Rain falls on Southern California — with downpours expected this afternoon

Residents across Southern California awoke to moderate rainfall on Election Day, Nov. 8, with heavier downpours anticipated during the afternoon and evening hours, weather forecasters said.

Some valley areas in Los Angeles County had seen a quarter- to a half-inch of rainfall by 7 a.m. Tuesday, said Kristen Stewart, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

In Orange County, Santiago Peak in the Santa Ana Mountains had received more than two inches of rainfall by 5 a.m., according to the Weather Service. Several other areas in Orange County and the Inland Empire had gotten at least a quarter-inch.

Motorists were advised to slow down on the roadways during commutes: “People think they can go 70 (miles per hour) on the freeway and stop on a dime and that’s not exactly possible,” Stewart said.

The forecasters said a slight reprieve could come in the late morning before heavy rain returns in the afternoon. The storm was anticipated to linger into Wednesday morning but mostly clear up by Wednesday afternoon.

Snowfall was expected to stay above the 7,500-foot level for most of the day, but could get as low as 6,500 feet overnight, forecasters said. The peaks could collect upward of two feet of snow.

The Grapevine could get a “dusting” of snow overnight, Stewart said.

Wind gusts along the Orange County coast and in the Inland Empire could hit 45 miles per hour on Tuesday, said Casey Oswant, a Weather Service meteorologist. In the mountains, gusts could reach 70 miles per hour.

Just after 8 a.m., Knott’s Berry Farm announced it would close for the day.

“With the soil getting moist with the rains, that’s a concern for trees to fall over, especially shallow-rooted trees,” Oswant said.

Flash-flood advisories were in place through much of Orange County and for the coastal slopes of the San Bernardino Mountains as consistent, moderate rain continued to fall, Oswant said. A flood watch was in place for the Apple and El Dorado fire burn-scar areas in the Inland Empire, and for the Silverado and Bond fire burn-scar areas in Orange County.

By 9 a.m. Tuesday, a mandatory evacuation order was issued by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department for Silverado, Williams and Modjeska canyons in the Bond fire burn-scar area. Roads leading into each of those three areas were closed.

The Library of the Canyons as well as a vote center at the facility were also closed as part of the evacuation order. An evacuation center was available at the Norman P. Murray Community and Senior Center in Mission Viejo.

Also Tuesday morning, Yucaipa police announced an evacuation warning for neighborhoods near the Apple and El Dorado fire burn scars because of potential debris flows.

Another area of concern was the Fish Fire impact area, which led the city of Duarte to issue mandatory evacuations for 25 homes on Monday night, Nov. 7, through Tuesday, officials said.

Some cities, like Monrovia and Costa Mesa, have offered sandbags for residents to prepare for the heaviest rains; they are filled up and ready to go in Monrovia, while in Costa Mesa shovels will be provided. The Riverside County Fire Department is offering empty sandbags to residents at most fire stations.

In the Long Beach, residents of the peninsula and Alamitos Bay areas should prepare for potential flooding, city officials said. Sand was available at fire stations on Elm Street, Artesia Boulevard, Adriatic Avenue and Eliot Avenue, officials said. Sandbags were available at all fire stations with residents asked to bring their own shovels.

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