Scattered storms, lightning hit Southern California and prompt beach closures
A winter storm caused a cluster of low-end snow storms for Tuesday along the West Coast, but the storms moved out before they caused disruptions.
A winter storm caused a cluster of low-end snow storms for Tuesday along the West Coast, but the storms moved out before the storms caused disruptions.
A winter storm brought very cold temperatures, and even the forecast suggested it could keep the Pacific Northwest on edge Wednesday morning. The National Weather Service office in Washington, D.C., issued an “unprecedented winter storm warning” for a large swath of Washington and Oregon, including the northern Great Lakes; there was also a warning for the Puget Sound, S.C. and S. California.
But the storms that began late Tuesday did not come close to causing major damage along the southern parts of the West Coast.
The first round of snow snuck into many areas this morning, with 8- to 12-inch accumulations possible in some cities. In Los Angeles, the snow did not stick, but the forecast was grim: By midnight, the National Weather Service predicted that between 8 and 12 inches of snow would fall in the area. L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti tweeted that the city was in a state of emergency, and a city spokesman told NBC4 an evacuation alert was issued.
A group of friends who spent the evening in a friend’s backyard in L.A. was surprised to see the snow, and only just noticed it was falling in the street.
“It was like something straight out of a movie. We’re going to have to shovel that car,” they said.
As much as a foot of snow fell in Santa Clarita in two hours, with 10 inches of snow expected.
L.A. was also hit hard by a series of storms, and is bracing for another round Thursday morning.
