While some Los Angeles communities felt a break in the storm as it slowly drifted eastward by mid-afternoon, the powerful rain and heavy winds of this morning are expected to resume in much of Southern California throughout the day and into the evening.

As of noon, the rain had moved northeast of Burbank and along the Santa Barbara coast. It was heaviest in San Bernardino County, where the Barstow area was pummeled.

Flash-flood watches are still in effect for Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. Showers are in the forecast for much of the week.

This morning, driving conditions were hazardous and several freeways were snarled due to flooding or early morning crashes. While roads were much clearer than normal because schools and many businesses are closed during this holiday week, they also resulted in drivers traveling at higher speeds.

Meanwhile, police blocked off access to the Sepulveda Basin, as water near the intersection of the San Diego (405) and Hollywood (101) freeways was rising rapidly. Also flooding was the McClure Tunnel on the eastbound Santa Monica (10) Freeway, resulting in lane closures.

The area’s drenching this morning was the result of a tropical flow that has kept temperatures moderate and the snow levels above 6,000 feet. Snow is falling heavily at Big Bear and other ski resorts in the area. Snow levels are expected to fall to 5,000 feet later today.

As of early Tuesday morning, only limited power interruptions were reported, mostly concentrated in coastal communities.

As much as 12 inches of rain was forecast in the mountains above Santa Barbara and several inches in the coastal valleys. The National Weather Service is forecasting the steady rain to turn to showers later today, lasting through much of the week. Forecasters expect New Year’s Day to be partly cloudy and dry, with temperatures in the low to mid 60s.

Before today’s storm, Los Angeles had a season total of 5.39 inches of rain, well above the normal 3.47 inches.