As one storm subsides, another will bring much-needed rain to SoCal and snow to Sierra

As one storm subsides across California, another is on its way, bringing much needed rain to parts of Southern California and heavy snow to the Sierra Nevada.

Most of the rain had fallen in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, according to the National Weather Service in Oxnard.

Downtown L.A. received a tenth of an inch, according to preliminary rainfall data from the weather service that was published at 5:25 p.m. Friday. No other area of Los Angeles received more than about a third of an inch of rain.

The San Fernando Valley received more precipitation, with Porter Ranch getting 1.24 inches, Northridge getting 0.64 inches and Van Nuys getting 0.34 inches.

The vast majority of L.A. County had received less than a half-inch of rain as of Friday evening, the weather service said.

Though the area could see some rainfall over the weekend, forecasters expect most of the precipitation to stay north in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, said David Gomberg, a meteorologist with the weather service in Oxnard.

Between Friday night and Sunday, most areas of L.A. County should see up to a third of an inch of rain, Gomberg said. Some mountainous areas could see up to one-half inch.

Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties will see the wettest conditions, with 2 to 4 inches of rain in store for the weekend, according to the weather service.

Winter has not yet officially begun, but Los Angeles is “off to a good start” for above-normal precipitation for December, the weather service’s Oxnard bureau said in a tweet.

Meanwhile, the storm blasted through the Sierra Nevada on Thursday, bringing heavy snow, rain, road closures and gusty winds, according to the weather service.

The UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab recorded a storm total of about 20 inches, officials said. Dodge Ridge reported 24 inches at the summit and 20 inches at the base. Soda Springs and Kirkwood ski resorts recorded about 20 inches, while King Vale ski resort recorded about a foot.

At least 16 ski resorts reported some trails open and various lifts operating early Friday morning, including Mammoth Mountain, Bear Mountain and Sugar Bowl.

The Sacramento Valley and foothills received at least half an inch of rain on Thursday, with the upper foothills getting about 2½ inches in some areas, according to the weather service. Rainfall totals in downtown Sacramento were 0.56 inches, while Paradise recorded 2.40 inches and Shasta Dam, 1.16 inches.

Though Friday will be dry, a second storm is expected to hit the Sierra early Saturday morning, said Katrina Hand with the National Weather Service in Sacramento. A storm watch is in effect over the Shasta County mountains, the southern Cascade Mountains and the Sierra on Friday evening through late Sunday. The heaviest amounts are expected Saturday afternoon through Sunday afternoon above 4,000 feet elevation, Hand said.

Snow levels are expected to start off near pass levels on Saturday but fall to 4,000 to 5,000 feet by Sunday and Monday, meteorologists said.