Storm brings rain and wintery conditions to California

Dec. 15 (UPI) -- A sweeping storm system is dousing California with torrents of rain fall and bringing winter conditions to other parts of the state.

The National Weather Service said that Southern California is at risk for flash flooding through Friday as a "moderately strong" atmospheric river brings heavy rain to the area. Lower elevations could see an additional two to six inches of rainfall, which the service said created flooding concerns for the Bobcat burn scar in the San Gabriel Mountains near Monrovia.

"Given the potential for flash flooding in the highly urbanized Los Angeles and San Diego metro areas and debris flows over burn scarred areas, the Weather Prediction Center has issued a Slight Risk of Excessive Rainfall for portions of southern California through Wednesday morning," the service said.

The National Weather Service Los Angeles office said Tuesday that rainfall broke previous records. Los Angeles International Airport saw 1.29 inches of rain, shattering the previous record of 0.38 inches set in 1993. The service said the rain was much-needed after a dry summer.

But the rains brought treacherous conditions. The Orange County Fire Authority has already reported flash floods in the Silverado Canyon.

Elsewhere, the service said the Sierra Nevada mountain range could see over five feet of snow making travel "extremely difficult to impossible."

"Sure, you've heard of 'Elf on the Shelf', but how about 'Fountain on the Mountain'?" the service said on Twitter.

The National Weather Service Sacramento office has issued a winter storm warning for surrounding areas through Thursday warning of major travel delays and possible whiteout conditions. Some areas will see as much as 60 inches of snow, according to the service.