Storm system lingers over Southern California on Easter

Southern California experienced on-and-off rain on Easter Sunday, with some beaches briefly closed because of lightning strikes and a chance of thunderstorms forecast through the night.

A flood watch was in effect until 6 p.m. Sunday for Los Angeles County, with a high surf advisory at the county's beaches until 9 p.m.

Shortly after 1:30 p.m., the city of Laguna Beach issued an announcement that beaches would be closed due to a lightning storm; they reopened once it passed.

Several daily rainfall records were set on Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.

Downtown Los Angeles set a record with 1.73 inches, breaking the record of 1.27 inches in 1946. LAX received 1.87 inches, surpassing 1946's .86 inches. Long Beach Airport set a record with 1.86 inches, breaking the record of .24 inches set in 1978. Palmdale and Lancaster also set records with 1.12 inches and 1.08 inches, respectively.

In Orange County, Anaheim set a record with 1.40 inches, compared to 0.03 in 2008.

Inland, Riverside's record on Saturday was 0.84, toppling 0.60 in 1946, and San Jacinto's rainfall hit 0.95, up from the .40 record set in 1982.

Sunday's rainfall totals were expected to be highly variable, according to the NWS, with many areas receiving an additional 0.25 to 0.50 inches, and a chance of some small areas receiving up to an additional inch if a strong thunderstorm passes overhead.

Snow levels were expected to remain in the 4,500- to 5,500-foot range, with an additional 6 to 12 inches likely above 5,000 or 6,000 feet.

The rain led to flooding and street closures in some areas and some power outages on Saturday.

The city of Los Angeles temporarily closed the Sepulveda Basin around midday Saturday. The closure spanned Burbank Boulevard between Balboa Boulevard and the 405 Freeway, and on Woodley Avenue from Victory to Burbank Boulevard.

Also closed for the duration of the storm was the on-ramp to the southbound 5 Freeway from Lankershim Boulevard in Sun Valley, where Caltrans crews were installing three extra pumps to prevent the highway from flooding.

Caltrans said the freeway remained open through the Grapevine on Sunday, but drivers should expect rain and high winds over the summit.

In Long Beach, a 20-foot Eucalyptus tree uprooted and fell on a house on E. Allington Street early Sunday, ABC7 reported. The roof was heavily damaged, but no injuries were reported.

In Fullerton, a black Nissan Altima was found 90% submerged in a ditch off the Orange (57) Freeway and Chapman Avenue at 10:06 a.m. Saturday.

The person who reported the incident said the sedan spun out and went off the right shoulder into a ditch. There was no one inside the car when first responders arrived.

A chain link fence was damaged and the car was facing sideways in the ditch.

The CHP said the owner wanted to see the car for herself, and that she understood there would be no attempt to recover it until the weather improved.