A slow-moving winter storm will strengthen in California on Friday, weather forecasters said, a day after it blanketed large swathes of the West with snow and a mix of winter… interrupting travel along several major arteries.
Heavy snowfall combined with strong winds will create blizzards over high terrain and mountain passes, including in the Sierra Nevada and Transverse Range in Southern California, The National Weather Service said early Friday.
While winter weather begins in some areas on Thursday, the highest likelihood of rain, heavy snowfall and strong winds in the southern part of the state will follow on Friday. Rain can fall several inches along coasts and valleys, and the heaviest snow, up to 7 feet high, can fall 4,500 feet above sea level. Areas between 2,500 and 4,500 feet are expected to see up to a foot of snow. Wind gusts of 60 to 75 mph will also play a factor throughout the day.
Earlier Friday, more than 109,000 customers in California, mostly in the northern part of the state, lost power, according to PowerOutage.us.
Millions of people in the West, mainly in California and Nevada, are being warned for winter weather, and the Weather Service has issued a rare blizzard warning for the mountains of Los Angeles, Ventura, and California counties. Santa Barbara and San Bernardino until Saturday afternoon.
The storm damaged major traffic arteries, causing closures, warnings for high winds and advice for motorists to use chains on their tyres.
A section of Interstate 80 was closed due to poor visibility between Colfax and the Nevada state line, a distance of about 95 miles, according to reports. Transportation facilities.
Sections of Interstate 5, a major north-south route that runs from the Mexican border to Canada, have been closed in areas in Shiskiyou and Shasta counties in the northern part of the state. Grapevine, a 40-mile stretch of I-5 from northern Los Angeles County to Kern County, was closed Friday morning, and the government said There is no estimated time when it might reopen.
“This blizzard warning is something our community is not used to hearing,” said Jackie Ruiz, public information officer for the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management. She said the county’s message was simple: “If you don’t have to go out, stay home.”
In Santa Cruz County, the government advises against travel. It said snow and ice were making travel “extremely difficult” along many roads and at higher elevations in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
On Thursday, the storm crippled parts of Oregon, leaving motorists stranded for hours while driving. others give up their means On the side of the road. Travel disruption continued early Friday with Oregon Department of Transportation closing notice along at least three highways. On Wednesday, the storm produced 10.8 inches of snow in Portland, giving the city its second-most snowy day ever on record, weather forecasters there tweeted. Many colleges, universities, and school districts will remain closed on friday.
Snowfall also causes dangerous road conditions in Wyomingresulted in the closure of roads along the southern part of the state.
The West Coast can be one of the most unpredictable places in the country because of the lack of observations over the Pacific Ocean and the intensity of the storm leaving many people — including forecasters — surprise.
Mark Pestrella, director of the Department of Public Works in Los Angeles County, said officials are urging residents in northern parts of the county to shelter in place starting Friday as roads are expected to be closed across the county. over the weekend, and to be “basically ready for a snow day,” which is rare and enjoyable, can still be dangerous.
“This is not a weekend to go to the beach,” he said. “What we’re really recommending is people try to hold on tight and let it snow, then we can go outside.”
“Everything is adding up for a major snow event,” said Andrew Rorke, senior forecaster with the Weather Services office in Los Angeles.
Rorke said a person standing in downtown Los Angeles could see the 10,600-foot peak that usually has snow on it. By Saturday, that snow will extend further down the mountain, more snow than a typical winter storm.
But don’t expect the Hollywood sign to be lost in a snow-covered hillside.
“The Hollywood hills are saved from the snow, but the San Gabriels behind the Hollywood sign certainly aren’t,” said Mr. Rorke. (Weather Service Office in Los Angeles then confirm That snow or graupel, which looks a bit like hail and has a soft and wet texture, was seen falling on Thursday morning near where the sign was located.)
In the Sierra Nevada, the ice is ready above average at this time of year and more snow is forecast. Although snow is nothing new to the area, weather forecasters in Reno, Nev., have called it a major storm that will disrupt travel.
“While we cannot say with certainty that there will be road closures, nor do we have any control over this, past events have certainly caused adverse effects. similar motion,” forecasters said.
There is also a high risk of avalanches across the Sierra Nevada on Friday, according to Avalanche Forecast Center.
This won’t be the last winter storm to hit the area; Forecasters from all of the Weather Service offices in California are predicting another storm early next week.
