Blizzards on the mountain tops, drizzle in the deserts floods close to coastal cities and reports of dusting snow on the Hollywood Sign. These are just a few examples of the strange weather patterns in California that have been happening during the weekend storm which began to develop in the last few days.
Perhaps the most notable historic blizzard alert was still in effect in regions of Southern California, including in the Los Angeles region.
The distinctive climate highlights the distinct geographical features of Southern California, which includes large cities with beaches along the coast, immense mountain ranges, and huge deserts a few minutes away towards the East.
NEWS Blizzard alerts remain in California severe storms expected across Texas, Oklahoma: Weekend weather
A blizzard in Southern California
However, the weather was not what you would expect this weekend.
The snow was accumulating on the slopes that border cities like Los Angeles and San Diego. The storm temporarily shut down Los Angeles County beaches. In the northern part, the beaches around Santa Cruz near the San Francisco Bay Area witnessed some snow. Yosemite National Park was closed until March 1 due to the cold winter weather.
The National Weather Service warned travelers of the possibility of snowfall in areas that typically don’t have snow.
“Areas in the Inland Empire near Fontana, Rialto, and Devore have now picked up more snow this winter than New York City and Philadelphia,” the National Weather Service in San Diego tweeted on Saturday.
Even the desert oasis Palm Springs was bracing for an unusually cold and cold and windy weekend of drizzle within the Coachella Valley.
“This is probably the strangest winter we’ve had yet,” said Mindy Kelley who has lived with her family in Palm Springs for 25 years. “The chill and the winds together aren’t like anything we’ve felt here that I can remember.”
What’s the outlook for the weekend?
Southern California will continue to be impacted by “significant impacts” on Saturday due to the severe storm that struck the region The National Weather Service said.
The mountain elevations are expected to see heavy snowfall, with the possibility of disruptions to transportation and infrastructure and infrastructure, with a potential for power lines and trees to be damaged according to the weather service.
There is a chance of blizzards due to the strong winds that prevail in mountainous areas and rivers are in danger of flooding.
“Temperatures will be well below normal over much of the region with sub-freezing morning lows likely along the coasts of Oregon, northern California, and central California,” the weather service added.
Blizzard-related warnings — including the first ever for the mountain regions including Big Bear, Lake Arrowhead, and Wrightwood and another for mountain ranges in Los Angeles and Ventura counties and Ventura counties afternoon. A winter storm alert remains in force in these regions until the end of the weekend.
The western states of the United States will also experience storms that impact the state during the weekend according to the weather service areas that are located in Texas and Kansas likely to be struck by “widespread showers, thunderstorms and isolated to scattered severe storms.”
Warning lifted on flooding for areas of Los Angeles
The weather service warned of flash flooding in areas of Los Angeles with lower elevations overnight such as the downtown area of L.A., Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and surrounding suburbs.
The flash floods did strike the nearby Ventura County early Saturday, where as much as 7 inches of water fell, however, by six a.m. Saturday the weather service announced the heavy rains in both counties were over and flash floods were no longer believed to be a concern even though the region was still subject to the watch of flooding.
Downtown Los Angeles had 2.29 inches of rain at the close of Friday, making it the wettest day in February since 2003 according to AccuWeather.
In the past, the storm caused snow as high to the Hollywood Sign, mudslides in some areas, and evacuation warnings in Ventura County.
On Saturday, a portion of Interstate 5 in the Los Angeles region was closed due to the impact of flooding.
The National Weather Service in Los Angeles stated that scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms could be expected throughout Saturday afternoon, with “small hail, brief heavy showers possible.”
Contributing: Amanda Lee Myers and Claire Thornton, USA TODAY; The Palm Springs Desert Sun; The Associated Press
