Storm Drops Up to 2 Inches in L.A.'s Mountains as Big Surf Peaks Saturday and More Rain Lines Up for Next Week

Bel Air, Santa Monica and LAX got the most rain in the city, a High Surf Advisory brings 8- to 12-foot waves and possible coastal flooding around Saturday's late-morning high tide, and forecasters see light rain Monday before a stronger storm midweek.

By Herald Staff · Nov. 14, 2026, 8:00 AM ET

Large white waves break against the concrete pilings of the Manhattan Beach Pier, sending spray into the air beside the red-tiled roundhouse at the end of the pier under a clear blue sky. — Heavy surf pounds the Manhattan Beach Pier during a December 2007 storm. A High Surf Advisory calls for 8- to 12-foot waves on Los Angeles County beaches Saturday. Photo: jakers3200 (cropped) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (license).

LOS ANGELES — The first storm of what forecasters have called a week-long "storm train" moved out of Southern California on Saturday morning, leaving half an inch to nearly an inch of rain across much of the Los Angeles basin and more than 2 inches in the San Gabriel Mountains. Skies are expected to clear by afternoon, but the weekend's biggest story is now at the beach, where a powerful west-northwest swell is peaking and sending seawater toward low-lying parking lots and bike paths around the late-morning high tide.

How Much Rain Fell

Preliminary two-day totals through 4 a.m. Saturday, published in a National Weather Service precipitation summary, show the Westside got the most rain in the city. Bel Air recorded 0.90 of an inch, Santa Monica Airport 0.88, Culver City 0.78 and Los Angeles International Airport 0.66. Downtown Los Angeles measured 0.50 of an inch, Long Beach Airport 0.54 and Beverly Hills 0.40.

The San Fernando Valley was much drier. Van Nuys picked up 0.27 of an inch and Burbank only 0.10. In the San Gabriel Valley, Morris Dam topped 1.15 inches and Alhambra had 0.62. Mountain gauges came in highest: Opids Camp in the San Gabriels measured 2.14 inches and San Gabriel Dam 2.01. In the Santa Monica Mountains, the Lechuza fire station above Malibu recorded 1.39 inches.

The storm brought problems along with the rain. Thunder was reported overnight Thursday into Friday, including in Santa Monica, where an unknown number of customers lost power, and floodwater stranded several vehicles, including at least one big rig, on Harry Bridges Boulevard in Wilmington, MyNewsLA reported. That road is a detour route while the Vincent Thomas Bridge is closed. County Supervisor Janice Hahn called on Caltrans to find another detour, saying in a statement quoted by the outlet that "we cannot keep sending commuters through a route that is flooding."

In its Saturday morning forecast discussion, the weather service said scattered showers would end by afternoon, with less than a quarter inch of additional rain and no significant flooding expected. Highs Saturday should reach the mid-60s to low 70s, rising a couple of degrees on a dry Sunday.

Surf Peaks Today

A series of very large, long-period swells is hitting the coast, and the weather service expects the surf to peak Saturday. A High Surf Advisory for the Malibu coast and Los Angeles County beaches calls for breaking waves of 8 to 12 feet Saturday, easing to 5 to 9 feet Sunday through Tuesday. The advisory runs until 3 p.m. Tuesday. Ventura County beaches could see 8 to 14 feet, with sets up to 15 feet near Ventura Harbor.

A Coastal Flood Advisory is in effect from 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday for Los Angeles and Ventura county beaches. Forecasters said moderate flooding of seawater is likely in some low-lying areas that are normally dry, "including over beach parking lots, bike paths, and harbor walkways," along with moderate to significant beach erosion. The surf zone forecast puts high tide on L.A. County beaches at 10:49 a.m., at 5 feet.

The weather service warned of dangerous rip currents, strong longshore currents, possible sneaker waves and heavy shore break. It urged people to stay out of the water or near occupied lifeguard towers, to keep off rock jetties and not to drive around barricades or through water of unknown depth.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health also has an ocean water-quality rain advisory in effect through at least 8 a.m. Monday. It advises beachgoers to avoid contact with the water, especially near storm drains, creeks and rivers, because runoff can raise bacteria levels.

Next Up: Monday, Then a Bigger Midweek Storm

The break will be short. Forecasters expect another cold front to sweep through Sunday night through Monday night, but they call it "not too impressive," with a quarter inch of rain or less. Snow levels could drop to about 5,000 feet Monday evening, enough for a possible dusting in the mountains. There is also a 30% to 40% chance of advisory-level northwest winds Monday night, especially along the Interstate 5 corridor. A second swell could push surf back up on Monday.

Tuesday should be dry and cool, with highs in the 60s along the coast and in the valleys. The storm to watch comes Wednesday into Thursday. Forecasters have high confidence that measurable rain will fall, though they are less sure about timing. Deterministic models show 1 to 2 inches, and the foothills could get more if southerly winds wring extra moisture out of the system. "Of course, a lot could change between now and then," the forecast discussion cautioned.

Original reporting by The Los Angeles Herald, drawing on the National Weather Service in Los Angeles/Oxnard (forecast discussion, precipitation summary, coastal hazard message and surf zone forecast) and MyNewsLA, as linked above.