LOS ANGELES, CA — While the warning about a life-threatening, monster California blizzard with 100 mph wind gusts and 12-feet of snowfall sounds terrifying to some, to others, it’s a siren song.
The National Weather Service on Thursday urged Southern Californians to cancel their weekend ski plans as a rare blizzard bears down on the Sierras, including Mammoth Mountain.
“There are only so many ways that we can say it will be treacherous to be traveling on the roads,” the National Weather Service warned. “Whiteout conditions are very disorienting, so this is not the time to gamble with you or your family’s lives, especially over a planned weekend ski vacation.”
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“Sierra travel will be treacherous through the weekend, with a period of life-threatening blizzard conditions Friday afternoon through Saturday morning. Avoid travel into the Sierra through this weekend! Snow showers will continue Sunday into early Monday with another chance for snow Wednesday and Thursday of next week.”
According to The New York Times, such blizzard warnings are reserved for extreme storms with prolonged periods of whiteout conditions, and only eight have been issued by the National Weather Service’s Reno office since 2002.
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Forecasters warn the latest storm could dump more than 12 feet of snow at elevations above 5,000 feet in the Sierras, with peak hourly snow rates projected to surpass 3 inches.
The same storm is expected to hit Southern California over the weekend in a much-weakened state. Local mountains can expect about a foot of fresh snow, according to the National Weather Service. A winter weather watch will remain in place Friday through Sunday.
“While central and northern California will see a big rain and snow impacts, southwest California will be on the fringes of the system — but not without some threats,” according to the National Weather Service. “As such, Friday through Saturday will be characterized by many hours of steady light rain and mountain snow along with gusty southwest winds, with a decreasing trend on Sunday. The peak of this storm for our area will be on Saturday.”
As much as 12 inches of snow could fall at mountain elevations above 6,500 feet, with as much as 6 inches possible as low as 5,500 feet. There is only a slight chance of accumulating snow on the Golden State (5) Freeway through the Tejon Pass.
The storm system will also bring gusting winds to some mountain areas.
A high wind watch will be in effect in the foothills and the mountains from Friday night through Sunday afternoon, with forecasters anticipating winds of up to 35 mph, gusting as high as 60 mph.
In the eastern San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains, a winter storm watch will be in effect from Friday evening through Sunday morning, thanks to the possibility of higher-elevation snow accumulations and winds gusting up to 65 mph.
“Although snow totals and intensity will be light to moderate, the presence of snow with the potential for strong damaging winds brings the potential for Winter Storm Warning conditions,” forecasters said.
The storm should move out of the area by Sunday, with another round of light rain possible by Wednesday.
City News Service contributed to this report.
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