Evacuation orders, airport delays and mudflows marked a soggy Christmas across the state.
LOS ANGELES — A powerful winter storm swept across California on Wednesday and Thursday, dumping heavy rain from the Central Coast to San Diego, triggering flash-flood warnings and mudflows, and disrupting Christmas travel on major highways and at airports.
The system—fueled by a Pacific atmospheric river—arrived as millions were on the move for the holiday. Forecasters said the heaviest rain targeted the Los Angeles Basin and burn-scarred foothills, with another wave expected into Friday. Local officials reported swift-water rescues, debris flows and temporary evacuation orders in at-risk canyons. Air travel staggered under weather delays, and some coastal and low-lying neighborhoods faced knee-deep street flooding. The National Weather Service maintained flood watches for broad swaths of the coast and valleys as emergency responders braced for additional downpours.
Rain intensified before dawn Wednesday and continued in pulses through Christmas Day, overwhelming storm drains in parts of Los Angeles, Ventura and Orange counties. Authorities closed lanes on portions of U.S. 101 and Interstate 5 after spinouts and high-water reports. A brief tornado warning was issued for parts of east-central Los Angeles County as a strong cell moved ashore. In the mountains, downpours pounded Wrightwood and along Angeles Crest Highway, where rocks and mud pushed onto the roadway. “Many areas could see between 4 and 8 inches this week, with more in the mountains,” National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Wofford said. On the Central Coast, Santa Barbara Airport halted operations overnight because of flooding, then reopened after crews cleared standing water from runways and taxiways.
Officials in Los Angeles said evacuations were ordered for homes below recent wildfire burn scars where saturated slopes can fail with little warning. Fire crews and sheriff’s deputies reported multiple water rescues from Los Angeles to the Inland Empire as low-water crossings filled quickly. At San Francisco International Airport, a ground-delay program throttled arrivals during peak wind bursts, pushing back departure times and stranding passengers in terminals. In the South Bay and Santa Cruz Mountains, brief but intense cells triggered flash-flood warnings and prompted closures on smaller roads prone to slides. Utility companies logged scattered outages as trees toppled into lines during gusts, while public works crews staged dump trucks and loaders to clear clogged culverts and storm debris. Some foothill gauges recorded rain rates over an inch per hour, and urban forecasters warned that even brief bursts could put water into garages and ground-floor units.
The storm followed a run of wet Decembers in California and arrived during one of the busiest travel weeks of the year. State officials said burn-scar areas in Los Angeles County, including canyons that burned in January’s firestorms, remain particularly vulnerable to debris flows when rain intensifies. In Santa Barbara County, airport flooding echoed earlier shutdowns tied to past storms, underscoring low-lying vulnerabilities near Goleta Slough. Inland, mud pressed against cabins near Wrightwood while crews cleared drainage channels. The Sierra prepared for heavy snow and strong ridge-top winds, raising the risk of whiteout conditions and chain controls at passes that link Northern and Southern California. While rain eased at times Thursday, a second wave was anticipated as the moisture plume continued feeding into the coast.
By Thursday afternoon, city and county officials said damage assessments were underway in neighborhoods that saw street flooding and small mudslides. Transportation managers cautioned that highway closures could shift with new slides or standing water. Airport operators said airlines were rebuilding schedules after weather holds earlier in the day. Statewide flood watches and wind advisories extended through Friday, with forecasters monitoring rivers, creeks and tide cycles for renewed rises. Local governments outlined next steps: additional sandbag deliveries, overnight staffing for emergency operations centers, and temporary shelter space should evacuations expand. Briefings were scheduled at intervals through Friday morning as the next band of rain neared the coast.
Along the Los Angeles River, the channel ran fast and brown beneath cloud-topped bridges as cyclists stopped to watch the surge. On low streets in Ventura, residents stacked wet doormats by stoops and pumped water from garages. At a terminal gate in San Francisco, travelers napped against carry-ons while monitors flickered between delays and new departure times. “We’ve had a few scares on the hillside, but the crews came fast,” said a Wrightwood resident whose street collected mud and branches. In Santa Barbara, ground crews in reflective vests walked shoulder to shoulder across a cleared runway as a regional jet taxied to the gate under a gray ceiling.
As of late Thursday, flood watches remained in effect for parts of the coast and valleys, with forecasters expecting additional bands of rain into Friday. Crews planned overnight patrols in canyons and along riverbeds. The next statewide update was expected Friday morning.
Author note: Last updated December 25, 2025.