The Crescenta Valley Water District is seeking the help of a consulting firm to study the possibility of acquiring more imported water as part of a continued effort to cope with a supply shortage. Preliminary reports from the firm, Navigant Consulting of Glendale, are expected within the next few weeks, district General Manager Mike Sovich said. "Obviously ,if we're looking at shortages of water supply, we'd better turn over every rock and look at every available source," he said.

A light storm that brought some bursts of strong rain caused no problems and left debris basins near the Station fire burn areas untested, officials said. The storm brought a total of 0.8 inches of rainfall to the region Saturday, according to the National Weather Service’s closest official observation station at Bob Hope Airport. Unofficial rainfall totals were slightly higher in the burn areas, reaching about 1 inch in some parts of the foothills, said Jamie Meier, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service.

GLENDALE ? Tuesday?s afternoon and overnight showers promised to bring 0.75 inches of rainfall, a high total for a dry year in Southern California, meteorologists said. Though the measurements are hardly significant historically, the lack of rainfall in the past two years makes them relatively high, said Stuart Seto, a weather specialist for the National Weather Service?s Climate Prediction Center. ?For a normal year, it wouldn?t be substantial,? he said. ?But last time we had rainfall over an inch was April of 2006.

Claudia Peschiutta GLENDALE -- The strong storm that passed out of the area Tuesday brought the city closer to its annual average rainfall mark, while causing little damage. "We really fared well during this storm," said Ritch Wells, a city spokesman. The storm did little more than break a few tree limbs and cause a 33-minute power outage that affected about 1,500 residents near the Glendale (2) Freeway shortly after midnight Tuesday, he said.

Charles Rich Tragedy and inclement weather caused the postponement or suspension of several local sporting events Tuesday. Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy's Mission League volleyball match against Sherman Oaks Notre Dame was rescheduled for 6:30 p.m. today in respect to the death of Flintridge Sacred Heart student Marisa Lupica. The 15-year-old Lupica died Saturday, and the schools agreed to move the contest back a day. Flintridge Sacred Heart and Notre Dame are each 4-0 in league this year.

This fire season will bring a host of harder-than-usual challenges due to higher temperatures, below-average rainfall and fewer firefighting resources. That's according to Glendale Fire Chief Harold Scoggins, who on Tuesday warned the public that fire season had already begun. Speaking at the City Council meeting, Scoggins noted that the region has seen twice as many red flag warnings compared to last year, and the amount of acreage burned in the region has also doubled. Firefighters from two regions in Southern California met June 18 to discuss weather forecasts, resources and their deployments and potential challenges that could arise if several fires start at the same time.

The Los Angeles County coroner's office is seeking the public's help in identifying a woman whose remains were found last year in the Angeles National Forest after the Station fire. Coroner's officials on Wednesday released a composite sketch of the Jane Doe, who officials believe was a white or Latino woman between the age of 20 and 40 at the time of death. The sketch was created using clay reconstruction technology. The woman's skull was found Dec. 26 in a burned-out area below Angeles Forest Highway, two days after hikers there discovered a male skull with a bullet hole, officials said.

A spring storm dropped 1 inch of rain on the fire-scarred foothills Monday morning, causing more damage on the freeways than in the hillsides before giving way to a sunny afternoon. The storm, late for this time of year, was stronger than expected and dumped more rain than what is typical for the entire month of April, said Bill Patzert, a climatologist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Local mountains also received between 6 and 12 inches of snow, he said. “This was definitely a surprise,” Patzert said.

A light storm that brought some bursts of strong rain caused no problems and left debris basins near the Station fire burn areas untested, officials said. The storm brought a total of 0.8 inches of rainfall to the region Saturday, according to the National Weather Service’s closest official observation station at Bob Hope Airport. Unofficial rainfall totals were slightly higher in the burn areas, reaching about 1 inch in some parts of the foothills, said Jamie Meier, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service.

Despite a gloomy June, officials warned of dangerous fire conditions in the hillsides created by Southern California’s fourth consecutive drought year. Scarce rain in recent years has left hillside vegetation tinder dry, prompting fire officials throughout Glendale and the foothills to renew calls for clearing brush from around homes. “Residents need to get rid of weeds [around their homes] and any flammable ornamental vegetation that is up against their home,” said Los Angeles County Fire Capt.

GLENDALE ? Scattered rain showers blanketed Glendale and Burbank on Friday, but the storm proved to be less powerful than Wednesday?s lightning and rainfall that killed two people in Southern California. Continued rainfall and thunderstorms were expected to last through today before tapering off, said Stuart Seto, a specialist for the National Weather Service. ?When thunder roars, go indoors,? he advised residents. Friday?s rainfall was unlike Wednesday?s storm, which was blamed for the death of a woman in Fontana and another in Big Bear Lake, because it didn?

GLENDALE — Showers continued to bring moisture to the city Friday during what has been a relatively dry season so far, according to the National Weather Service. About a quarter-inch of rain had fallen in Burbank since rainfall began on Wednesday at about 4 p.m., according to the service’s Friday evening tally. The current storm system has pushed the total rainfall to about 4.53 inches over the last six months, more than two inches below the average of about 6.73 inches over that same annual period.

Light showers late Wednesday and early Thursday may have been the last traces of the rainy season. The most recent storm system originated above San Luis Obispo at about 9 a.m. Wednesday, making its way down the state and dropping light rain until about 8 a.m. Thursday, said Stuart Seto, a weather specialist for the National Weather Service?s Climate Prediction Center. Like other cities in the storm?s path, Glendale took in less than one-tenth of an inch of rain, he said. Weather officials are forecasting a 20% chance of rain from Monday into Tuesday, Seto added.