Overview
- National Weather Service teams confirmed an EF-0 tornado in Boyle Heights on Christmas Day with peak winds near 80 mph and a path about a third of a mile long, with no injuries reported.
- Debris flows in mountain communities such as Wrightwood and Lytle Creek buried cars and damaged homes, prompting evacuation warnings and a major firefighting presence.
- Los Angeles County crews rescued more than 100 people during the storm, including 21 airlifted from stranded vehicles, as outages and road closures complicated response efforts.
- At least four storm-related deaths were reported statewide, while two Mammoth Mountain ski patrollers were injured in an avalanche during mitigation work and the resort paused operations to address hazards.
- Forecasters expect a short dry window followed by gusty Santa Ana winds that could topple saturated trees, then a weaker system bringing additional rain around New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.