LOS ANGELES (CNS) – A tire shop caught fire today in a tire shop in the
Mount Washington area, a fire official said.

SAN DIEGO (CNS) – SeaWorld’s penguins got a sneak preview of their
tuxedoed brethren today when they were treated to a special screening of the
first trailer for Jim Carrey’s new movie, “Mr. Popper’s Penguins.’

PASADENA (CNS) – An odor originally thought to be from a natural gas
leak prompted the closure today of Willard Elementary School in Pasadena,
authorities said.

LOS ANGELES (CNS) – A new Pacific storm will slam into the Southland
today, bringing another round of rain, heavy snow, high winds, cold
temperatures and perilous road conditions, forecasters said.
The system that generated Wednesday’s rainfall has left the region, but
a cold and unstable air mass still lurking behind it will bring a threat of
showers through this morning, according to the National Weather Service.
Then, another storm will hit the region, bringing rain and mountain snow
to San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties this afternoon and to Ventura
and Los Angeles counties tonight, NWS forecasters said.
The new storm will bring between a half-inch and an inch of rain across
most coastal and valley areas and between one and two inches to foothill and
mountain regions at low elevations, they said. Even more rain will fall on
slopes facing the south and southwest.
The snow level will start off low today — between 3,000 and 3,500 feet
this morning — then rise to around 4,500 feet this afternoon and to between
5,000 and 6,000 feet tonight, according to NWS forecasters.
Above 5,000 feet, there could be between six inches and a foot of new
snow, with up to 15 inches possible at higher elevations, they said.
A winter storm warning — denoting an expectation of heavy snow, high
winds and dense fog, all combining to reduce road visibility to nothing — will
be in effect from 6 p.m. today until at least 9 Friday morning in the mountains
of Los Angeles County, except the Santa Monica range, according to an NWS
advisory.
“Only travel in an emergency’ while the warning is in effect, the
advisory said. “If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food and water
in your vehicle…’
On Friday, a high surf advisory will go into effect along the
Southland’s coast at 2 a.m. and remain in force until 8 a.m. Saturday,
according to the NWS.
“Strong rip currents and high surf will make ocean activities
potentially dangerous for anyone,’ according to an NWS advisory.
Then, on Saturday, yet another storm will douse Southern California, but
it will produce less precipitation than today’s system, the NWS said.
The NWS forecast highs today of 45 on Mount Wilson; 54 in Palmdale; 55
in Lancaster; 56 in Pasadena, San Gabriel and Newhall; 57 in Burbank; 58 in
Woodland Hills; 59 in Avalon and Newport Beach; 60 at LAX; and 61 in downtown
L.A., Long Beach and Anaheim.