Storm

A winter storm watch remains in effect until noon today as a cold weather system slowly moves out of the area, clearing the way for a moderate warming trend on Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. Roads in the Station fire burn area in the Angeles National Forest are expected to reopen later today after they were closed Tuesday due to relatively low snow levels. [Updated 11 a.m.: According to the latest estimates, some roads in the Angeles National Forest, including portions of Big Tujunga Canyon Road and Angeles Forest Highway, may not reopen until Wednesday.

When it comes to Glendale Water & Power's ability to keep power flowing, weather is king. The utility saw slightly more power outages on average - and longer ones at that - this year than last, according to city records. The difference can mostly be attributed to weather, said Principal Electric Engineer Henry Abrari. “More rain, more wind, more stormy weather, that creates more outages,” he said. According to a report released to the Glendale Water & Power Commission Monday, the average outage time per customer over the past 12 months ending in November was 42 minutes, higher than the utility's goal of 40 minutes per customer.

It could take until Sunday for Glendale Water & Power to restore power to all 300 customers who lost it during Wednesday's wind storm, city officials warned Friday. Crews worked around the clock to repair utility poles damaged in the storm, city spokesman Tom Lorenz said, adding that it could take all weekend to restore power lines due to the extent of the repairs. “It's just going to take time,” Lorenz said. Some damage was temporarily fixed so power could be restored, but Lorenz said crews must return to make permanent repairs.

Fire officials say they may never know who illegally dumped gasoline in a storm drain on Justin Avenue, prompting five homes to be evacuated during Thanksgiving dinner. If ignited, the gasoline could have sparked massive destruction similar to the San Bruno incident in Northern California, which occurred after a gas pipeline exploded and killed eight people. No one was injured in Thursday's three-hour incident, fire officials said. Firefighters who responded on Thanksgiving “saw fumes coming up through the plumbing inside of the homes,” said Battalion Chief Greg Godfrey.

The bulk of the slow-moving storm churning its way across the Southland should pass the local area by this afternoon, weather forecasters say. The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory for the Angeles National Forest through 8 p.m. as those living in the foothills brace for what could be periods of heavy rain within the Station fire burn area. Rain totals could reach up to 2 inches in some mountain areas, with the snow level dropping to between 5,500 and 6,500 feet through Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.

A series of storms moving through the area this week could bring periods of steady, heavy rain and chilly temperatures, weather forecasters say. Showers today will build into a more powerful weather system on Wednesday, bringing steady rain and pushing daytime temperatures down into the 60s, or about 10 degrees below normal, according to the National Weather Service. The unseasonal storm pattern comes as fire season starts to take hold in foothills, which continues to remain vulnerable to the effects of heavy rain in the Station fire burn area.

Our family returned this week from the Bahamas. It was a trip that was a long time in coming. When we first saved up for it, then booked it, my daughter ended up in the hospital. We had to cancel, much to the disappointment of my other children. So finally everyone was healthy and off we went. We were very thankful to be going. I felt so appreciative to God for this trip, knowing he truly helped us pull it off. The first thing we did when we arrived was put on our swim suits, run to the beach, and dash into the bathtub-temperature water yelling and giggling, “The Bahamas!

GLENDALE — Glendale High Athletic Director Pat Lancaster took a short walk from his classroom to the school's baseball field Friday morning to check on the condition of the venue. He wasn't surprised by what he saw after a steady rain pelted the area late Thursday night. "The field was very soggy, but it looked like a river flowing down the third-base line," Lancaster said. That weather elements forced Lancaster — and other local school athletic directors — to make contingency plans and reschedule several outdoor events.

Local mountains could see snow levels drop to 3,500 feet as a new colder storm front moves in today. Rainfall totals should average approximately 1 inch, but could be higher in some areas. This new weather system is not expected to be as strong as the weekend storm that the pummeled the area, causing street flooding and toppling trees, according to the National Weather Service. Still, up to 8 inches of snow could fall on local mountains, with the potential for more when a second storm front moves in late Thursday, according to the weather agency.