Los Angeles herald., 1909-02-12
DOWNPOUR FAR
FROM WELCOME
SOAKED GROUND UNABLE TO
ABSORB 1T
Heavy Snow in Mountains, Coupled
with Warm Winds, Transforms
Modest Streams Into Wildly
Roaring Torrents

Rainfall for "a hours, to 5 o'clock yes
terday, 1.19 inches.
Rainfall for entire season, to O'Clock
Yesterday 1925 inches.
Rainfall last season to same date, 1851
Inches.
Over fifteen inches of rain for the
season had been recorded at the local
weather bureau up to o'clock yester-
day afternoon. The 1.19 inches report
edly has been passed by this time. The
119 inches reported before closing last
ed before closing last night probably
has reached two inches by this morn
ing.
Almost without intermission the rain
continued to fall yesterday, swelling
streams, interfering with traffic and
causing much damage. The rain-soak-
ed ground refused to absorb the
abundant downpour which ran through
the streets, causing much difficulty TO
pedestrians at the crossings and
swelling the streams, which sent their
muddy torrents hurrying to the sea.
The Los Angeles-Pacific Short Line
was interfered with and the Pacific
Electric was embarrassed at several
points The rain was accompanied by
winds which We're reported as severe
out at sea, causing considerable annoy
ance to ocean traffic. The storm warn
ing was sent out Wednesday by order
of the San Francisco office, and sea
captains made for safety where any
port Of refuge was at hand. The
steamer Hermosa, which set out
with a party of Elks for Catalina re-
turned to San Pedro on account of the
threatening condition Of the weather
in the channel.
More rain for today and tonight, and
a possibility of unsettled weather to-
morrow is the cheerful prospect held
out by the local weather bureau as a
warning to the deniZens of Los Angeles
to continue to take shelter under UNI
brella and rain coat.
The storm which swept down on Los
Angeles Wednesday night came from
off the northern coast of California and
is independent of that which passed
over the North Pacific states Tuesday
and Wednesday. Already the seasonal
average of 1854 inches for Los Angeles
has been exceeded.
The first snowfall bulletin issued by
Section Director Alexander G. McAdie
of San Francisco for 1909 gives inter-
esting figures, showing that the recent
falls have been unusually severe. At
Summit, in Placer county, 299 inches
fell up to January 81, SURPRISING the
fall of last season by 1876 inches and
being the heaviest for many years past
At Idyllwild the seasons snowfall is
"a inches, being Is inches in excess Of
last seasons record to date. Nellie,
where the snowfall is always light, re-
ports total for the season of Is inches
At Bear Valley the snow is unusually
deep, the total fall being 1865 inches.
Fresno reports deep snow on the sur
rounding mountains and Yosemite re-
cords Sc inches. Eight to ten inches
are recorded on the mountains around
Los Angeles at an altitude of 5000 feet
The prevalence of warm south winds
during the month of January playing
on the deep snow fields of the noun
tain regions caused them to melt rapid
ly and accounts for the swollen condi-
ton of all the streams and rivers
throughout the state. Notwithstand-
ing this there is still deep snow at the
high attitudes.
An almost unprecedented series of
showers since the first of the year has
helped to wash the snow down into
the streams and has added to their
vnllIn1o.