Rain On The Red Carpet: High Wind, “Very Heavy” Downpour Expected Sunday For Grammys; Flood Watch Issued

Tom Tapp
·3 min read

UPDATED on Friday: The national weather service has updated its forecast for this weekend’s storm and, if accurate, it could make for a very messy Grammys night.

The 66th Grammy Awards will take place this Sunday beginning at 5 p.m. PT at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. That timing coincides with what the National Weather Service expects will be rain of “very heavy” intensity.

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The amount of rain forecast in Downtown L.A. where the event takes place has risen slightly from just above 5 inches to about 5.25 inches. The most intense rainfall is expected to peak Sunday afternoon into Monday, with a 20% chance of thunderstorms and 18-24 hours of continuous rain through Tuesday. a flood watch issued from 1 a.m. Sunday to 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Potentially even more significant than the increased rainfall is that the storm is expected to bring wind with gusts to 35 mph in Downtown L.A. and much higher in other areas.

The weather has already caused the closure of one local venue: Santa Anita Park has canceled
all racing scheduled for Sunday.

PREVIOUSLY on Thursday: Blame it on the rain.

That’s the title of a track that helped win Milli Vanilli their (later revoked) Best New Artist Grammy in 1990. It may turn out the be the theme song for Grammy night 2024, as well.

According to the National Weather Service, a storm system is expected to reach Southern California on Saturday night into Sunday, beginning a “lengthy storm cycle” that could bring five inches of rain to Downtown L.A., where the Grammys are being held.

The 66th Grammy Awards will take place this Sunday beginning at 5 p.m. PT at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. That timing coincides with what the National Weather Service expects will be rain of “very heavy” intensity.

The red carpet starts much earlier. Expect umbrellas to be the night’s hottest accessory.

Of course, rain is not unheard of at red carpet events in Los Angeles. In 2023, the Oscars and the Golden Globes saw some precipitation. While event organizers had both red carpets tented, Globes goers endured flooding that made for what the Associated Press called a “soggy red carpet.”

The red carpet arrival area for the 80th Golden Globe Awards on Jan. 9, 2023. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
The red carpet arrival area for the 80th Golden Globe Awards on Jan. 9, 2023. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Even if all goes well on the red carpet, it may be difficult getting there.

“Significant hydrologic issues are a strong possibility next week, including rock and mud slides in the mountains and flooding of small streams and rivers,” according to a NWS forecast earlier in the week. “And based on the latest ensembles, some chances for flooding of the larger rivers and streams.”

In a city where a heavy mist can cause wrecks all across town, real rain could create significant traffic issues for Grammy attendees, both before the show and on the way to the afterparties.

Deadline has reached out to the Recording Academy for comment and will update this story if one is received.

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