A winter storm in California set several records: even the Hollywood sign was covered with snow

A winter storm brought heavy snow to Los Angeles, even covering the iconic Hollywood sign. Writes about it with the BBC.

Photo: IStock

San Francisco has broken a 132-year low temperature record as it dropped to 24 Fahrenheit (+39 Celsius) on Friday, February 3,8.

Los Angeles County, the nation's most populous, issued its first blizzard warning since February 4, 1989. Already on February 25, a record amount of rain fell at Los Angeles International Airport - 1,23 inches (3,12 cm), writes The New York Times.

In the Central Valley, the city of Hanford recorded 24 inches (2,7 cm) of rain on February 6,85, the most since precipitation records began to be kept there in 1899.

Tens of millions of people in the state are under blizzard, wind and flood warnings.

The storms left nearly a million homes without electricity.

☃️❄️?It's that time!!! Gina Bartoo snapped this up in Castella, CA. About 40 miles north of Redding…"it's like a blizzard!" Snow is here in Shasta County#Snow #CaliforniaSnow #California @KRCR7 https://t.co/0Ymr1FOVVR pic.twitter.com/tAvTaHeDVU

— Dylan Brown (@dylantbrown) February 24, 2023

The storm turned into a blizzard and closed two important arteries linking Southern California with the rest of the state through crossings in the Tehachapi Mountains. Both roads, Interstate 5 and Highway 58, were closed for several hours on Feb. 24 after several inches of snow fell.

“It basically shut down all travel into Southern California,” said Bill South, a weather service specialist in the Central Valley, in a phone interview before dawn on Saturday, Feb. 25. “There is a highway along the coast, but it will add four to six hours to your journey.”

On the subject: How to protect yourself during snowfall and ice

Los Angeles, a city known for its palm trees and sun-drenched boulevards, was under a storm warning for the first time in more than three decades. On February 24, residents marveled at the unusual sight of a snow swirl around the Hollywood sign on Mount Lee.

Meanwhile, on the other side of Los Angeles, flooding has blocked and flooded several vehicles. Officials have warned of widespread flooding in areas across the county.

The National weather service in Los Angeles California has issued a flash flood
warning.#California #LosAngeles #Californiastorm #californiablizzard #CaliforniaSnow #storm#rain #WinterStorm pic.twitter.com/9omDgrULQD

— Anil Kumar Verma (@AnilKumarVerma_) February 25, 2023

A flash flood warning is still in effect for the cities of Los Angeles, Glendale and Santa Clarita, as well as a small number of warnings further north along the coast. Hundreds of thousands of Californians have been warned of "freezes".

Meteorologists expect even more snow in the mountains on Saturday, February 25, and thunderstorms in the valleys that could flood many roads, cause hail, tornadoes and power outages.

February 24,2023
California ⛄️ snow pic.twitter.com/PGWesG9d6P

— Jayne Potvin (@Fisherlady111) February 24, 2023

The National Weather Service (NWS) warned that "significant snowfall in the mountains will occur from the evening of Feb. 24 to the morning of Feb. 25, severely impacting travel and infrastructure."

“There may be downed trees and downed power lines. At lower elevations, heavy snowfall is possible over areas that do not normally receive snow,” the department said.

The NWS has warned swimmers at the state's famous beaches to beware of "strong rip currents and high surf."

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Upland communities are expected to experience 2 to 7 feet (60 cm to 2,1 m) of snowfall. Avalanche warnings have been issued in some areas. According to the Sierra Avalanche Center, on Saturday, February 25, there is a high risk of avalanches in the Sierra Nevada in the morning.

Some weather forecasters in the vicinity of Los Angeles recorded a thunderous snowfall. A rare occurrence - a combination of lightning and a blizzard - sometimes accompanies severe winter storms.

Other parts of California that will see rare snow coverage include the Mojave Desert, Santa Clarita Valley and Inland Empire.

California isn't Californianing.
We may have to change the name to Canadafornia. pic.twitter.com/pnNWadnTYW

— Tabatha Marshal ???? ♥️ (@Tabathamarshal) February 25, 2023

The United States and other countries are already seeing an increase in the frequency of heavy rainfall as the world warms. The frequency is likely to increase as warming continues, in part because warmer air holds more moisture.

On Thursday, Feb. 23, a hurricane paralyzed parts of Oregon, leaving some drivers trapped for hours while others abandoned their cars on the side of the road. At least three highways in the state were closed.

However, Portland, Oregon had one of the snowiest days on record.

The West Coast may be among the toughest places in the country to predict weather due to a lack of Pacific Ocean observations, and the intensity of the latest storm caught many people, including forecasters, by surprise.

But forecasters across California already know one thing: the storm won't be the last this winter, because another is expected early next week.

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