A winter storm predicted to bring unusually frigid temperatures and a dusting of snow to most of California by Saturday might also powder Los Angeles, while other SoCal areas face possibly more serious conditions.
“A rare Blizzard Warning has been issued for parts of Southern California (first one issued in decades),” ABC7 meteorologist Drew Tuma tweeted. “The mountains of Los Angeles and Ventura County will see wind gusts to 75 mph and 2-5 feet of snow which will make it the largest snowstorm since the 1980s.”
Though areas at sea level could see snow, it’s mostly those in regions above 1,000 feet that should grab their winter coats.
In Northern California, weather models predict a “60% to 80% chance of at least a dusting of snow along the coast north of Cape Mendocino and a 40% to 60% chance along the Mendocino Coast north of Point Arena,” the weather services Eureka predicts.
San Francisco is also under a winter weather advisory for the first time in more than a decade, and powerful winds have already toppled trees, damaged homes, and left thousands without power. As of noon Wednesday, 56,000 customers were without electricity, Pacific Gas & Electric reported.
“We’ll see rain, cold temperatures, low elevation snow, thunderstorms and gusty winds,” the weather service said in a Wednesday morning video alert. “There will be two rounds of snow showers. Round 1 begins today and will be on the lighter side. The second, more impactful one will arrive for Thursday and Friday.”
The last widespread snowfall event at sea level in the Bay Area was in 1976.
Photo via @sfchronicle’s Art Frisch. pic.twitter.com/gh2aIJTnjQ
— Colin McCarthy (@US_Stormwatch) February 21, 2023
The last significant snowfall event in the Bay Area took place in 1976. In L.A., the last flurry was in 2019 and, before that 1962, according to the Los Angeles Public Library archives.
“Now is the time to prepare for a COLD AND DANGEROUS winter storm expected for much of the week,” the National Weather Service for Los Angeles posted. “Several FEET of snow is expected in the mountains with a few inches possible as low as 1000 feet. Gusty and potentially damaging winds are also expected.”
Snow is expected in the elevated valleys and mountain passes across L.A. County on Wednesday night into Thursday. Temperatures could drop to the mid-to-upper 30s and might even leave the Hollywood Sign and some foothill communities with a dusting.
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