More storms to batter Southland

The new round of storms was expected to begin about 6 tonight, bringing up to 5 inches of rain to Los Angeles County, up to 3 inches in Orange County and up to 8 inches in Riverside and San Bernardino counties by Monday morning.

"The ground is already saturated with water, so this new rainfall will just hit the ground and start running," said Stuart Seto, a weather specialist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.

In two backcountry avalanches Friday, snow tore loose from slopes near the Mountain High ski resort in the San Gabriel Mountains. One avalanche killed Michael McKay, 23, an off-duty member of the resort's ski patrol.

In the second avalanche, skier Darren Coffey, 33, also a veteran ski patrol member, was found in grave condition halfway up the slope late Friday evening after an intensive search.

Rescue crews were also searching for two other missing skiers who may have been trapped in yet another avalanche.

In each case, the victims were skiing off-trail, authorities said.

The first incident occurred at noon, when three skiers were caught in an avalanche in Government Canyon just outside the resort, which is near Wrightwood.

"Two of the people walked, but the man was still trapped and it took L.A. County search and rescue and ski patrol to find him," said Tim Wessel, a division chief for the San Bernardino County Fire Department.

Karl Kapuscinski, president of Mountain High, said the skier was trapped in 10 to 12 feet of snow.

Rescuers, guided by his avalanche beacon, worked for an hour to recover him and get him down the mountain. McKay was pronounced dead at Desert Valley Medical Center, hospital spokeswoman Jana Retes said.

Kapuscinski said McKay and his companions were experienced skiers "who know what they are doing. They know the risks in those areas." He said McKay was "a well-liked member of the Mountain High family. It is pretty tough for everyone."

About 90 minutes after the first avalanche, a second at Sawmill Canyon, just outside the resort, trapped three more skiers, he said. "The first walked out immediately. The second was found sometime later."